My goal is actually to save battery life and simplify my day-to-day. Many people rave over Tasker, but I have no interest in learning an app of that complexity when my needs are very simple. They are:
By time (usually with respect to my work schedule), turn on/off volume.
Turn off autosync at work as I use my desktop for that, but enable it when I get home (so my calendar and email is up to date).
Turn Bluetooth on when I get in the car to go to work.
Turn off stuff at night.
By location, override the above, if I'm not at work - ie: on a Friday, if I take the day off and am not at work, leave wifi on.
That's about it. I'm hoping it will help my battery life a bit. I've used Timeriffic in the past and it is really very good and doesn't seem to drain the battery. But it very much requires me to stick to my schedule very closely or it isn't effective - ie: BT on for car use, but if I'm running late, it it's useless.
I have Juice Defender Ultimate, but it's frustrating me as it turns data and wifi off and just doesn't seem very smart about turning them on, even though I've whitelisted apps to always have data on for. It's kinda driving me nuts. It also doesn't really do the rest of what I want, with respect to volume stuff. I will likely leave it running with wifi/data toggles turned off so it can't mess with that. I like that it will throttle the phone when it is locked, though I'm not certain Android doesn't already do that - (I'm on an LG Optimus 2x v10e and Android v2.2.2)
Other thoughts: I want a simple, set-and-forget app. If something comes up that I want to change, add a new rule/setting and leave it again. I just want it to work, but not at the expense of battery life. My needs are pretty basic, so I'm hoping battery life won't be that affected.
My thoughts on the competition so far is:
Setting Profiles - seems pretty good, decent reviews. UI doesn't seem as simple as Locale, so unless it's drastically better, I'm still leaning towards Locale.
PhoneWeaver - as above, but reviews aren't quite as good. UI still better and simpler on Locale.
Llama - free, but god the UI!! If this just made more sense, I'd likely go with it.
Locationbot - cheap, but the reviews don't seem that great.
Tasker - overkill for what I need, I suspect.
EasyProfile Pro - more money than the rest. UI is okay, not great. Gets good reviews. The popup widget thing looks decent.
Your thoughts/experience?
Thanks in advance...
Profile
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.noimjosh.profile&feature=search_result
is strictly time based and its only for manipulating notifications, wifi and bluetooth, screen brightness, and can auto replay to calls or sms.
Its very good at those though(can even seperate sms from email notifications which was my biggest need) and it has a widget that you can throw on your desktop to quickly manually switch between profiles you create.
However as I said it strictly for profiles, wifi and bluetooth so it won't handle sync scheduling.
Taking a closer look though it does have control over turning on and off airplane mode which might be what you are looking for.
Related
Guys, don't ask me to search again... i really did... and didn't found any answer....
i am new on android.... and it's regarding the battery's life time...
i hope someone give me an answer here....
there're a lot android user saying about advanced task manager, juicedefender, v6 supercharger, cell standby, phone idle.... anyway... i got no answer at all....
few people using ATaskMan and improve their battery life, but few people said it just drain my battery... anyway...i don't see any improvement using that....
i used juice defender to keep the connectivity.... better than keep it all the time...
didn't see any improvement also....
i used setCpu too... keep it low at night.... i don't really know if it works....
all i want is keeping the data on as long as possible.... even on sleep.... to keep apps like viber, whatsapp, im+ and sometime to sync the apps like weather, facebook, twitter and email...
weather, facebook, twitter and email... these apps were set to manual... not automatic....
i don't call and messaging a lot.... just stay on in internet...
i don't play games a lot... maybe few minutes....
so my questions here...
1. did the apps on background really drain up the battery? because they are, who using v6 supercharger didn't have a problem with battery.... and it's not like ATaskMan... it's didn't kill the apps at all.... just manage the background apps...
2. did the widget also drain the battery? some people said so....
3. keep the data on all the time? i read in this forum... they keep their data on.... but, still having their phone more than a day... moveover... some guys get it over 2 till 4 days...
if it's about ROM, it should be same with other, who uses the same ROM...
and if it's about hardware... it should be from the first time i bought this phone....
i just want keep my phone as long as possible with data on.....
anyway.... i still keep tracking what drain my battery the most....
hope someone come with answer for this....
and sorry for my english.....
