Database Info

Possible method of disabling 4G

On my Evo, I have tried a number of different things to conserve battery. One of the issues that someone suggested related to a possible bug in the way that the phone interacted with the Sprint network- it apparently continued to search for CDMA even if connected to Sprint CDMA (please forgive my lack of specificity about this- I have absolutely no understanding of how CDMA networks operate).
Anyway, on the Evo boards, an app was recommended that allowed the user to specify the type of networks that a phone would use- called (appropriately enough) "Network". It's hard to find in the market; I think you have to search by the dev name- which is "mangelow". I used the app to set "CDMA only" instead of "CDMA PRL", which supposedly addressed the problem; by my own rough estimation, battery life improved (although slightly).
The app downloaded to my TB when I first logged into the market, so I thought I'd give it a try. It shows different options since it's on Verizon (which makes sense), the default being "CDMA+LTE/EVDO Auto"; there's also a "CDMA only" mode. I selected "CDMA only" in a known LTE location (my office) about 2 hours ago; yesterday at the office the phone was in LTE mode all day, as it was this morning before I switched modes, but since switching, it's stayed in 3G mode constantly.
I'll leave it to the smarter types to confirm my hypothesis, but I thought I'd toss it out there because it seems to work so far. There's not a widget or anything for this- you have to use the app to make the adjustments each time you want to change, but it's at least more than we have currently.
I suppose a disclaimer is appropriate, since I'm recommending someone else's app- I have nothing to do with the development of the app, and it wasn't my idea. If this works, any credit should go to the developer, not me.

doublehoya said:
On my Evo, I have tried a number of different things to conserve battery. One of the issues that someone suggested related to a possible bug in the way that the phone interacted with the Sprint network- it apparently continued to search for CDMA even if connected to Sprint CDMA (please forgive my lack of specificity about this- I have absolutely no understanding of how CDMA networks operate).
Anyway, on the Evo boards, an app was recommended that allowed the user to specify the type of networks that a phone would use- called (appropriately enough) "Network". It's hard to find in the market; I think you have to search by the dev name- which is "mangelow". I used the app to set "CDMA only" instead of "CDMA PRL", which supposedly addressed the problem; by my own rough estimation, battery life improved (although slightly).
The app downloaded to my TB when I first logged into the market, so I thought I'd give it a try. It shows different options since it's on Verizon (which makes sense), the default being "CDMA+LTE/EVDO Auto"; there's also a "CDMA only" mode. I selected "CDMA only" in a known LTE location (my office) about 2 hours ago; yesterday at the office the phone was in LTE mode all day, as it was this morning before I switched modes, but since switching, it's stayed in 3G mode constantly.
I'll leave it to the smarter types to confirm my hypothesis, but I thought I'd toss it out there because it seems to work so far. There's not a widget or anything for this- you have to use the app to make the adjustments each time you want to change, but it's at least more than we have currently.
I suppose a disclaimer is appropriate, since I'm recommending someone else's app- I have nothing to do with the development of the app, and it wasn't my idea. If this works, any credit should go to the developer, not me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not that we don't appreciate this, but there have already been a few threads about this, and there are actually a few apps that do this, also there is a number you can type in the dialer that allows you to do the same thing.

Apologies- didn't realize that. I had tried to search, but must have missed it. Please disregard.

nosympathy said:
not that we don't appreciate this, but there have already been a few threads about this, and there are actually a few apps that do this, also there is a number you can type in the dialer that allows you to do the same thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know this has been talked about already, but are there any widgets that can do this quick swap for you? My wife's TB arrives today and I want to disable 4G for her (but have it EASY for her to turn it back on if wanted/needed with a simple press of ONE button via a widget). I disable my 3G on my AT&T Captivate, but do it through the settings menu with several different button presses to get it done. This saves a HUGE amount of my battery on my Cappy and I imagine that it will on the TB too.

nosympathy said:
not that we don't appreciate this, but there have already been a few threads about this, and there are actually a few apps that do this, also there is a number you can type in the dialer that allows you to do the same thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you can also dial *#*#4636#*#* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcY52pRRhwM

ElCamino said:
Yes you can also dial *#*#4636#*#* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcY52pRRhwM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm talking easier and quicker....the TB will be my wifes phone and I need to "wife proof"the process! ;-)
Is there a one click widget for this??
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA Premium App

Here you go. There is an app for that...
http://forum.androidcentral.com/htc-thunderbolt/70282-how-turn-off-lte.html#post749165

Is anyone else having trouble getting the phone to switch back to 4G? Sometimes it switches right away for me and others it won't. I make sure the CDMA + LTE option is checked but nothing happens and if I reboot my sometimes it will be back on 4G and others it will have switched back to CDMA auto and then I have to try toggling the switch and rebooting again.

