Just Received My New VZW GNex, Seeking Advice

[Mr. Glass]

Hello,

After great help and advice here on the forums, I pulled the trigger and upgraded to the VZW Galaxy Nexus.

I am now ready to optomize for best performance and battery life.

After asking around, I came across this guide:

[Guide] Ultimate Galaxy Nexus Guide - Galaxy Nexus [CDMA] - RootzWiki

Is this a good option for me to use as someone who is new to more advanced customization? If not, can you point me in the direction of a better option?


In general, what are some good threads/sites to check out for someone in my shoes?

(I posted a similar question midway through a previous thread that I started, asking about which phone to get, but wanted to post more specifically here for better exposure.)


Thank You,

Glass

 

[trophynuts]

welcome to the club. AF has a great All things Root section for the VZW Nexus

Verizon Galaxy Nexus - All Things Root - Android Forums

check the two stickies in that forum. They have some really really good info. If you have any issues don't be afraid to ask.

 

[The_Chief]

If you are looking to root and ROM your Nexus, then there are a plethora of ROMs and kernel combinations out there to help you get the most out of your device while conserving battery. Trophynuts pointed you to the All Things Root section, and that's where you would want to start.

If you choose to stay stock like me, however, I am a proponent of Juice Defender, free in the Market (or Play Store, whatever they're calling it now ). The free version in default mode gave me half again the battery life: the Plus version almost doubled it. I will offer the disclaimer that I'm using the 2100 maH extended battery. I can go all day long on moderate usage (near constant Bluetooth streaming, occasional web surfing, app usage, texting and phone calls).

 

[Tim K]

Like Chief said, if you are ready to root your phone and start installing custom Roms, there are plenty of options for you there. If you are looking to remain stock, at least for a while, there are plenty of tips out there for maximizing battery life.

While some people will swear by juice defender, there are many others (myself included) who think that it causes more problems than it fixes. Anything that shuts off core services (data, wifi, etc) on its own has the potential to cause problems in a device/app designed to be 'always on'.

Granted, there are some people for whom it is a critical app....people who are in poor service areas with no wifi whose batteries would drain quickly as the phone boosts power to the radio and constantly hunts for a connection. For them I can see the utility of JD. For 'average users' who are typically in an area of decent coverage, I think there are better ways of maximizing battery life than shutting off services like that.

Quick and Easy:
1. Use Wifi as much as humanly possible. Uses much less power than 3G and 4G. 4G is a big hog, but its fast.
2. Turn down screen brightness as much as you can tolerate. That big beautiful screen eats battery.
3. Only sync services that you NEED. Gmail, Calendar, Contacts, etc. If you don't NEED instant twitter/facebook/google+ updates.....turn them OFF. Especially Google+ - its a known battery hog. Those other services will update when you open the apps, you don't really need to know that your friend John just 'checked in' at his local Starbucks do you?
4. Streaming uses juice. Phone calls use juice. You can't really do anything about that, just keep it in mind.

For more in-depth stuff on battery use, check out the link in my signature.