Android phones, apps and tablets

No, the information i requested was in regards to your android phones.

Well, it's not going to be that interesting, but:

• Off the charger at 07.30
  
• Used for Kindle App (screen set to black, text to white) for duration of train journey to Brighton ~1.5 hours
  
• Used for GPS to locate meeting ~2 minutes
  
• Used for Kindle App for train journey back to Victoria ~1 hour
  
• Dead
  

I think its using the screen, in whatever function that chews through the battery. Depending on apps, everything else should be minimal.

Yeah, I agree- that's why I had reversed the screen/text colours, in a (probably pointless) attempt to reduce the battery draw.

(probably pointless) .

Depends on your screen type. AMOLED uses less power with darker images/themes because with AMOLED screens each pixel has it's own light source.

Here is an interesting post on CPU / Screen power usage

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=979359

turn. off. the. mobile. network.

^

battery life improved quite a bit with that off.

and no, it doesn't mean you can't received text or call as you though it to be.

What does it mean?

turn. off. the. mobile. network!

Fair enough- why even bother taking it out of the house then?

Leave it on the side with all the radio chips turned off, screen off, no alarms, I reckon it would last a while.

You could use it to hold some paper down, in case a gust of wind disturbed them.

Big-screened dumb-phone at that point. 2g is best bet if you want to save juice, but I don't see the point of having a smart phone without a mobile connection

Not much point having 2g only, assuming you can get 3g, if you're browsing it will take longer to load stuff so your screen will suck more juice. Either turn off all data or use the fastest option you have.

I may be saying what's already been said but when you press home you don't actually leave the app It's left running in the background you'll have to go to settings to end it. Some apps use up a staggering amount of life even when running in background.

Ok, i'm gonna jump in and put words in Ed's mouth. On Android 2.2, the data connection is called "mobile network". Turning it off will save battery but you will have to turn it back on to get mail, surf the Web etc. basically like having a dial up modem rather than always on internet.

A half way house is to turn off 3g, unless you need it. You can get widgets to help with this.

Dammit, buy a kindle. Problem solved. You can get the cheap one and use tetheting

I may be saying what's already been said but when you press home you don't actually leave the app It's left running in the background you'll have to go to settings to end it. Some apps use up a staggering amount of life even when running in background.

It's not this simple. Andy p?

Run Advanced Task Killer, job done.

Didn't realised each android is somewhat different, there's time I don't need it on, simply sliding down the quick setting menu - untick mobile network and job done.

it's useful for says, century ride where email isn't quite important while riding.

It's just confusing terminology: not at all obvious that it only turns off the data connection, not the whole phone radio.

Ok, i'm gonna jump in and put words in Ed's mouth. On Android 2.2, the data connection is called "mobile network". Turning it off will save battery but you will have to turn it back on to get mail, surf the Web etc. basically like having a dial up modem rather than always on internet.

A half way house is to turn off 3g, unless you need it. You can get widgets to help with this.

Dammit, buy a kindle. Problem solved. You can get the cheap one and use tetheting

I have a Kindle and would normally have used it.

Ironically however the battery was flat.

Task Killers are a waste of time (sure this has been linked to before)

http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2010/04/multitasking-android-way.html

See, I told you it wasn't that simple!

Heh. ^

I only ever need to charge my Sensation up at nights which is the norm for smartphones, it's never dead in a day. I use it a lot with apps, and wifi on.

So, if the screen is the big problem for battery life, maybe we could apply some lateral thinking and use an external screen for intensive times. I'm thinking about either an e-ink screen or some kind of glasses with a built in screen or projector; kind of like an equivalent of headphones.

These could be plugged in when you want a long term or immersive experience. The e-ink screen would use much less power and the glasses could have a seperate battery / charger.

The more I think about this, the more I like it. Particularly if we get those roll-up-able e-ink screens that futurists have been promising for ages. No need to own a Kindle; brilliant for text based web browsing, such as forum reading. Faebook / twitter updates. Basically anything text based and with low refresh rate requirements.

The glasses would look geeky, but for watching the equivalent of a 40" TV screen on the tube. Awesome for films, TV or gaming.

A really positive first look at the Lenovo ThinkPad. I'm impressed even more now than before.

Does anyone have a solution- I'm not sure if this is Android challenge or Asus transformer issue. Is there a 'shortcut' for Home, as in go-to-top-page? Something like touching the upper boarder of an iPhone. Its lame but I miss that on this compared to my iPhone...

I miss it too, got a Galaxy S2

A really positive first look at the Lenovo ThinkPad. I'm impressed even more now than before.

have one of these. i like it.

if what you need to do is read and annotate pdfs it's the business. the pen is accurate. the only downside is that android pdf annotation software isn't yet optimised for the stylus. ezpdf, repligo and foxit (beta, not in the market yet) are either a little awkward to use for freehand, or have iffy pen recognition. but in a couple of months, all that should be sorted..

it's a bit slow to charge with the micro-usb. and slightly heavy. but you don't need a case. otherwise, fine.

Was it a personal purchase or did your work provide it?