4G LTE Rapid Power Burn Issue

High Level Symptoms:
- I notice battery has drained very quickly in a short time even when I have not been using phone (i.e. idle with display off)
- Phone feels noticeably warm/hot even when I have not been using phone (e.g. like it does while charging)
- Issue only seems to happen when running in 4G LTE mode
- I have gathered detailed usage statistics and do not believe there are any miss-behaving apps or system processes responsible
- I have noticed issue start most often near my office (in midtown NYC)
Note: This is where I use the phone on battery the most, so it may just be sampling bias
- I can temporarily stop the rapid power burn by switching out of 4G LTE mode (i.e. to 3G mode, or disabling radio)
- I have not found a way to stop the issue in 4G LTE mode once it starts except by restarting phone
(things I tried without success: toggling airplane mode, switching to 3G and back to 4G, radio off/on, and moving to different location/tower; rapid burn starts back up again as soon as 4G LTE mode is re-enabled)
Power Burn Rate:
- Data captured using Battery Monitor Widget which I have set to sample/log battery available % and usage every minute (this is a great app!)
- Available % dropping at a rate of about 20% / hour while phone is idle w/ screen off (my normal is about 5% / hour)
- Usage shows a very flat baseline of about 1000 mW / 250 mA (normal baseline is more like 100 mW / 40 mA)
(by baseline I mean many samples are equal to that baseline value with the rest being spikes up to greater values; no observed values are less than the baseline)
Background Info:
- My phone is unrooted and running stock firmware w/ the Verizon OTA upgrade (installed ~2011-05-19)
- I have noticed this issue many times since first getting the phone (~2011-04-12), and this issue is still present even with the newest LTE radio FW in the OTA update
- I am new to Android (~2 months in) but I am diving in deep with all the amazing tools both built-in and via add-on apps; I have collected a range of data/observations from numerous sources that are detailed in this post
My hypothesis is that the LTE radio hardware is responsible for this power burn. Most likely due to a software/firmware bug, but I'm not sure how to confirm that.
I wonder how common this issue is. I remember reading other posts on the forum that sound like the same thing. For example: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1008761
Can anyone else confirm they have seen this issue? If this issue is wide spread, I think it may be a contributing factor to the wide spread reports of 4G LTE a lot of battery.
I do not think this is the only factor that causes 4G LTE to use more power than 3G. I have read the reports, and personaly seen, higher 4G LTE power consumption when in low signal areas. However, I belive that to be independant from the burn issue I am describing here. The worst case power consumption I've seen that I think was "low LTE signal" related was only about 500 mW / 130 mA. The burn issue I'm refering too consumes power at about twice that rate and happened when I had strong signal. I had three to four of four possible bars. Also, I grabbed more detailed information:
----------
Phone info
reached using "LTE OnOff" app, "Network" app, or by dialing *#*#4636#*#* -> Phone information
Signal strength: -67 dBm to -80 dBm, 3 to 4 asu
Location: BID = 39b SID = 16 NID = 4
LAT = 7fffffff LONG = 7fffffff
Network Type: CDMA + LTE/EvDo auto
I believe this is good signal (e.g. issue not due to a low signal condition)
==================
Usage Data Capture
I briefly connected to power to reset the statistics after noticing the issue had started and and captured about an hours worth of data. My understanding of the data is that the display was off for almost all the time, and no apps or system processes are listed as using any significant amount of CPU/sensors in comparison to the hour data collection window.
-----------
Battery Use
reached using Settings -> About Phone -> Battery Use, or Battery Monitor Widget -> Usage
When last unplugged for 57m 12s
Display 30%
* Time on 1m 11s
* Auto Brightness
Cell Standby 21%
* Time on 57m 12s
Phone idle 19%
* Time on 56m 1s
Foursquare 11%
* CPU total 8s
* CPU foreground 6s
* GPS 26s
* Data sent 13.59 KB
* Data received 379.93 KB
Android System 7%
* CPU total 41s
* CPU foreground 2s
* Data sent 12.09 KB
* Data received 20.27 KB
Android OS 6%
* CPU total 39s
* Data sent 20.11 KB
* Data received 136.25 KB
Pandora 6%
* CPU total 35s
* Data sent 1.83 KB
* Data received 27.16 KB
---------------
Battery History
reached using Battery Monitor Widget -> Statistics, or by dialing *#*#4636#*#* -> Battery history
since last unplugged
CPU usage
* Android System (Total time:39s)
* Pandora (Total time:35s)
* suspend (Total time:31s)
* Foursquare (Total time:7s)
... (Note: more apps listed but with smaller total times)
Sensor usage
* Android System 29m 47s
* AccuWeather.com 28m 36s
(Note: after this capture I uninstalled AccuWeather.com app and retested. It wasn't listed anymore, but power drain behavior was unaltered)
Partial wake usage
* K-9 Mail 7m14s
* Android System 5m 4s
* Seesmic 9s
... (Note: more apps listed but with smaller times)
Other Usage
* Running (27.6%)
* Screen on (2.1%)
-------------------
CPU Spy v0.3.0 beta
Note: timers reset at begining of measurement interval
Time in state
1024 MHz 4:21 7%
768 MHz 0:54 1%
368 MHz 0:35 0%
245 MHz 12:11 20%
Deep Sleep 41:34 69%
This is a typical distribution I see when the phone is mostly idle (CPU sleeping for most of the time).
=================
Variation testing
After the data capture I systematicly tried several methods to see what it took to stop the abnormal drain in 4G LTE mode. In the end only rebooting the phone did it.
Set preferred network type: "CDMA auto (PRL)" (i.e. 3G mode) -> normal power usage (5:00pm-5:18pm)
Set preferred network type: "CDMA + LTE/EvDo auto" (i.e. 4G mode) -> abnormally high power usage (5:18pm to 5:43pm)
Set airplane mode (i.e. radio off) -> very low power usage (5:43pm to 6:54pm)
Turned off airplane mode (i.e. 4G mode) -> abnormally high power usage
Set preferred network type: "LTE mode" (i.e. ONLY 4G mode) -> abnormally high power usage
Set preferred network type: "CDMA + LTE/EvDo auto" (i.e. 4G mode) -> abnormally high power usage
Moved to a new place:
Signal strength: -65 dBm 4 asu
Location: BID = 23c SID = 16 NID = 4
LAT = 7fffffff LONG = 7fffffff
-> abnormally high power usage
Phone info "Turn off radio" button -> very low power usage
Phone info "Turn on radio" button -> abnormally high power usage
Restart phone -> normal power usage