1. That depends on which apps are running in the background, but when your device is in standby it should go to "sleep", but if you've set some apps to update every 15 minutes, the phone will wake up (without turning the screen on of course) to update them. This will naturally use some battery. And remember that Android can handle all processes itself. You don't need to kill them yourself. That will actually decrease batterylife since the phone has to start the apps again everytime you kill them. A task manager is nice to have if an app is going rogue.
2. Widgets do use battery, and the widgets who are set to automatically update itself uses more battery (Facebook, Twitter, Weather etc.)
3. "This tip is one that seems counter-intuitive, but you can save a lot of wear and tear on your Android phone's battery if you tell it to keep the Wifi radio turned on and connected while the phone is sleeping. Your phone needs a lot of juice to keep pinging those cell towers, and even more to transmit data to and from them. Wifi radios use much less power because of their design, and they don't have to keep searching for a better access point. It's the way cellular data communication was designed, and it's a necessary evil.
But what if you're spending all day (or all evening) in one place, connected to Wifi? If you tell your phone to shut off Wifi when idle, it bounces back to cellular data (be it 2G, 3G, or 4G) and starts sucking down the electrons again when the screen shuts off. That's no good, and easy to fix:
Open the advanced Wifi settings by pressing the menu button, then Settings, Wireless & networks, Wi-Fi settings, and tapping the menu button again. You'll have a choice to either Scan, or go Advanced -- go Advanced.
Tap the Wi-Fi sleep policy entry, and you'll get a pop up dialog with the choices you see in the picture above. Choose Never.
Now even when your phone goes into standby mode, you'll stay connected to Wifi and be able to get mail and messages without turning the cell radio back on and trouncing your battery life. And for the times when you're not in an area with a Wifi connection, just shut Wifi off, either through the menu or with a handy toggle widget. Your battery will thank you for it."
Source: AndroidCentral
Follow the two guides below, this will help you out.
1. Complete Guide to Maximizing Your Android Phone’s Battery Life
2. How to Save Battery Power on an Android
And of course the easiest solution that is often overlooked:
Carry a spare battery and/or charger.
BazookaAce said:
1. That depends on which apps are running in the background, but when your device is in standby it should go to "sleep", but if you've set some apps to update every 15 minutes, the phone will wake up (without turning the screen on of course) to update them. This will naturally use some battery. And remember that Android can handle all processes itself. You don't need to kill them yourself. That will actually decrease batterylife since the phone has to start the apps again everytime you kill them. A task manager is nice to have if an app is going rogue.
2. Widgets do use battery, and the widgets who are set to automatically update itself uses more battery (Facebook, Twitter, Weather etc.)
3. "This tip is one that seems counter-intuitive, but you can save a lot of wear and tear on your Android phone's battery if you tell it to keep the Wifi radio turned on and connected while the phone is sleeping. Your phone needs a lot of juice to keep pinging those cell towers, and even more to transmit data to and from them. Wifi radios use much less power because of their design, and they don't have to keep searching for a better access point. It's the way cellular data communication was designed, and it's a necessary evil.
But what if you're spending all day (or all evening) in one place, connected to Wifi? If you tell your phone to shut off Wifi when idle, it bounces back to cellular data (be it 2G, 3G, or 4G) and starts sucking down the electrons again when the screen shuts off. That's no good, and easy to fix:
Open the advanced Wifi settings by pressing the menu button, then Settings, Wireless & networks, Wi-Fi settings, and tapping the menu button again. You'll have a choice to either Scan, or go Advanced -- go Advanced.
Tap the Wi-Fi sleep policy entry, and you'll get a pop up dialog with the choices you see in the picture above. Choose Never.
Now even when your phone goes into standby mode, you'll stay connected to Wifi and be able to get mail and messages without turning the cell radio back on and trouncing your battery life. And for the times when you're not in an area with a Wifi connection, just shut Wifi off, either through the menu or with a handy toggle widget. Your battery will thank you for it."
Source: AndroidCentral
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Click to collapse
thanks a lot.... i just read all article from androidcentral.... i thought, i found all my answer there... searching in the google doesn't really bring me to the best source... it's just too many choice....
anyway... i got another website to spend my time
febycv said:
Follow the two guides below, this will help you out.
