Tips to Help Improve Battery Life on ThunderBolt

[Mendon Mafia]

Well yesterday i got about 13 hours out of my battery but i noticed that my background data was all turned off but somehow i was still getting all my emails.

today with the BG data turned on i only got 4 hours...

both days had similar use, wifi, mobile data, 30min of calls, a few texts and checking emails.

 

[GSXRADDICT]

2 mornings out of the last 3, I've caught my phone losing 20% battery in the first hour after unplugging. Checking usage, I discovered it was running for 100% of the time, even with the screen off. Looking under partial wake usage revealed that facebook was running the whole time, keeping the processor ramped up @1024.

Posting this both to let others know to check this, and to ask anyone who might know - what's causing facebook to keep the processor ramped up? I've got background data enabled, so it shouldn't be struggling to update or anything.

If you use the chat in fb make sure to go offline or it will continue to run notifications won't use that much battery chat being open will.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[dajogejr]

Well yesterday i got about 13 hours out of my battery but i noticed that my background data was all turned off but somehow i was still getting all my emails.

today with the BG data turned on i only got 4 hours...

both days had similar use, wifi, mobile data, 30min of calls, a few texts and checking emails.

Can anyone tell me what background data service does?
I just turned mine off..and my active sync/push exchange email works just perfectly.

EDIT...I just tried the app market, it needs this on.
HOWEVER....Amazon's app store does not need it on. Bonus!!

 

[MrNiceGuy]

So as of right now there is no easy 4G toggle correct? Right now I do not live in a 4G area, but will be soon. I just want to know if there is an easy way to turn it on and off.

Download LTE onOff from market

Sent from my ADR6400L using DroidForums

 

[jerrywesley]

I am sure it's been said before but here's what I have found after using both the stock and extended battery.

1. If you just use the "phone only" the stock battery is great.
2. Exchange / push - syncing uses a lot of battery.
3. When weekends roll around and I use wireless in my house the battery last a long time. Plus, email sync is less often because it's the weekend.
4. LTE OnOFF helps a great deal when I am traveling.
5. If I am in a building where the signal is week the battery dies quickly. The same thing happened with the old iPhone 3GS toy.
6. I have come to realize the extended battery is the only way to travel and get over 12 hours of service.
7. After upgrading the firmware from Verizon it looks like I have to factory reset to fix the GPS and random vibrate issues so that's next on the list.
8. This is still a great phone first. The sound quality is unbelievable and the apps are fantastic.

And that's my two cents.
JW

 

[mcotter11]

PVMtpServiceStart

So I have gone through the suggestions for improving battery life in this post and countless other sites (I have a Verizon Thunderbolt), I am on the fringe about rooting, but my battery is only lasting 4-6 hours (and not touching it again) and I am getting close to pulling the trigger. This actually only started in the last week or so, before I was getting 10-12 hours from it. One thing in particular seems to be bogging me down still: after downloading the update to Blockbuster and changing the auto update settings, the PVMtpServiceStart still seems to be using the most battery life (85%) EVEN though I force stopped the service. I check this in the About Phone - Battery Use, PVMtpServiceStart shows stopped but the % use on the battery is still the highest in the listed things.
Any suggestions on what else can I do here?

 

[ILUVULU]

I am finally getting really good battery life. Unplug from the car charger when I hit the office at 99%. 9 hours later walk out of the office at 78%. Plug into the car on the way home. 99% getting out of the car at home. 80% by 6 in the morning.

Biggest change was running 4G only when I need it. My home is in an area that does not have 4G coverage therefore the phone was continually searching for it. My office is in a 4G area, however, my building construction makes the 4G come and go. So the phone is once again always searching. I installed the app "Phone info". Leave it in CDMA Auto (PRL) almost all the time. I figure 4G is only usefull if I am activily on the internet. When I need the 4G I turn it on.

The next big boost was the OTA update. I saw a big jump when I ran this. Menu, Settings, Software update, Check new.

My settings - GPS off, Bluetooth on, Brightness 1/3, Background data on, Auto sync on, Wi-Fi off, Mobil network on, Data roaming on, Enable always-on mobil data on. I look through my apps to keep their settings from automatically polling.

Good luck

 

[Crazed_Z06]

So I have gone through the suggestions for improving battery life in this post and countless other sites (I have a Verizon Thunderbolt), I am on the fringe about rooting, but my battery is only lasting 4-6 hours (and not touching it again) and I am getting close to pulling the trigger. This actually only started in the last week or so, before I was getting 10-12 hours from it. One thing in particular seems to be bogging me down still: after downloading the update to Blockbuster and changing the auto update settings, the PVMtpServiceStart still seems to be using the most battery life (85%) EVEN though I force stopped the service. I check this in the About Phone - Battery Use, PVMtpServiceStart shows stopped but the % use on the battery is still the highest in the listed things.
Any suggestions on what else can I do here?

Do a factory reset.

I had a problem where "Android System" was constantly running and eating all my battery. Did a factory reset and it's fine now. I reccomend selectively reinstalling apps after the reset. IMO, Androids biggest flaw is crappy apps can ruin your phone experience. When you have like 300 installed, it becomes near impossible to determine which one is screwing up what.

 

[capetocairo]

I came from a pretty crappy phone that would last literally all week and then some on just a 900-1000mAh battery, and I have to say that coming from that to owning a TB was a huge difference.