I experience the same problem. My guess is that the radio firmware gets into a bad state when you are in an area with bad coverage.
I have been in a state where disabling data didn't stp the battery drain, only entering airplane mode would stop it.

crpalmer said:
I experience the same problem. My guess is that the radio firmware gets into a bad state when you are in an area with bad coverage.
I have been in a state where disabling data didn't stp the battery drain, only
entering airplane mode would stop it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I originally thought the same thing about the issue starting while in poor coverage, but since I have seen it occur multiple times in a good coverage area I began to doubt that was the case. The extra power consumption I usually get while in poor coverage is less in magnitude, and varies much more, and goes away when I have good coverage again. This issue feels distinctly different to me.
When you say disabling data didn't stop the drain you experienced, do you mean turning off Settings -> Wireless & networks -> Mobile networks? I haven't tried playing with that option. I'll give it a try next time I see the issue too.
You said entering airplane mode would stop it. Did you have the same experience that when you turned airplane mode off that the drain started back up again until you restarted?
Thanks

Excellent post, I would venture a guess that your background is in one the sciences.
One thing I noticed you didn't try was connecting through wifi. I believe this will render the 4g radio on but not in use. If the issue persists, it could help narrow down the cause.
As far as attempting to fix it, you can factory reset it or go to verizon for a replacement.. but that doesn't do much for others with this problem.

I have been having the same issue, both on stock and BAMF 1.6. Thanks for looking so thoroughly at this problem. It appears not everyone is affected. Can someone confirm? If so, exchanging the could be the solution.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App

To test your hypothesis, I'd recommend turning off LTE somehow. My suggestion for non-rooted phone:
Dial ##778#
Chose edit mode, password: 000000
You should be able to turn off LTE in Modem Settings->Preferred Mode
Please let us know your finding.

Nice work on the research!
The scenario you described happened to me yesterday.
I was in a building where I didn't get any reception at all. I noticed the phone started to warm up. By the time I got outside and the phone re-established a connection with the 4g network, it was extremely warm and the phone was at 7% life begging to be charged.
This has happened to me on two other occasions but I don't recall being in an area of zero to poor reception.
My bolt is also rooted running the BAMF Remix 1.6.

agdaniels said:
Excellent post, I would venture a guess that your background is in one the sciences.
One thing I noticed you didn't try was connecting through wifi. I believe this will render the 4g radio on but not in use. If the issue persists, it could help narrow down the cause.
As far as attempting to fix it, you can factory reset it or go to verizon for a replacement.. but that doesn't do much for others with this problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. Your guess is spot on; I did my Ph. D. in computer science.
I have not tried switching to WiFi. Next time I see the issue I will put that to the test. I find I haven't been using WiFi much with this phone since I have lower standby power consumption in 3G mode when I don't need the speed. When I do want more speed, I find here in NYC 4G LTE is actually significantly faster than either my home or work Internet connection (Cable and DSL respectively) (Crazy!). Also, here in NYC the 2.4 GHz band is VERY crowded so WiFi can slow down at times even on a good wired Internet connection. I wish this phone was 5 GHz WiFi capable to help avoid this particular issue.
My intuition is that this is a radio firmware issue so I have my doubts that a factory reset or even a replacement would fix anything. Factory reset would help if there were misbehaving apps or screwed up settings on my phone, but this seems unlikely. I'll probably need to root my phone so I can back it up before I try a factory reset. A replacement would only help if there was a hardware fault. Part of the purpose of this thread is to help gauge if many other people have this problem. The more that do, the less likely it is an abnormal HW fault with only my phone, and more likely a bug or other HW errata issue that hasn't been worked around correctly.
I think it is still too early in the game to make the call that it is not fixable in FW. I was aware that this LTE network/chipset is quite new and this phone was likely to have some rough spots at the start. Verizon/HTC/Qualcomm have only made one OTA release so far, and even that release has major bugs that were not present in the original stock FW (e.g. the frequent spontaneous rebooting when in 3G mode). Forums like this seem like great places for us users to publicly characterize issues we encounter. I hope it helps the engineers involved in making fixes and that we get updates not too far down the line.

