Best battery indicator (which doesn't drain the battery itself)

[cdl]

Hi all,

I have a Motorola Milestone with Android 2.1.

I'd like an app which shows the battery level in the notification bar. Nothing fancy, no estimation of remaining battery life nor fancy eye candy. If it can show a more precise reading than the Milestone built-in one, which only decreases in 10% intervals, fine, but only if this isn't a drain on the battery.

I know there are several such apps, but which do you think is the best for my needs? There are so many it's hard to try them all and choose. I just want something basic and simple which doesn't drain the battery.

I tried "battery indicator" and "battery status pro"; they both do what I need, but I'm afraid they might be an additional drain on the battery.

Thanks!

 

[KlaymenDK]

All battery monitors will drain the battery because, well, they need to monitor it. There may be different levels of drain depending on how often (precise) they take readings and what else they do (stats, eye-candy), but you can't know what's in the can if you don't open the lid on occasion.

Also note that Android only allows voltage readings, which is merely indicative of the amount of power left. The proper method is to monitor amperage, but that is not currently supported by the software, and possibly not by any hardware either.

 

[aiz4andy]

I've just downloaded Juice Defender and I have to say its brilliant - you set different options and i have chosen to switch off all data when my screen is off. I have now gone nearly 6 hours and only lost 12% of charge.

The app comes with a battery indicator widget as well, which gives an estimate of remaining time.

If you want a battery % indicator - I use Mini Info widget which also gives internal and sd card info.

 

[grainysand]

Root and apply the mod that turns the default battery icon to a percentage. That's your best bet for something that doesn't drain the battery, and the tidiest.

 

[cdl]

All battery monitors will drain the battery because, well, they need to monitor it. There may be different levels of drain depending on how often (precise) they take readings and what else they do (stats, eye-candy), but you can't know what's in the can if you don't open the lid on occasion.

Also note that Android only allows voltage readings, which is merely indicative of the amount of power left. The proper method is to monitor amperage, but that is not currently supported by the software, and possibly not by any hardware either.

According to the 'about' section of battery indicator, the app should use almost no battery because it does no polling, but simply receives an update from the OS when the battery level changes. Just wondering if anyone verified whether this is true (I am no programmer and have no clue how true this statement can be).

 

[cdl]

I've just downloaded Juice Defender and I have to say its brilliant - you set different options and i have chosen to switch off all data when my screen is off. I have now gone nearly 6 hours and only lost 12% of charge.

The app comes with a battery indicator widget as well, which gives an estimate of remaining time.

If you want a battery % indicator - I use Mini Info widget which also gives internal and sd card info.

I tried it for curiosity, but it doesn't really help me because I need push email (imap idle with K-9 email) for work. Some emails are critical and I need instant access to them whenever possible.

Just for curiosity, how much battery do you think Juice Defender uses? If it switches data on and off every, say, 5 mins, I'm afraid it might be quite a drain

 

[KlaymenDK]

the app should use almost no battery because it does no polling, but simply receives an update from the OS

Potato, tomato. Either way, cycles are being spent, which consumes amps. But that does sound like a very lean approach, for sure.

Just for curiosity, how much battery do you think Juice Defender uses? If it switches data on and off every, say, 5 mins, I'm afraid it might be quite a drain

Au contraire. Switching data on and off is quite "cheap" in terms of power drain and can quite easily yield a saving by avoiding data traffic for some time. There's a certain balance of course, and I don't know the exact figures. Compared to an always-on scenario, a 30-minute cycle with a 3-minute "on" window is going to save quite a bit of power, but a 5-minute cycle would probably make the "on" window uselessly short.

 

[barnacles]

Root and apply the mod that turns the default battery icon to a percentage. That's your best bet for something that doesn't drain the battery, and the tidiest.

If you could link me to this mod it would be much appreciated.

 

[cdl]

Root and apply the mod that turns the default battery icon to a percentage. That's your best bet for something that doesn't drain the battery, and the tidiest.

Thanks, but I'd rather not root, at least for now.
I now manage to squeeze almost 2 days of battery life out of my Android, with k-9 push email on, background data off, and 'battery indicator' in the notification area:
http://androidforums.com/motorola-m...ife-disabling-backgr-data-but-push-email.html

That's very satisfactory for me.

 

[Szadzik]

If you could link me to this mod it would be much appreciated.

Yes, please post a link.

 

[barnacles]

Yes, please post a link.

After some research, I actually don't believe this is a mod for sense devices. I have found the rom which implements it into aosp, however someone at xda contacted the dev who said that we can't get it running in sense quite yet.

 

[Szadzik]

After some research, I actually don't believe this is a mod for sense devices. I have found the rom which implements it into aosp, however someone at xda contacted the dev who said that we can't get it running in sense quite yet.

