Help Identifying battery killing processes

[GiggityGiggity]

Hey all. First, here's how I like my phone set up: I never use 3g at home as I'm in a very weak signal area and know it kills my battery constantly hunting for a signal. I rarely use 3g anywhere else either - I don't use push email, instant messaging, twitter, facebook or anything else like it. If I need 3g I'll switch it on. I also don't like my phone 'doing things' I haven't told it to.

Now, I fully charged my phone last night. I took it off charge at 00:30hrs and didn't touch it at all until 12:20pm today, yet the battery has dropped to 75%. I checked and it shows Android OS at 94% (with CPU usage of 5h22m46s), cell standby at 3% and phone idle at 2%. I already use Juice Defender Ultimate, and I've installed Better Battery Stats which doesn't show anything in particular that equates to that amount of CPU usage. So, how do I find out what it is that's causing it? Or, do I not worry about it as that's normal for this phone? I don't see how it could be, my iPhone 4 would lose at most 2% battery life if left the same way. Help!

 

[paddylaz]

Hey bud,

Have you checked to see whether you have any apps that you've set to constantly e.g. check the web for updates/refresh material etc? Loads of widgets?

Also, If you're using launcher pro, make sure the 'keep in memory' option is disabled.

Also, this is isn't really a solution per se, but I bought this not too long ago and it's a LOT better than the stock:

Anker 1900mAh Li-ion Battery for Samsung Galaxy S II: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics


Other than all of those don't know what else to suggest so will leave it open for someone else to have a go....

 

[jirams]

My SGS2 is operated under the same set up as you report for yours. From 2300 @ 100% charge, by about 0900 next morning I will typically have lost 2 to 4 %. Your 25% loss over a slightly longer period is enormous. I use Juice Defender Ult. Android System 24% Android OS 15%.

Unrooted and with Tesco Mobile.

 

[pwannell]

try CPUspy and also Battery Monitor. I found that Bettery Battery Stats is great for those apps using wakelocks and getting them killed off. Also remove any silent GEO location such as latitude from working.

 

[GiggityGiggity]

...Also, this is isn't really a solution per se, but I bought this not too long ago and it's a LOT better than the stock:

Cheers, I've ordered one of these as it gets good reviews, plus it never hurts to have a spare. I don't use Launcher Pro and don't use any widgets that need updates from the web. Starting to annoy me now, tempted to factory reset (again) and start from scratch.

 

[Sword Fish]

Some excellent information is posted here on this issue:

Android OS process eating away battery life - xda-developers

 

[paddylaz]

Cheers, I've ordered one of these as it gets good reviews, plus it never hurts to have a spare. I don't use Launcher Pro and don't use any widgets that need updates from the web. Starting to annoy me now, tempted to factory reset (again) and start from scratch.

Yeah go for the factory reset, maybe if you start loading up your phone again in increments (in terms of apps), you might be able to notice the guilty-party if there is one.

And yeah, the Anker really improves things....gives me about an extra 3/3.5 hours. Make sure you calibrate the battery as that might help too.

 

[GiggityGiggity]

I'm definitely leaning towards a full reset. I'll track it for another few days to see if I can trace the cause and if not it's reset time.

 

[Russell Ng]

Hey all. First, here's how I like my phone set up: I never use 3g at home as I'm in a very weak signal area and know it kills my battery constantly hunting for a signal. I rarely use 3g anywhere else either - I don't use push email, instant messaging, twitter, facebook or anything else like it. If I need 3g I'll switch it on. I also don't like my phone 'doing things' I haven't told it to.

Now, I fully charged my phone last night. I took it off charge at 00:30hrs and didn't touch it at all until 12:20pm today, yet the battery has dropped to 75%. I checked and it shows Android OS at 94% (with CPU usage of 5h22m46s), cell standby at 3% and phone idle at 2%. I already use Juice Defender Ultimate, and I've installed Better Battery Stats which doesn't show anything in particular that equates to that amount of CPU usage. So, how do I find out what it is that's causing it? Or, do I not worry about it as that's normal for this phone? I don't see how it could be, my iPhone 4 would lose at most 2% battery life if left the same way. Help!

You see the highlighted part of your post? That's your problem. Android OS should not be running into hours. I had it once. The only difference is that I only had the phone on for a couple of hours and the Android OS show usage way more than that.

There's probably something wrong with the meter and the meter would not get reset just by booting it. You need to either remove the battery or recharge it to full again. I suggest recalibrating the battery.

Cheers

 

[GiggityGiggity]

You see the highlighted part of your post? That's your problem. Android OS should not be running into hours. I had it once. The only difference is that I only had the phone on for a couple of hours and the Android OS show usage way more than that.

There's probably something wrong with the meter and the meter would not get reset just by booting it. You need to either remove the battery or recharge it to full again. I suggest recalibrating the battery.

I've just noticed something else. The cell standby time is showing it's without a signal 100% of the time. That can't be normal?

 

[Slug]

The cell standby time is showing it's without a signal 100% of the time. That can't be normal?

It is for me. The "Phone signal" bar on the Battery Usage graph displays a constant signal but cell standby time always shows the same as yours. As I can make/receive calls without this altering I've decided that it's broken.

 

[GiggityGiggity]

It is for me. The "Phone signal" bar on the Battery Usage graph displays a constant signal but cell standby time always shows the same as yours. As I can make/receive calls without this altering I've decided that it's broken.

Phew!

 

[Sword Fish]

BTW, my Android OS usage was always way up around 65% until I started to turn off Wireless when I wasn't using it. Now it runs around 7% and battery life is much improved. Obviously our wireless modem usage gets bundled into Android OS usage. The biggest battery user on my phone is now the display and Radio (I'm always running the radio) so if you turn down brightness a bit, you should get better battery.