cuguy said:
To test your hypothesis, I'd recommend turning off LTE somehow. My suggestion for non-rooted phone:
Dial ##778#
Chose edit mode, password: 000000
You should be able to turn off LTE in Modem Settings->Preferred Mode
Please let us know your finding.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion.
If you look at the last part of my post under the "Variation Testing" heading, I believe I did try a number of configurations with LTE off. Each case where LTE was off I saw normal or low power consumption. This is why I grew to suspect the LTE radio in the first place.
The technique I used for switching between 3G and 4G modes was actually the "Set prefered network type" drop down on the "Phone info" menu that can be reached using "LTE OnOff" app, "Network" app, or by dialing *#*#4636#*#* and selecting "Phone Information".
I have used the dial ##778# to get the ESPT menu before, but that was to modify the "Rev. A" setting from "eHRPD" to "Enable" as a work around to re-enable 3G EVDO during the few days of nation wide 4G LTE & 3G SVDO outage we had a month or so ago. BTW, it looks like I had by phone set to the non-stock "Enable" setting rather than "eHRPD" for the original data capture. I switched this back to "eHRPD" and I'll report if I have the issue again. I was last playing with this setting to see if had any effect on the random reboots after the OTA while on 3G, but it did not.
In the ESPT -> Modem Settings -> Preferred Mode drop down I only see the options for:
- Automatic
- HDR Only
- Digital Only
- CDMA Only (selected by default)
- CDMA HDR Only
There is also a a Preferred Mode(9k) drop down that has these options:
- Automatic
- HDR Only
- LTE Only
- HDR LTE only (selected by default)
I believe that these are settings for the voice radio and the data radio respectively. See the third page of the excellent Anandtech review of the HTC Thunderbolt: <Sorry, I am a new xda-developers forum member so it won't let me post external links yet.>
Do you have suggestions on how to set these? I am unfamiliar with the HDR acronym and haven't turned up anything that seems relevant in my Google searches.

I had another instance of the 4G LTE power burn issue today. I tried a few of the above suggestions.
I enabled WiFi and logged on to an access point. This did not stop the abnormally high power burn. Instead it went up slightly; I assume this was the extra power for the WiFi radio.
I also tried turning off Settings -> Wireless & networks -> Mobile networks. That resulted in the 4G LTE icon going away but the signal bars were still showing. I couldn't use the Internet but a SMS came through in this mode. This mode did not stop the power burn either.
The burn stopped only when I rebooted.
The reboot happened when I dialed ##778# to get the ESPT menu and switched the "Rev. A" setting from "Enable" to "eHRPD" and this time remembered to commit the changes (forgot to when I posted above). Committing the changes auto-rebooted the phone, which returned me to normal power consumption. I will report if I have the problem again now that I have confirmed I am back in the stock eHRPD mode.
Most of today I was in very good signal conditions, judging by the time the drain started, I could have been out on a errand in the neighborhood. So I can't 100% guarantee that the 4G signal was high the whole time.
Does anyone know of an app that works on the Thunderbolt that can log signal strength over time and preferably graph it too (e.g. similar to Battery Monitor Widget). I have tried to download and use a few without success including: Open Signal Maps, Network Signal Info, RF Signal Tracker, and Signal Finder. Some of these apps didn't work at all (I suspect 4G signal is reported a bit differently and this confuses some of them). Some work in general but I can't seem to get the logging I'm looking for.
Thanks!

OdinGuru said:
I originally thought the same thing about the issue starting while in poor coverage, but since I have seen it occur multiple times in a good coverage area I began to doubt that was the case. The extra power consumption I usually get while in poor coverage is less in magnitude, and varies much more, and goes away when I have good coverage again. This issue feels distinctly different to me.
When you say disabling data didn't stop the drain you experienced, do you mean turning off Settings -> Wireless & networks -> Mobile networks? I haven't tried playing with that option. I'll give it a try next time I see the issue too.
You said entering airplane mode would stop it. Did you have the same experience that when you turned airplane mode off that the drain started back up again until you restarted?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By disabling data, I was actually using the notification tools in most rooted roms. That should be equivalent to what you said.
Toggling airplane mode toggled the battery drain problem until it failed to enter airplane mode and I had to reboot.

I see the same thing
Where I live at home we only have 3G at work I have 4G. The phone will get itself into some kind of mode at work and burn through the battery in 4-5 hours. So I keep it charging on my desk all day. If I didn't, some days it wouldn't make it till lunch.