1. Complete Guide to Maximizing Your Android Phone’s Battery Life
2. How to Save Battery Power on an Android
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for another source...
it's really helpfull...
DirkGently1 said:
And of course the easiest solution that is often overlooked:
Carry a spare battery and/or charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah.... it's the last choice.... carring them is not the problem.... im just kind person who can't leave my stuff behind on the socket... and i spend too much time out there... where doesn't really have socket... except... library... plug the charger for 5 minutes, doesn't really help.... thanks anyway....
The android OS has a built in task manger so using ATK or ATM is actually worse than if you don't.
But honestly rooting has made all of the difference. If you have time for it READ about what it means to root and the how-to's, youtube instrutional videos, etc.... just get your feet wet a lil bit. When/if you feel like it is something that you might be interested in, go ahead and do it. You wont regret it and you will diffidently be able to improve battery life with titanium backup which allows you to freeze apps that you dont need running.
Warning 1) you might become addicted to flashing ROMS... and 2) if you screw up your phone you can't blame anyone but yourself.
petecraig612 said:
The android OS has a built in task manger so using ATK or ATM is actually worse than if you don't.
But honestly rooting has made all of the difference. If you have time for it READ about what it means to root and the how-to's, youtube instrutional videos, etc.... just get your feet wet a lil bit. When/if you feel like it is something that you might be interested in, go ahead and do it. You wont regret it and you will diffidently be able to improve battery life with titanium backup which allows you to freeze apps that you dont need running.
Warning 1) you might become addicted to flashing ROMS... and 2) if you screw up your phone you can't blame anyone but yourself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I did already.... waiting the new rom everyday....
2. Yes it is....
I need root to back up my phone... and it's already rooted... and there're a lot useless program coming with stock rom... need root to clean it also....
Sent from my LG-P920 using XDA App
at least for my phone: regarding setcpu, you can raise the minimum frequency, increasing performance while hardly affecting battery life (at stock i had 245/600; now i have 480/600). turns out that if you set the minimum frequency low, it will take some juice to ramp the cpu back up
just a little tip
Just wanted to add: besides titanium backup, I'd also recommend gemini app manager and better battery stats. You can use gemini to edit an app's autorun permissions (ie, automatically starting at boot) for those apps you don't, can't or shouldn't uninstall/freeze. If you're having issues with your phone not sleeping better battery stats will help you identify what's keeping your phone awake.
Lastly, there is only so much you can do to optimize your battery life. In the end you're going to have to sacrifice some functionality for better battery life or vice versa. You just need to find the right balance you can live with.
What is the longest running time did you had on your phone? I reckon batteries are getting thinner and thinner and will not last long.
Apps are there to help you avoid manual work. If you switch of automation on all the apps then you will have to spent time and do it all manually and on the other hand how much life will you save lets say %15. Not worth it!
Best solution is to stick your handset to the charger while you are going to sleep!
sweetnsour said:
at least for my phone: regarding setcpu, you can raise the minimum frequency, increasing performance while hardly affecting battery life (at stock i had 245/600; now i have 480/600). turns out that if you set the minimum frequency low, it will take some juice to ramp the cpu back up
just a little tip
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i set it 300/300 at night... it's from 00.00 til 06.00 which i don't touch it.... i don't know, if it is a good idea.... i guess, background apps wouldn't using cpu so badly.... would it?
arsalan.haqs said:
What is the longest running time did you had on your phone? I reckon batteries are getting thinner and thinner and will not last long.
Apps are there to help you avoid manual work. If you switch of automation on all the apps then you will have to spent time and do it all manually and on the other hand how much life will you save lets say %15. Not worth it!
Best solution is to stick your handset to the charger while you are going to sleep!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im trying tasker right now... 15% fair enough for me.... without losing data....
i am almost 12 hours out there every day.... i wanna figure out, how to spare the battery life... cause i wanna buy tablet.... which consume more battery than a phone....
So I am toying with the idea of purchasing Tasker. At the moment I use two separate apps to put toggles on my homescreen and to manage various profiles based on day/time. I really like the idea of using a single app like Tasker to handle both of these needs but I am concerned about battery life. For those of you who have used Tasker on your SG2, do you see any major battery drain? I know that battery drain is dependent on things such as gps, wifi, etc. I am only talking about simple Tasker tasks such as profiles based on day/time and simple toggles (wifi, BT, lock, etc. I assume that using Tasker instead of 2 separate tasks could save me battery right?
i have tasker (although not installed on my SGS2, yet). It really does not kill battery and its easily one of the best apps that you can purchase. I highly recommend it.
