[Q] (Q) ICS, Use Packet Data.. Battery Bug? - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi Guys
daily Phone usage (approx): GSM & WCDMA Auto, Wifi OFF, BTooth OFF, GPS OFF, Display @ 35%, 3-4 txts a day, 3 hrs Music a day (Stock music player & Radio), Email & Weather - Manual sync. Apps: EverNote, Angry Birds.. 2 - 3 hrs on Google play through wifi.
Ive had my SGS2 for a week and updated to ICS 403 through KIES. Ive noticed that the battery lasts 1 day with 'Use packet Data' ON, but Battery lasts 3.5 days with Packet Data OFF.
- Is anyone else found this issue, how did you fix it.
- Is this due to UK KIES release, rather than a Clean EU version through ODIN.
- Will using GSM Only rather than GSM/WCDMA auto help.
How do you guys find it
Night

---

Packet data eats a lot and it always will. Of course you may use gsm only mode and it should increase battery life but the difference you have to check yourself on particular modem. This brings me to another solution - you may check different modems. now I work on LPW and it's awful, it uses battery a lot but the signal is very strong. Best results from ICS ROMs I had on LPS - signal was weak but never lost and battery usage much much lower. Some users are very happy with nelp - is seems to have everything: good signal reception and low battery usage.
Anyway, try few modems yourself, it also much depends on the area you live in, 3G network availability, home network signal strength etc etc. however you need to be aware that using packet data will drain your battery anyway.
p.s. remember also that while having packet data on the whole day many apps may work in background using internet (maybe a little bit but still) and it will also increase total battery usage.
Well, having such a phone, all the time on the net, one day of battery life doesn't have to be bad at all, depending on how much you really use it (I mean "screen on" time).
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

---

gaeilge said:
Packet data eats a lot and it always will. Of course you may use gsm only mode and it should increase battery life but the difference you have to check yourself on particular modem. This brings me to another solution - you may check different modems. now I work on LPW and it's awful, it uses battery a lot but the signal is very strong. Best results from ICS ROMs I had on LPS - signal was weak but never lost and battery usage much much lower. Some users are very happy with nelp - is seems to have everything: good signal reception and low battery usage.
Anyway, try few modems yourself, it also much depends on the area you live in, 3G network availability, home network signal strength etc etc. however you need to be aware that using packet data will drain your battery anyway.
p.s. remember also that while having packet data on the whole day many apps may work in background using internet (maybe a little bit but still) and it will also increase total battery usage.
Well, having such a phone, all the time on the net, one day of battery life doesn't have to be bad at all, depending on how much you really use it (I mean "screen on" time).
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that great info, really helpful.
Where I live (Newcastle UK), I get H+ but on 1 or 2 bars.
- Ill drop to 'GSM only' and 'PacketD ON' first for a few days and let you know.
- Then PacketD OFF.
- Then ill try a few Modems.. LPS & LPW as you suggested, and ill post back, maybe it can help others as well.
Also, Im not that keen on ICS as an OS.. always having to sign in or register online for every single thing, so
- Is it possible to go back to 236 GB using ODIN after updating to 403 ICS through KIES.. KIES hasnt locked my phone has it?.. If I can find a EU/UK 236 that is .
Thanks
Night

---

just use Odin and don't forget to do wipe after downgrading - it can save you from lot of troubles coming from ICS leftovers... the simpliest way is to use *2767*3855# code but remember that it will wipe all your data so do backup.
while choosing modem you may help yourself with topics like these ones:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1277593
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1603042
you will find some tests there but you have to read "a bit" to find suitable ones.
however, if you'd like to go back to 2.3.6 you have the battery life comparision in the 2nd post of the 1st thread. still, much depends on the network conditions in your area.
p.s. i talked to some friends of mine who where comparing modems according to signal strength, Fast Dormancy support, voice calls and video calls quality. their main subject wasn't battery usage but still they have much more experience with it than me. anyway, they say that lowest battery usage they had on nelp2 and nelp3.

---

Im on Virgin Mobile UK, which use both T-Mobile UK and Orange UK masts, so maybe a T-Mobile modem might be ok to test.
However, in the last 12 hours since my first post, i just set to GSM Only and what a difference, and it downloads email and data quickily, but thats not definitive though.. Im still testing it.
In Network connection in About Phone, its using a network called edge:2.. cant find anything on it at all, have you heard of it.
Also, I know this has been asked before, so i do apologise, but Ive checked in both Android Development sections, which is very confusing, and cant find a clean stock EU/UK 236, and samfirmware have removed theirs.. Could you possibly point me to one please.. . I did find one online called XWKL1 INU?.
Thanks
Night

---

open stock ROM for UK you may find here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1075278
search for XEU. the same here:
http://samsung-updates.com/gt-i9100-galaxy-sii/
links are available.
about Edge:2... I have the same while working GSM only and have no idea what this means. maybe it's Evolved Edge (aka Edge Evolution)?

---

Edge:2 could be a samsung protocol, which would be nice for a simple 3G idea.
Thanks for the links bud, much appreciated .. ill have a look through them after my testing, but it looks like im going back to 236.. not liking ICS even without the modem issues.
Im currently on LPW.. I know you gave it a thumbs down, but ill keep you posted.
Thanks

---

indeed it's not so easy to find 2.3.6 open for UK, just like it wasn't released at all.
anyway, I want to give you one more link:
http://androidfirmwares.net/PhoneFirmware
very usefull site if you want to get kernels, modems, CSC or even whole ROMs from Intratech's page.

---

gaeilge said:
indeed it's not so easy to find 2.3.6 open for UK, just like it wasn't released at all.
anyway, I want to give you one more link:
http://androidfirmwares.net/PhoneFirmware
very usefull site if you want to get kernels, modems, CSC or even whole ROMs from Intratech's page.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the link, but what is a Frankenstein Rom.. In my experience there is no UK Firmware, only open EU firmware with multi CSC and you just choose UK when the S2 boots, so it can be for any EU country as long as its open, with Prefixes like "XX...", "XEU..." (i think) "XW..." .. as long as its stock.
About the test, now that Ive arrived home from scotland .. 300 miles (450km) south, I find the battery was draining quicker under LPW GSM, so I re-booted the phone and its slightly better, so something to consider.. when travelling a decent distance maybe you should reboot your phone and "Logon" to your lockal area cell/mast.

---

Frankenstein is a ROM made of parts of different stock ROMs. e.g. you take ROM which was released for some other region and change CSC files with the ones taken from ROM released for your region (to keep your product code). People do all kind of mixtures of kernels, modems and CSC files taken from different stock ROMs. this way you make ROM that fits you best and the same time you don't void your guarantee. Only thing that gets lost is kies/fota updates.
Talking about modem and traveling, it may be true. I live in the place on the edge of signals (one room 2G, another one 3G) and have lot of problems with home network. When I use 3G, LPW is doing great job keeping me on this signal but changes networks a lot and this way drains battery. LPS had different behavior, it was going into 2G mode in order to keep my home network rather than changing network in order to keep 3G signal. maybe the same counts when you travel - changing networks uses more battery. Anyway, there is more to it - even in 2G mode and fixed network, modem is using little bit more battery but my signal is much much stronger.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2