Out of the box I was getting ridiculous battery drainage due to the very unrealistic factory settings provided with the phone. In one day I would have to charge three times. Upon reading into it, and for owning it for about 3 months now, I can easily get about 2-2.5 full days of use on moderate usage (texts, angry birds, browser, voice).

Really all you have to do is just fiddle with it yourself. Many thanks to the OP for compiling this list and updating it, it has great information and I learned a lot from reading this thread as I got to know my TB personally. But ultimately, I think if you stop getting scared of battery drain levels that are not acceptable to you, then you will find that even though the battery will always be draining and even at a rate that is unreasonable, then it will be easier to go about working on what works best for you and your needs. No two phones (TB's) are alike, and the same applies to their users. Some will need more data to be used than others, and some want eye-candy, productive widgets, and apps running to help them stay in touch. That's fine, but don't hold the TB to one standard for all uses.

I don't know who said it but earlier on in this thread someone said that they maintain that the battery life would be a lot better if people stopped fussing about it so much and just used it. I would agree with this with the addendum that continually referring to the OP would be very helpful, as he updates it as things are discovered and changed.

As byrong says over on xda,

"the best advice I can offer is to stop paying such close attention to your battery gauge and to just use your phone. Charge it whenever you can, and then stop obsessing over the exact numbers. If you really need more usage time, buy an extended-capacity battery and use it normally."

EDIT: In fact, I would HIGLY recommend you all read that post, as it may be pretty enlightening to some here.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=871051

 

[CC268]

can you wipe battery stats on unrooted?

 

[alboboy10]

So I have gone through the suggestions for improving battery life in this post and countless other sites (I have a Verizon Thunderbolt), I am on the fringe about rooting, but my battery is only lasting 4-6 hours (and not touching it again) and I am getting close to pulling the trigger. This actually only started in the last week or so, before I was getting 10-12 hours from it. One thing in particular seems to be bogging me down still: after downloading the update to Blockbuster and changing the auto update settings, the PVMtpServiceStart still seems to be using the most battery life (85%) EVEN though I force stopped the service. I check this in the About Phone - Battery Use, PVMtpServiceStart shows stopped but the % use on the battery is still the highest in the listed things.
Any suggestions on what else can I do here?

Do a factory reset.

I had a problem where "Android System" was constantly running and eating all my battery. Did a factory reset and it's fine now. I reccomend selectively reinstalling apps after the reset. IMO, Androids biggest flaw is crappy apps can ruin your phone experience. When you have like 300 installed, it becomes near impossible to determine which one is screwing up what.

How much should android system typically take? Mine is at 19% now and my display is around 50%. Before that android system was around 25 which is a lot higher than usual

 

[geoff5093]

So I have gone through the suggestions for improving battery life in this post and countless other sites (I have a Verizon Thunderbolt), I am on the fringe about rooting, but my battery is only lasting 4-6 hours (and not touching it again) and I am getting close to pulling the trigger. This actually only started in the last week or so, before I was getting 10-12 hours from it. One thing in particular seems to be bogging me down still: after downloading the update to Blockbuster and changing the auto update settings, the PVMtpServiceStart still seems to be using the most battery life (85%) EVEN though I force stopped the service. I check this in the About Phone - Battery Use, PVMtpServiceStart shows stopped but the % use on the battery is still the highest in the listed things.
Any suggestions on what else can I do here?

Do a factory reset.

I had a problem where "Android System" was constantly running and eating all my battery. Did a factory reset and it's fine now. I reccomend selectively reinstalling apps after the reset. IMO, Androids biggest flaw is crappy apps can ruin your phone experience. When you have like 300 installed, it becomes near impossible to determine which one is screwing up what.

How much should android system typically take? Mine is at 19% now and my display is around 50%. Before that android system was around 25 which is a lot higher than usual

It's all relative, the more you use your display or a particular app, the lower the percentage the android system will have used.

 

[kcluggish]

Do a factory reset.

I had a problem where "Android System" was constantly running and eating all my battery. Did a factory reset and it's fine now. I reccomend selectively reinstalling apps after the reset. IMO, Androids biggest flaw is crappy apps can ruin your phone experience. When you have like 300 installed, it becomes near impossible to determine which one is screwing up what.

How much should android system typically take? Mine is at 19% now and my display is around 50%. Before that android system was around 25 which is a lot higher than usual

It's all relative, the more you use your display or a particular app, the lower the percentage the android system will have used.

Just checked and my adroid system is running at 3%. My display is on automatic. About the only thing I did was change the syncing so it doesn't automatically sync unless I access the app. I also turned background data off. My phone has been off the charger since 5:00 AM and it is now 8:01 PM and my battery is still at 75%. I am not a heavy user and am not on my phone hardly at all when I'm working, but want the features available when I need them or want to use them. Even my old Droid original's battery drained pretty fast when surfing the net, playing games, etc.

 

[Palazuelosva]

So I just received my TB today and coming from a Droid 2 I'm not liking it so far, I'm getting 2 hours of battery life with custom settings no widgets my resolution is at 11% IDK y but its too much to deal with, I use to squeeze 6 hours out of my D2 with an extended battery and lowest settings

Sent from my ADR6400L using DroidForums

 

[alboboy10]

U got a bad phone unless u use it non stop. I'm at 7.5 hours with several phone calls and some browsing on the stock battery...and I consider myself to get decent battery in comparison to what some people get. I keep my phone on 4g too. I have four widgets, no battery draining settings