Just wow learning curve on using Tasker to do the cool stuff. Best to start off downloading other people's profiles to appreciate all that Tasker can do. As you figure it out it makes it easy to tweak their settings than to start from scratch on your own.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using XDA App
+1 more for tasker here. I haven't really set up profiles yet on my SGSII, but I used it for some simple stuff on my Aria for a long time (silencing when plugged in at night, stuff like that) and never really saw appreciable battery drain.
You may or may not see more significant battery drain from tasker if you set up profiles based on GPS location and you have either frequent GPS location checks setu-up (this frequency is configurable) or if you are trying to check GPS in areas where you can't get a signal. (you can also configure how long tasker tries to get a GPS signal before timing out, iirc).
yeah, there is a pretty big learning curve to setup the more complex profiles. But with a half a brain, you can figure out most of the profiles you need. Dont hesitate buying tasker. Its the best.
Battery drain
I finally got around to installing Tasker and while I really like it, I immediately experienced battery drain of about 5% per hour at idle! I only have 5 simple profile set up (change volume at various times of the day) and 3 widgets. Before Tasker, I was getting 0.5% per hour battery drain at idle. Any other SGS2 owners out there experiencing the same thing?
tboooe said:
I finally got around to installing Tasker and while I really like it, I immediately experienced battery drain of about 5% per hour at idle! I only have 5 simple profile set up (change volume at various times of the day) and 3 widgets. Before Tasker, I was getting 0.5% per hour battery drain at idle. Any other SGS2 owners out there experiencing the same thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
unless you have a profile set to poll wifi access points, or gps location, there is no way that tasker by itself is eating that much battery.
agreed. I had tasker installed for a while on my captivate and if it was draining the battery, it was maybe 1% per hour or two. And I had profiles that polled wifi and bluetooth connections. Maybe there's a bug with the SGS2 though. I dont use tasker on this phone but its possible, i guess.
suggestion: disable your profiles and test out how much your battery drains with tasker installed and no profiles active. You can probably also test your battery with tasker not installed to make sure its not another app.
I am experiencing similar problems with my phone now, I haven't yet figured out if it is tasker that is causing probloems or the particular version of custom ROM I am currently using. The profiles that I have now check for "wifi connected" and "cell near". Could that be draining my battery? What settings should I use in "Monitor" tab in preferences to get best performance?
This thread hasn't seen the light of day in two years. We try and let older threads die, for the simple fact that if they were dormant for that long usually there's a reason. Maybe try talking to the tasker dev?
What app (not just category but actual app) do you find is the biggest drain on your battery?
I get about 12 hours on a full charge and see about a 1% drain every 5-7 minutes!
I am about to put a new ROM on my Note and since I tend to run it loaded with apps that I collect, I was wondering if anyone has a list of biggest amp-drainers.
Some apps have settings that let you modify their behavior (K9 Mail comes to mind) but settings can be a bit confusing when it comes to balancing utility to power drain.
So...that being said...
Give me a list of apps that you run that you know kill your battery anyway some that are so stingy they get the Android Scrooge Award for battery use.
Also...
what are some of your best general power-saving tips for power-users?
Use a black background.
Turn off all your radios if you're not using them.
Leave your GPS off and just use WiFi for locations if you need to. If you don't use locations, turn them off.
Anything with a light background will drain your battery quicker on an AMOLED. Always use black wherever you can.
Never let your battery go below 20% charge.
Don't use a task killer - it was necessary for the older versions of Android, it's not now.
Set your Facebook/Twitter/Weather/Stocks etc. to sync every 3, 6 or 12 hours, as opposed to instantly (I still sync mail instantly).
These are a few of my runtime-prolonging tips. As for apps, anything that pulls data, displays a lot of white or moving pictures, uses a radio/GPS, and runs constantly will be the biggest drain. Things like turning off notifications in Tapatalk/XDA etc. can save you a lot of juice.
If you want to know exactly what is going on with your battery, you can look in the settings to see what exactly is draining the battery (sorry, I cant remember exactly offhand where it is).
