New Android powered phones are being released almost everyday, some of them even more powerful than their predecessors, and with a lot new features. these phones are amazing, the only problem is that the battery cannot keep up with them, or so it seems. I have been using Android powered phones for at least 2 years, plus I manage a corporate phone account, and I get to play and configure a lots of Android phones. my entire experience with android has been on T-mobile network, but I think my experience should apply to other networks like ATT and Verizon as well.
The first Android phone I got was the G1 ( I guess it was the first Android phone offered by T-mobile ) and since the I felt I love with Android. I previously had the T-mobile Dash, and I totally hated the thing. I had a few kinks with the G1 though, like not being able to connect to our enterprise wireless, and of course the short battery life. Then I got the Behold 2, again, not being able to connect to an enterprise wireless network was an issue, but the battery life was what bothered me the most, so I tried to find out what was actually killing the battery on the Behold 2 android 1.6. of course as soon as I started searching for tips on how to save the battery life, I found tons of task killer apps that promise to do the trick, I even went far enough to root the phone and install a clean android stock in it. I basically disabled everything that required Internet access, and background synchronization in applications in the phone, but at the end of the day the phone still needed to be charged. anyways, I just put up with it, so I bought a car,work and home charger so I could charge the thing all the time.
a few days ago I got the MyTouch 4G and after a full charge, it only lasted for about 6 hours. you got to be kidding me!!! the only thing I did was to check a few emails, and browse the Internet for a bit. how come the battery was drained that quick without doing anything!!
My theory is that what really kill the battery on smart phones ( including the iPhone ) are not the apps, but the phone carrier network. the MyTouch 4G and Google G2 are currently the only phones that supports the new T-mobile HSPA Network, so I figured that if 3G was a battery murderer, this new HSPA network must be a serial killer. so this morning after charging the MyTouch 4G through the entire night I switched the network from H to 2G, and now it has been unplugged for 6:26 hours, and the battery usage meter still full. so at this battery draining rate I am expecting the phone to go for about 3 days on a charge.
I only use the phone mostly for emails, and once in awhile to read the news, so having it in 2G is not a big deal for me, I would rather do that, than being charging this thing every 6 hours.
I have found the same thing with my BlackBerry Bold 9000. Battery life has never been great, but I can get a day out of it without charging, but when sat at the desk I generally leave it in the charging dock.
I live in a place that has not 3G coverage, but when I go into the city centre where there is 3G, the battery level just zips down, sometimes to a point where it has left me with not enough charge to make a call.
I generally set the phone to 2G only as similar to you I have no real need for 3G, but more need for battery power.
I’m quite sure it applies to all phones, not only Android based.
I have a N900, with 3G enabled, it barely lasts one day, with 3G disabled I can easily get 3 days of usage (about 1h of talk time, 1h of Internet surfing).