OdinGuru said:
Thank you. Your guess is spot on; I did my Ph. D. in computer science.
I have not tried switching to WiFi. Next time I see the issue I will put that to the test. I find I haven't been using WiFi much with this phone since I have lower standby power consumption in 3G mode when I don't need the speed. When I do want more speed, I find here in NYC 4G LTE is actually significantly faster than either my home or work Internet connection (Cable and DSL respectively) (Crazy!). Also, here in NYC the 2.4 GHz band is VERY crowded so WiFi can slow down at times even on a good wired Internet connection. I wish this phone was 5 GHz WiFi capable to help avoid this particular issue.
My intuition is that this is a radio firmware issue so I have my doubts that a factory reset or even a replacement would fix anything. Factory reset would help if there were misbehaving apps or screwed up settings on my phone, but this seems unlikely. I'll probably need to root my phone so I can back it up before I try a factory reset. A replacement would only help if there was a hardware fault. Part of the purpose of this thread is to help gauge if many other people have this problem. The more that do, the less likely it is an abnormal HW fault with only my phone, and more likely a bug or other HW errata issue that hasn't been worked around correctly.
I think it is still too early in the game to make the call that it is not fixable in FW. I was aware that this LTE network/chipset is quite new and this phone was likely to have some rough spots at the start. Verizon/HTC/Qualcomm have only made one OTA release so far, and even that release has major bugs that were not present in the original stock FW (e.g. the frequent spontaneous rebooting when in 3G mode). Forums like this seem like great places for us users to publicly characterize issues we encounter. I hope it helps the engineers involved in making fixes and that we get updates not too far down the line.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are absolutely correct on all three points, my main focus with the two suggestions were background data for the factory reset and faulty hardware for the replacement.
If you have the ability to disable all background data syncing while on 4g- on the application side, sense ui side, and the android side you could completely rule out software being the cause. My thoughts with this are some background service is keeping the radio active, causing the burn.
The replacement device would help to narrow down whether the issue lies on the device side, or if its more related to the towers/the way lte functions. The latter is bad news for you. My thoughts on this are that some people report no issues running lte, while others are having similar problems as you have reported; I doubt that it is faulty phone hardware, but its possible.
I share your conclusion that this is a firmware(baseband) issue. Actually going in and manipulating it would require root, a considerable understanding of how the interaction between hardware and software works, and the abilty to make tweaks and test them. I will also contact some people more knowledgable then myself and see if they want to chime in on the matter.

crpalmer said:
By disabling data, I was actually using the notification tools in most rooted roms. That should be equivalent to what you said.
Toggling airplane mode toggled the battery drain problem until it failed to enter airplane mode and I had to reboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent idea. I then I was able to execute the test you suggested yesterday when I re-encountered the issue. I saw the exact same behavior you reported: even though I disable applications data over LTE, the drain did not stop. This is strong supporting evidence that it is not an issue with some kind of rouge app / sync settings.
Drain toggling with airplane mode is the exactly consistent with my observations as well. Sounds like we have confirmed you having the exact same burn issue.
Thank you for the feedback and confirmation.

mcargil05 said:
Where I live at home we only have 3G at work I have 4G. The phone will get itself into some kind of mode at work and burn through the battery in 4-5 hours. So I keep it charging on my desk all day. If I didn't, some days it wouldn't make it till lunch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is consistent with my observations of the burn issue. The baseline power consumption I observed is about 20% of the battery per hour while phone is idle with screen off. That would correspond to the phone burning through a full charge in 5 hours even if you didn't use it at all. Add any extra actual usage on top of that and 4-5 hours of life sounds very plausible. That assumes you have the problem right away though (the worst case).
I typically see a variable amount of time of normal consumption before the issue starts. For instance, let's say I've been running normally for 3 hours and am at 80% before the issue starts. Then I'd quickly burn through the last 80% in 4 hours or less. In that case I'd get less than 7 hours of total battery life (e.g. not making it through the day). If my normal usage had continued, it should be more like 15 hours (e.g. more than enough for a long day and needs charging every night).
There is still the question if this issue is related or not to 4G signal levels. What do you normally see in the office? Number of bars is useful, and also the more detailed dBm number can be found in Settings -> About Phone -> Network.
Thank you for your report.

agdaniels said:
You are absolutely correct on all three points, my main focus with the two suggestions were background data for the factory reset and faulty hardware for the replacement.
If you have the ability to disable all background data syncing while on 4g- on the application side, sense ui side, and the android side you could completely rule out software being the cause. My thoughts with this are some background service is keeping the radio active, causing the burn.
The replacement device would help to narrow down whether the issue lies on the device side, or if its more related to the towers/the way lte functions. The latter is bad news for you. My thoughts on this are that some people report no issues running lte, while others are having similar problems as you have reported; I doubt that it is faulty phone hardware, but its possible.
I share your conclusion that this is a firmware(baseband) issue. Actually going in and manipulating it would require root, a considerable understanding of how the interaction between hardware and software works, and the abilty to make tweaks and test them. I will also contact some people more knowledgable then myself and see if they want to chime in on the matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the most recent test I disabled "Mobile Networks" which effectively shutdown data service. I also tested switching to WiFi which should have redirected all data away from the 4G LTE radio. Neither one of these stopped the power burn. Do you agree this is sufficient enough to rule out apps/services?
I noticed on the Phone info screen there are some counters for number of bytes sent over the radio. Next time I have the issue perhaps I'll keep track of how those change when I'm having the issue vs not.
I agree that trying replacement HW would be a useful data point to help identify if the issue is inherent or tower related. I'm not quite ready to jump through all the hoops with Verizon to do it myself yet. I'd want to root first to create a backup of my current setup first to reduce the pain of the procedure. And I'll probably give them the benefit of the doubt and wait for the next OTA to give them another shot at fixing the issue with FW.
Part of our questions would be answered if there was indeed a user out there that runs 4G LTE and can document that they do not have this issue. Does anyone out there run Battery Monitor Widget or similar and can say they have never seen the tell-tail pattern of power burn I am talking about?
I really wish Android had a built in screen capture feature. I need to get adb installed and setup on my computer so I can post examples of what the graphs look like; I think that would help other users to identify the issue as it happens so they know when to re-boot to save what is left of their battery.
I agree there is very little we as users can do to fix the issue if it is in the radio FW. As you say, it would indeed take very detailed knowledge of the HW. Also, I think it would be impossible without the radio FW source code. Although I haven't looked through the HTC released code, I would be very surprised if this was included. It wouldn't be covered under the Android or Linux open source licenses as it likely originally came from Qualcomm and is considered proprietary. Without that, we can only hope that Qualcomm/HTC/Verizon work together to get it figured out. The good news is that they all have a good business case to do so. This LTE chipset is likely to be used in several phones so they need these issues resolved before it affects their whole lineup.
Anyone know if the new Samsung Droid Charge has this issue too?

