I have GSam Battery Monitor, and it says that my Phone Radio is using about 80% of my battery. Why is this so high? I usually unplug my phone in the morning at 8AM, and I usually need to plug it back in between 2PM and 4PM. Maybe this is normal, but it seems very high to me.
asked Jan 17, 2013 at 22:06
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Is the phone running on LTE service?– Compro01Commented Jan 17, 2013 at 22:14
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from time to time, but most of the day I am connected to the wifi.– Get Off My LawnCommented Jan 17, 2013 at 22:14
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Have you fixed it to some mode (3G or 4G), or is it set to auto-chose? In the latter case, especially with some "bad cells", this could lead to frequent switches. Moreover, the phone had to watch multiple bands for "strong signal". If possible, try to fix it to either 2G, 3G or 4G and see if this improves the situation. General rule: Higher numbers use more power (so 4G uses most, 3G less, and 2G minimal power).– IzzyCommented Jan 17, 2013 at 23:09
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@Izzy Okay. Last night I installed the phone's update to 4.1.1, maybe that will help too... How do I set it to use a specific type (2/3/4G)?– Get Off My LawnCommented Jan 18, 2013 at 15:45
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Not having a SGS, I can only give general information: In settings, network/telephony. Poke around a little, somewhere there it will have a drop-down/selection box where you can chose GSM/CDMA/GSM+CDMA/auto and things like that. Make sure to select only one type here (the one you have available in most areas you walk in). You can also check for widgets to switch between 2G (GSM) / 3G (CDMA) etc., so you have it accessible easier (not sure, but doesn't the SGS3 has something like that in the notification area, on top?).– IzzyCommented Jan 18, 2013 at 15:59
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this sounds like you move in and out of data service alot. 4G was very new in ICS and radio handoff wasn't very efficient. even if you have a newer version of android, what i'm about to describe will still help. if you are in a location with secure wifi access and little or no 4G signal, turn off your mobile data to keep the device from using battery by trying to find a signal. the radio firmware will chew thru power searching for signal, even with the screen off. turning off mobile data has helped me save a lot of battery in the past. you will still able to call and text, as 4G is a data-only band. if your device supports VoLTE, turn that off as well. doing that will force the device to route calls over another band that uses less power and hopefully has better signal strength.
