Very Important Tweaks (NOT ROOTED AND NOT USING ANY TASK KILLERS):
FOLLOW ALL OF THESE STEPS. I WILL EXPLAIN WHY AT THE END. If you don't use the apps I'm talking about, it doesn't matter. You must set up these apps accordingly.
First, 3G and 4G utilizes the most battery because CDMA phones always seek out the best signal. CDMA networks won't give you great battery life but you will have great call quality because the phones are constantly searching for the best signal.
IF YOU ARE NOT USING 3G, LEAVE THE 3G RADIO OFF. IF YOU ARE IN A BAD COVERAGE AREA, A LOW SIGNAL WILL DRAIN YOUR BATTERY ON A CDMA NETWORK.
Yes, 3G and 4G use more battery than Wifi! Use Wifi if its available and Sprint is working on changing the software so 4G isn't as power hungry.
ANIMATED WALLPAPER:
If you are not close to a power source DO NOT USE ANIMATED WALLPAPERS. ANIMATED WALLPAPERS CONSUME BATTERY POWER. I use them when I want to show off my phone or if I know I won't be out for long.
WIDGETS:
Widgets that need access to the internet in order to update themselves WILL CAUSE BATTERY DRAIN depending upon how often you have the app set to update the widget via the internet. Every app/widget is different but the following widgets need access to the internet: The stock clock/weather widget, any weather widgets, Friendstream, Facebook, News, News & Weather, Sprint Football Live, Stocks, Twitter, Mail, Nascar, and the Market. (For the time being DO NOT USE ANY OF THESE WIDGETS. I WILL EXPLAIN WHY AT THE END OF THIS POST. I WOULD JUST REMOVE THESE WIDGETS FROM YOUR SCREENS FOR NOW.)
SETTINGS:
Menu - Settings - Wireless & Networks "4G, HOTSPOT, 3G means Mobile Network, BLUETOOTH, Wifi - Turn off these radios by unchecking the boxes (Turn on when/as needed)
Menu - Settings - Location - "Uncheck USE GPS satellites box"
Menu - Settings - Wireless & Networks - 4G Settings - "Uncheck the Network Notification box if not already unchecked." In order to uncheck the box you have to turn on 4G, then uncheck the box. Remember to uncheck the 4G box. What does this do? It stops your phone from scanning on its own for a 4G signal, which drains battery. When you turn on 4G, the phone will locate the 4G network on its own.
Menu - Settings - Wireless & Networks - Wifi Settings - "Uncheck the Network Notification box." In order to uncheck the box you have to turn on WiFi, then uncheck the box. Remember to uncheck the Wifi box. What does this do? It stops your phone from scanning on its own for a Wifi signal, which drains battery. When you turn Wifi on, the phone will find all the available Wifi hotspots on its own.
Menu - Settings - Sound - "Uncheck Haptic Feedback box"
Menu - Settings - Display - Brightness - "Set Brightness to about 30-40% depending on your eyesight" (Using Automatic Brightness consumes more battery because the feature utilizes a sensor, especially when you are browsing.)
Menu - Settings - Display - Screen timeout "Set to 1 minute"
Menu - Settings - Display - Animation - "Set to No Animation" (This does not cut off your weather animation folks. I have yet to see what it affects.)
Menu - Settings - Accounts & Sync - "Uncheck Auto sync box"
All sync circles should go from green to gray, meaning syncing is no longer active for the following: Weather, News , Stocks, Google
- Tap News - Account settings - Update Schedule - "Set to Manual"
- Tap Stocks - Account settings - Update schedule - Should be gray in color meaning its not turned on/active
- Tap Weather - Accounts settings - Set to minimum usage for your use! (Once a day is all I need)
I leave background data checked so I don't have to always check the box in order to enter the market app. Since we turned all syncing basically off, background data will not cause any problems.
Open Mail App - Menu - More - Settings - Send & Receive - Set Frequency for Peak & Off peak times to "ONCE A DAY"
- Menu - More - Settings - General Settings - "Check Refresh upon Open box" When you open your mail app it will automatically download your mail upon opening. You don't have to use this function if you only check your mail once a day because that is what we set the mail app to do. But if you check your mail more than once a day, check the box so you control your battery consumption by manually checking your mail.
Open Fring App if you have it - Make sure you are signed out and logged off when closing. Menu - Settings - "Uncheck Automatic Startup"
Open Sprint Zone App - Menu - Settings - Set Update Frequency "Select Every month"
Open News App - Menu - Settings - Set Update schedule - Make sure it says "Manual"
Open Stocks App - Menu - Settings - Make sure Auto Sync data and Update Schedule boxes are grayed out and no check in the Auto Sync Data box exist. Uncheck the "Update when Opened box" if you do not use the stocks app. If you use this app, its basically set to manually refresh upon opening if you leave the box checked.
Open Weather App - Menu - Settings - Ensure Update Automatically Box is Unchecked. This will allow you to refresh your homescreen clock/weather widget by hitting the refresh button in the lower left screen of the weather app.
Open Talk App - Menu - Settings - "Uncheck Automatically sign in box" and make sure you sign out. Do not back out, SIGN OUT
Open News & Weather App - Menu - Settings - Refresh Settings - "Uncheck Auto-refresh box" Now you can manually refresh your weather opposed to the app doing it for you and depleting your battery.
I DO NOT USE FACEBOOK, FRIENDSTREAM, OR TWITTER SO IF THOSE APPS HAVE SEND/RECEIVE SETTINGS YOU MUST SET THEM UP ON YOUR OWN.
With my setup your phone should drain in idle mode at 1% an hour. I can leave the Wifi and GPS Radios on, and my phone will still drain at 1% an hour while in idle mode. As long as the phone isn't sending/receiving data while in idle mode. You will see the 1% an hour battery drainage. When I say idle mode let the phone sleep for 2 hours and see what drainage you get. You should lose 2% and start from a fully charged battery.
Now you must work backwards folks. If the phone is draining properly, set up your apps to the frequency of how often you use the apps but you want them set to minimum usage. Don't set up mail to send/receive every 4 hours if you only check your mail once a day. Don't set up weather to send/receive data every 3 hours if you look at the weather once a day. That doesn't make sense. When an app needs access to the internet via 3G, 4G, or Wifi its going to consume battery life. So if you have 3 apps scheduled to send and receive data 4 times a day, your battery isn't going to last an entire day. That's why we tell everyone the EVO will use battery based upon how you setup your phone. That's if you even set up your phone.
Set up your apps. See what type of battery drain you receive over two days. Then if your battery drainage isn't bad then set up your widgets. Or you can do your widgets first, wait a few days and see how your battery drains, then set up your apps to minimum usage. Does this make sense?
After a week and you are happy with your setup and battery drain, play with the auto brightness features and animation settings to see how that affects your battery. Its a give or take thing with the EVO. You can't have all the bells and whistles on the phone going at once. Use what you need on the EVO.
The best way to get 100% juice out of your battery is to UNPLUG THE PHONE FROM THE CHARGER WHEN THE LIGHT TURNS GREEN. YOU WILL NOT SEE A 5% DROPOFF IN BATTERY POWER IF YOU UNPLUG THE PHONE AS SOON AS THE PHONE INDICATES FULLY CHARGED.