After experiencing all the same issues myself, I have noticed that this seems to have been addressed in the leaked Gingerbread radio. Might be worthwhile to repeat testing using that radio and then somehow compare code.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App

I would have to agree you've sufficiently ruled out software, the point about the gingerbread build not having issues is worth noting though. Can someone confirm the 2.3 release has new radio firmware? It wouldn't be difficult at all to pull it out and flash it if it does
My thunderbolt will be in hand Monday, I don't have the phd you have in c.s (mines just a bs) but I've been in the business long enough to throw some graphs together. We'll compare notes then if we don't find resolution sooner.

I experience the same problem in North Phoenix when running 4GLTE in a weak 4g signal area. It doesn't happen too often if I'm in a heavily blanketed 4g area.
EDIT. I'm running rooted. OC to usually 1400 mhz. I'm constantly being synced with the Exchange Server. My phone gets super hot when running navigation plus 4GLTE. Temperature gets up to around 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
When I notice my phone heating up, I'll switch to CDMA prl and immediately my battery temperature starts dropping to normal levels, ie. 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
At the time I was running on different radio combinations. Such as, CDMA. 6 and lte. 7 radio combo. I have recently switched to Gingerbread so more testing is needed.

Had a spare minute to look up the radio, looks like its bricking certain devices after flashing. Not completely ruling it out, maybe you can flash it, test it, then flash it back, but there is some risk involved.
Whatever the case, its reassuring to know updates are coming eventually.
Here is a link for reference:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1098363&page=70

[Q] Need help on the Market App and 2g/3g switch on unlocked Atrix-2

Hi experts,
I got an unlocked Atrix-2 thro' a friend, two days back. Phone is great and working nicely (in BSNL network in India). Everything about the phone and android is great. I have two problems.
1st Prob:- Whoever unlocked the phone, has used his google (and market) account. So, I'm unable to access market.android.com and so no app downloads Deleting that guy's account can only be done by factory resetting the phone (so says the phone). My Question is "if I factory reset my Atrix-2, will the phone get locked again? OR is there anyway I can delink the other market account from my phone ?"
2nd Prob:- As BSNL's 3G coverage is scattered (yes we are still at 3/3.5G and not 4G in India), I was primarily using 2G earlier. My old workhorse Nokia 5800XM (tears for ditching it) allowed me to switch between 2G/3G/Dual modes. My new Atrix-2 doesn't give me an option. It tries to latch onto 3G (it shows 4G, whenever 3.5G signal is there), if not changes to 2G (it shows E - for Edge). Problem is, I drop calls, when going from 3G area to 2G area. Specially, some rooms in my house are hit and miss for 3G . Nothing changes by selecting network manually or automatically (Frustuuuuu). My Question is "how can I toggle between 2G & 3G ?". I saw a few apps in android market for this, but, pls remember I'm unable to log into the market using 'the market app', without the password of the guy who unlocked my Atrix 2. I request your valuable suggestions and help. Thanks in anticipation. And sorry for the looong question.

Go ahead and do a factory reset you will be fine.
Keep in mind when you delete that Google account it will delete all contacts associated with it also so if you want to keep them you need back them up another way before you remove that account.
As far as locking in in either 3G or 2G I dont see how that would help, the phone should be automatically searching and locking on the best signal available.

First time Android user, I am and with an unlocked phone. Bit reluctant now. One more advice like yours, and I'm game.
I'm concerned about 2g/3g switching, because where my 5800 XM held signal, Atrix-2 is loosing, due to lack of 3g and search time for 2g. And, Web pages wash out, if I'm opening a link. A big thanks.

Factory resetting worked . My Atrix-2 is still UNLOCKED and going great. Without advice from JRW 28, I wouldn't have given it a serious thought.
Regd 2G/3G:- Installed and tried about 5-6 apps from android market on "2G/3G switch". Atrix-2 doesn't allow them to go anywhere near. Anyone got solutions ? I'll live with the problem till BSNL improves the 3G coverage.

