Does cracked screen cause faster battery drain?

Question

I dropped my Nexus 5 a week ago and the screen cracked diagonally 8cm from side to side.

Since then I am sure that the battery drains faster than before. Previously I was always happy at how much battery life was left during the day, based on my experience of Nexus One and Galaxy Nexus. Now I am always noticing how quickly it is going down.

I didn't measure battery usage before the damage so I can't prove my suspicion. The battery usage settings screen shows the screen as the highest battery user, as before. Again, I'm sure the recorded percentage of screen battery use is higher than previously, but I don't have figures from before the break.

So, could there be a reason for the screen to use the battery more when it is cracked in half?

Answer 1

It could be that the visible crack isn't the only damage to your phone. If a connector is shorting in the screen or another component, that could be draining the battery (as well as generating heat).

A short could also cause sparking around the damaged component, which will cause further damage over time. You should get your phone repaired. If you tell the mechanic that you broke the screen by dropping it, they'll know to look out for other damage while they disassemble the device.

Answer 2

It is not because of cracked screen. It's because something has broke inside, I believe that's causing the battery to lose efficiency. Get it checked at the service center, it may cost you much for the screen, as much as half the price of the phone sometimes, so you may want to consider buying another, over repairing. Your preference.

Answer 3

Yes my screen was cracked very badly and drained up to 91% of my battery life from the screen. And now that I fixed it is up to one to 2% as well.

Answer 4

Yes, a cracked screen can drain your battery massively, due to generation and loss of heat.

I have walked around with a cracked screen for 1.5 year. During this time I had to replace my battery three times, with two times my battery was bulging and the last time it just barely charged anymore. I thought it was just the Samsung battery, because after a while, they don't work well. After the last time, less than two months ago, my battery slowly started to drain heavily. My screen took more than 40% of my battery usage.

In cold weather even more, so I decided to test it. After I replaced the front glass myself (only the front glass was broken), my phone sped up almost like it was new again and battery drainage now is 1 to 2% for my screen. I did nothing else than replacing the front glass.