Personally, I use an app called Battery Widget Pro by 3c that gives me more information than I ever wanted to know about exactly what is going on with my battery (just look at the screenshots on the market).
For me, the biggest drainer is the screen and phone calls but I only have a few apps installed.
All of those are good, and I want to add that under advanced in Wifi, there is an option to turn off Wifi during sleep mode.
Usually it is three choices, Always on, On when charging only, and off.
Make sure to turn it off during sleep if you don't need it. That can be a battery drainer as well.
C0BRA01 said:
All of those are good, and I want to add that under advanced in Wifi, there is an option to turn off Wifi during sleep mode.
Usually it is three choices, Always on, On when charging only, and off.
Make sure to turn it off during sleep if you don't need it. That can be a battery drainer as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do keep in mind tho that rogue apps or those that are scheduled to perform network activities will fall back to cellular data if wifi is off.
BeyondPod is one such app, I have it on a schedule to download new podcasts at certain times of the day and if wifi is off, it will use cellular data if available. However, BeyondPod does have an option to only download on Wifi, but not all apps offer this.
Link
One of the top power saving tips for android roms on any device is turning wifi off when the screen is off. Our touchpads are not capable of this on their own yet, that is where this app comes in.
Just install/open and the app will do the rest for you. The only con that I have found is that it takes 5-10 seconds for it to enable wifi when you awake if for sleep.
Market Description:
GreenPower battery saver: No need to charge your battery so often!
GreenPower battery saver brings many extra hours to your battery life!
Unlike other battery savers that require regular user manual actions, GreenPower is fully automatic: Once configured, it runs and saves your battery by itself. It does so by smartly managing Wifi, Mobile data & Bluetooth (*): Turning them off when you don't need them, but ensure minimum disturbance: Automatic turned ON when needed by you or by other apps (e.g retrieving mails).
Similar but easier cleaner and faster than JuiceDefender!
"GreenPower mainly does one thing, but does it so well and so flexibly that the benefits reaped are considerable." (InfoWorld)
"GreenPower is a simple and easy to use power and network management software" (Engadget Chinese edition)
"GreenPower Premium is a remarkable tool. Battery saver, time saver, top notch!" (AndroidPit)
HIGHLIGHTS
- Handles WIFI, Mobile Data (2G, 3G, some 4G) & BLUETOOTH
- Supports most phone types (both GSM & CDMA) and most carriers
- Supports Android ICE CREAM SANDWICH, HONEYCOMB, GINGERBREAD & FROYO
- Mobile Data toggling using clean Internal API or APN renaming (you can chose)
- Most features below available in Free version unless marked with (*)
INSTALL AND FORGET
Or take time to configure to get the most out of it!
24H MONEY BACK GUARANTEE (premium)
Google's 15 minutes trying time is too short for such an app. Try Premium for 24H and get a refund if you didn't like it.
FEATURES
- Wifi mgmt: Based on schedule, screen state, power connected, signal level...
- Mobile data mgmt: Based on schedule, screen state, power connected...
- Mobile data mgmt: Either Internal API or APN renaming
- BLUETOOTH (*) mgmt: Based on devices connected or in range, screen state, power etc
- Traffic check: Configurable to prevent disturbing other apps
- Apps Whitelist (*): To keep data on when using specific apps (like music streaming)
- Simple WIDGET (*): To quickly pause or resume
- NIGHT (*) mode fully configurable, Airplane mode...
- Tasker & Locale Plug-in (*)
- Compatible with Cerberus 2.0
- Very lightweight and fast app
- Easy and clean interface
- Fully configurable settings
- Settings backup / restore
- 20 Languages (changeable at run time)
- And more...
SUPPORT
- Dedicated Forum for support issues
- Support from the developer. I'm answering each issue.
- Regular updates with bug fixes and new features
PREMIUM version specific features:
- Bluetooth support
- Widget
- Night mode
- Tasker & Locale Plug-in
- Apps whitelist
- No ads
- The good feeling to support an independent developer ;-)
Tags: battery saver, battery booster, juice defender, batteryfu, apndroid, 2x battery saver
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no affiliation with this app, just wanted to pass it along to those who want some power management. I haven't bought the premium version, but probably will after a week or so of testing.