E is actually 3g on this phone I think. I've never gone down to Edge in the city.

My 2G/3G problem also got solved !
I installed an app called "network" by Philipp Mangelow (downloaded from market.android), and changed the 'preferred network type to 'GSM only".
Procedure is self explanatory, upon opening the app. It solved all my problems.
I needed to force the n/w to 2G (it says E), as the 3G signal strength in my:
house : -80dBm to -97dBm (settings -- about phone --- status).
office : -60dBm to no signal. As you all know, every 3dBm less signal means that half the strength of earlier value.
Whereas 2G signal strength is at least 10 to 15 dBm better than 3G strength.
So poor Atrix-2 kept hunting for signal (me not knowing) and draining battery (though this served my battery conditioning purpose). Now that both my problems are sorted out, I've become a happy Moto-A2 user.
So, anyone residing in India, with an unlocked Moto-A2, can safely "factory reset" the phone (IF needed), use above network app, and enjoy the A2 happily, for a longer battery life. Thanks everyone.

You can also Update
you can also update the phone wiithout it loosing your unlock. I did that with an Unlocked ATT i bought from amazon and carried to Venezuela, after i got it, i hit the update button, and it upgraded OTA, restarted, and still unlocked.

thanks a ton buddy:.. these stupid at&t people switched off the 2g network and locked the option to change it...
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using XDA App

vijay_968 said:
I installed an app called "network" by Philipp Mangelow (downloaded from market.android), and changed the 'preferred network type to 'GSM only".
Procedure is self explanatory, upon opening the app. It solved all my problems.
I needed to force the n/w to 2G (it says E), as the 3G signal strength in my:
house : -80dBm to -97dBm (settings -- about phone --- status).
office : -60dBm to no signal. As you all know, every 3dBm less signal means that half the strength of earlier value.
Whereas 2G signal strength is at least 10 to 15 dBm better than 3G strength.
So poor Atrix-2 kept hunting for signal (me not knowing) and draining battery (though this served my battery conditioning purpose). Now that both my problems are sorted out, I've become a happy Moto-A2 user.
So, anyone residing in India, with an unlocked Moto-A2, can safely "factory reset" the phone (IF needed), use above network app, and enjoy the A2 happily, for a longer battery life. Thanks everyone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I have an Atrix 2 MB865 unlocked and on the CLARO network in Nicaragua. In settings it says I have EDGE as my mobile network type. I have an E and full bars on the top of my phone. I can use voice and texts but can't use the Internet; 'Web page is not available'. If I install the app called "network" by Philipp Mangelow (downloaded from market.android), and change the 'preferred network type to 'GSM only" Do you think it will solve my problem?
THANKS!!

sounds like you need to check your apn settings

Enable "2G or 3G"
I don't know if you (vijay_968) need help yet but case someone need enable just 2G or 3G, I know how to do it.
Your A2 need be rooted!
Open /system/etc/motorola/com.android.phone/defaults.xml and change this key:
Original:
Code:
<boolean name='network_select_menu' value='[B]false[/B]' />
Changed:
Code:
<boolean name='network_select_menu' value='[B]true[/B]' />
Save the file and delete the backup file with .bak extension (/system/etc/motorola/com.android.phone/defaults.xml.bak). Some file's explorer don't show hidden files. Check the program configs.
Repeat the step 2 and 3 with these files:
/data/data/com.android.phone/shared_prefs/_has_set_default_values.xml
/data/data/com.android.phone/shared_prefs/Settings.xml
Make a copy of "com.android.phone_preferences.xml" in the same folder with the name "com.android.phone_preferences.xml.bak" and repeat the step 2 and 3
You need delete "com.android.phone_preferences.xml.bak.bak"!!
Reboot...
Now, if you go "Settings > Wireless & Networks > Mobile networks > Select network" you can select 2G or 3G only.
Credits: drock212

That would be a fantastic feature to have easily accessible!
I'm trying to modify the files in the way you said, but even though I've found the files I'm unable to edit them, how did you go about that?
Did you have to pull them from the phone, edit, and put back.
Or were you able to edit them with an app directly on the phone?

Alperon said:
That would be a fantastic feature to have easily accessible!
I'm trying to modify the files in the way you said, but even though I've found the files I'm unable to edit them, how did you go about that?
Did you have to pull them from the phone, edit, and put back.
Or were you able to edit them with an app directly on the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use Root Explorer, mount R/W, then edit on the phone

Works great thanks
Enviado desde mi MB865 usando Tapatalk 2

Hi, in my case i didn't find this file
/data/data/com.android.phone/shared_prefs/Settings.xml
So i reboot after changing the other 2 and i worked.
Thanks a lot.
Sent from my MB865 using xda premium

Coverage extend feature

In Dev settings there is this thing called wifi coverage extend feature, wth is that? I feel like it would make my phone work as a wifi extender for poor networks, but I have no idea if this is what it is or if it even works, could someone please enlighten me? Google, surprisingly, has no answer for this...which makes me more intrigued to find out.

I don't have that in my Dev Settings

floridaman said:
I don't have that in my Dev Settings
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wierd... Had it on 5.1.11 where I first discovered it, and on the betas, and also some custom ROMs, not all of the 4-5 I've tried

In developer settings of 9.0. looks like it's hotspot related.

This thread is the first relevant result when googling for this function.
Might it be OnePlus exclusive?
Does it even work?

I too have it, and was wondering the same thing. Definitely since I can't get VPN hotspot app to work properly using this phone.

Obey138 said:
This thread is the first relevant result when googling for this function.
Might it be OnePlus exclusive?
Does it even work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know! IDK the intended feature(plug n play maybe, just flip the switch n go?) so how would i try it out?... Ive tried to use it as an extender once, a vague try that didn't result in it working or not working... The other phone just had an acceptable and jumpy wifi altogether so it was a weak try so to speak
Would be cool to know

I was going through this option and I think I found out how to use it. Although my test has been unsuccessful I believe someone can tell me if I did wrong somewhere. So what I found out and what i did basically is
1. Obvious step - turn on that setting in Dev options.
2. Now connect to any WiFi hotspot. After successful connection go to the options of that particular WiFi - like where you see the connection details.
3. Click on the modify network option on top right corner.
4. Expand the "Advanced settings" drop-down option in that submenu.
5. You will now see a checkbox that says "Extend WiFi coverage"
As per my understanding I checked it and then tried to connect my other phone to that same hotspot but from a farther range to the router but within the range of my OnePlus device as if it's acting as an extender. My test was unsuccessful here as the signal was still weak assuming my other phone was still getting the actual signal from the router and not the OnePlus device.
I'd be grateful if someone here corrects me if I did something wrong/missing something and let me know if anyone gets it to work.
Thanks. Cheers!

On your first phone find our the BSSID of your original WiFi network. After you do that find out on your second phone whether you've connected to the original BSSID or your 1st phone's BSSID

I too want to figure out how to get this option working. Can't get it to work..

I too want to figure out how to get this option working. Can't get it to work..

@danger86 Can you provide a guide on how to do this?

efinityy said:
In Dev settings there is this thing called wifi coverage extend feature, wth is that? I feel like it would make my phone work as a wifi extender for poor networks, but I have no idea if this is what it is or if it even works, could someone please enlighten me? Google, surprisingly, has no answer for this...which makes me more intrigued to find out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same thing in my Xiaomi Mi A1 (dev option). i turned ON,but cant see any difference

Nishant_Jain said:
@danger86 Can you provide a guide on how to do this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What guide would you like? How to know which Wi-Fi hotspot your phone is connected to? Just pull the notifications and under the Wi-Fi toggle you'll see the name of your hotspot

BurningZeus said:
I was going through this option and I think I found out how to use it. Although my test has been unsuccessful I believe someone can tell me if I did wrong somewhere. So what I found out and what i did basically is
1. Obvious step - turn on that setting in Dev options.
2. Now connect to any WiFi hotspot. After successful connection go to the options of that particular WiFi - like where you see the connection details.
3. Click on the modify network option on top right corner.
4. Expand the "Advanced settings" drop-down option in that submenu.
5. You will now see a checkbox that says "Extend WiFi coverage"
As per my understanding I checked it and then tried to connect my other phone to that same hotspot but from a farther range to the router but within the range of my OnePlus device as if it's acting as an extender. My test was unsuccessful here as the signal was still weak assuming my other phone was still getting the actual signal from the router and not the OnePlus device.
I'd be grateful if someone here corrects me if I did something wrong/missing something and let me know if anyone gets it to work.
Thanks. Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need one more step , 6. Turn on your hotspot first than turn on wifi and connect to that wifi in which you ticked extend coverage option and your wifi,hotspot start working simonteneously (remember ssid shown in other devices will be router ssid)
7. If hotspot get turn off after connecting to desire network than try again step 6
(Tested in nokia 5.4 )
Youtube link :

Question 5G re-enabling on reboot / at random. Changing from LTE/3G/2G to GLOBAL network mode. Cannot control.

Hi all,
I noticed this recently, biggest potential thing I can think of was the February software update.
Long story short 1) I have no use for 5G service for battery / data reasons as I pay by the gig. 2) I'm on GoogleFi so there's potential carrier aggregation woowoo going on.
I do the standard Mobile Data>Network Mode> Select LTE/3G/2G and the phone sticks with that for a time. However it will, seemingly at random, revert to the GLOBAL network mode which has 5G. It will 100% trigger this change if I reset the phone.
Would just like to confirm this behavior with any other user and figure out how to make it stop as it is pretty infuriating that I have to keep manually making this change, in addition to the fact that it's really, really not great from a security standpoint that the phone can be induced somehow to alter specific user settings.
Thanks for the help.
-5
Quick edit: I have already gone into safe mode and changed network and reset, didn't hold. Also went into the dialer menu *#*#4636#*#* and changed the network mode, and it still reverts.

Same here.

valyvis10 said:
Same here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I ask what carrier you're on?

Orange, esim.

I was having the same issue, this seems to work
https://www.reddit.com/r/S21Ultra/comments/stebvi