Im going to try this with AOKP 31. So what you are saying, is the bug where if i have wifi set to off, it never comes back again, will be fixed with this app? I wont have to turn wifi off and then back on again to reconnect after sleep?
nightanole said:
Im going to try this with AOKP 31. So what you are saying, is the bug where if i have wifi set to off, it never comes back again, will be fixed with this app? I wont have to turn wifi off and then back on again to reconnect after sleep?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll leave your wifi setting to "always" be on and let the app manage it.
When the screen shuts off, the app will turn off your wifi. When you turn your screen back on, it turns your wifi back on.
Like I said above, it is slow to turn back on (sometimes takes up to 10 seconds), but yes it will turn it back on for you.
If you have ever used Juice Defender before, this app is like that in a simpler form.
Just what I wanted. Works just like you said. Hopefully it doesn't have battery drain from running in the background. But so far I am happy that it kills wifi when the screen is off and starts it back up on screen on.
I tried it (free version initially and then purchase and got a refund within 15 mins) but then settled for Juice Defender instead. Both are good but I found the extra customisation, etc. available with JD the deciding factor.
I've got JD Ultimate and its definitely saving me battery life on both my phone and Touchpad. Its also got a handy 'night mode' feature that automatically switches my tab into silent mode at bedtime and back into noisy mode around the time I wake up!
I've been using llama (available on the market) for some power management. It's not explicitly designed for that purpose, but you can create profiles based on location and have it turn off the wifi if you haven't used it for a while, that sort of thing. It's kind of like a simpler version of Tasker.
Neat idea but not a new concept whatsoever. The App Tasker does this and a WHOLE lot more. What you describe above is what a profile or two in Tasker can do.
DNak206 said:
Neat idea but not a new concept whatsoever. The App Tasker does this and a WHOLE lot more. What you describe above is what a profile or two in Tasker can do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll have to check App Tasker out. We need to share battery saving info like this because in my opinion that is an area we are lacking with our Touchpads.
rootnik said:
I'll have to check App Tasker out. We need to share battery saving info like this because in my opinion that is an area we are lacking with our Touchpads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're kidding right?! My batt lasts ages - its one of the great features of the Touchpad. I can put videos on for my son in the car for 6-8 hours and still have 20%+ juice left afterwards for him to play Angry Birds when reach our destination! Or, spend all day surfing the net and playing games before it needs a recharge.
Obviously I don't leave my WiFi on while I'm not using it or doing something that doesn't need me to be online.
Also, one if the biggest battery drains is usually the screen. Turn the brightness down and it'll last loads longer!
Good find. Thanks.
I downloaded this and gave it a try. Didn't really notice any difference in battery tbh.
Hi there
I am searching for an app that automatically enables bluetooth on any call (incoming or outgoing) and disables bluetooth after call ends
i want to use it to connect my phone to a bluetooth car stereo only on call situations preventing battery consumption
something like Auto Bluetooth app on android
the absence of an app like this prevents me from switching to windows phone
thanks for any help in advance
anyone ,anything?
There is no such app. System limitation.
thanks for your answer
i guess i ll have to stick with android
no
no option for this on windows phones.
For what it's worth, this *by itself* is a pretty bad reason to avoid switching. Bluetooth draws very little power in standby mode (think about the standby lifetime of those tiny earpieces, for example, and consider the size of their batteries). Having a background app that watches for incoming calls is probably almost as bad. There may be *related* reasons to not switch - for example, maybe you have some other reason to want an app to be able to toggle system settings - but saving a smidgen of power from the Bluetooth radio isn't a good one.
Not only that, but WP8 is much better at conserving battery life than Android is, by default. For example, there's almost never any need to turn off location services in WP8, because background stuff doesn't access them except in specific circumstances, so the power-intensive computations needed for a GPS fix are only made when a foreground app specifically requests it or when actively navigating (even if the navigation app is backgrounded). Contrast this with Android (admittedly, my experience is a few versions old now) where if you didn't turn off location services or explicitly stop a mapping app, it would continue updating your position in the background. Hardware-for-hardware and use-case-for-use-case, I found both WP7 and WP8 a lot lighter on the battery than Android. Many Windows phones only get about the same battery life as Android ones, but that's often because their batteries are much smaller (and thus cheaper). You can find high-battery-capacity WP8 handsets if you want.
Chage your settings