I do not have SenseUI. I use Moto Milestone, pure android. I hate the SenseUI same way I hated TF3D in WinMo HTC and Panels in SE as well as Samsung's proprietary WinMo UI.

 

[barnacles]

I do not have SenseUI. I use Moto Milestone, pure android. I hate the SenseUI same way I hated TF3D in WinMo HTC and Panels in SE as well as Samsung's proprietary WinMo UI.

Looks like there was some confusion, however, and it CAN work with sense ui. Why do you hate sense UI? I have disabled it on occasion, and actually ran JIT, however I notice little speed increases. I am sorta a fan of the aosp notification bar, but sense is just so much more appealing. 7 screens, pinch to zoom both in apps and on home screen, full syncing. Love it.

 

[Szadzik]

Looks like there was some confusion, however, and it CAN work with sense ui. Why do you hate sense UI? I have disabled it on occasion, and actually ran JIT, however I notice little speed increases. I am sorta a fan of the aosp notification bar, but sense is just so much more appealing. 7 screens, pinch to zoom both in apps and on home screen, full syncing. Love it.

They crippled settings and all for that.

You have 7 screens only? In 2.1 standard launcher on the Droid/ Milestone you can get 9. What the difference is, though, is that you can have between 3 and 9, you can choose how many you want. In SenseUI you cannot do that! I only need 3 screens and would hate to have 7! (I use HelixLauncher, so it does not really matter, cause I would disable SenseUI).

another thing is that SenseUI to me looks like a toy that is made for people who do not know how to or do not want to set up their device the way they want.

SenseUI in some sense (no pun intended) is for people who buy Android because they want an iPhone-like device - a toy that will have facebook and all that, but I do not need Facebook or Twitter on my phone. I need a good financing application, a good currency converter and a stopwatch, a to-do list and so on. SenseUI does not bring anything I would actually need or like, it takes away some features I would like to keep.

I have been a Smartphone user for quite a long time and prefer to set everything up the way I like it, not the way someone thinks I will like.

as a side note, Desire is a great hit here in the UK and I am happy for HTC to get so much popularity, but for this single fact I would not buy it. I would not have a phone that everyone else has.

 

[barnacles]

First, this has nothing to do with the best battery indicator app, but I have to comment on your ideas here..

They crippled settings and all for that.

You have 7 screens only? In 2.1 standard launcher on the Droid/ Milestone you can get 9. What the difference is, though, is that you can have between 3 and 9, you can choose how many you want. In SenseUI you cannot do that! I only need 3 screens and would hate to have 7! (I use HelixLauncher, so it does not really matter, cause I would disable SenseUI).

First off, who cares how many screens you have. You first start by saying you only have 7!? and then say you only use 3. I could care less about the amount of screens. I tried helix, its alright.

another thing is that SenseUI to me looks like a toy that is made for people who do not know how to or do not want to set up their device the way they want.

SenseUI in some sense (no pun intended) is for people who buy Android because they want an iPhone-like device - a toy that will have facebook and all that, but I do not need Facebook or Twitter on my phone. I need a good financing application, a good currency converter and a stopwatch, a to-do list and so on. SenseUI does not bring anything I would actually need or like, it takes away some features I would like to keep.

I would be curious as to the features you would lose with sense. I don't like the iphone. If I liked it, I would have bought it. The iphone is not customizable at all in my opinion, which makes it VERY different from the idea of android period.

I have been a Smartphone user for quite a long time and prefer to set everything up the way I like it, not the way someone thinks I will like.

And again, I don't agree that sense is set up the way someone else likes it.. its android dude. Whether it be stock, or htcs polished version, its android. Its open source and VERY customizable. Having root access will get anything done, wheter its sense or not.

as a side note, Desire is a great hit here in the UK and I am happy for HTC to get so much popularity, but for this single fact I would not buy it. I would not have a phone that everyone else has.

I am just very curious as to what stock android does that sense does not. I can disable my sense and run exactly what you run.. if I wanted to. I didn't buy it to be like the iphone, I didn't buy it for facebook and twitter, I bought it cause HTC is a solid manufacturer, sense is nice and alot more pleasing to the eye IMO, and android itself is a good operating system. Saying that sense has limitations, which is what your saying, confuses me.

 

[Szadzik]

First, this has nothing to do with the best battery indicator app, but I have to comment on your ideas here..

You asked why I hated SenseUI so I replied.

I am just very curious as to what stock android does that sense does not. I can disable my sense and run exactly what you run.. if I wanted to. I didn't buy it to be like the iphone, I didn't buy it for facebook and twitter, I bought it cause HTC is a solid manufacturer, sense is nice and alot more pleasing to the eye IMO, and android itself is a good operating system. Saying that sense has limitations, which is what your saying, confuses me.

It has limitations because it does not allow you to change the number of screens. Not true?

Of course if you disable it, it is fine and that would be the first thing I would do if I had it pre-installed.

I am not saying I have HTC or Desire, I am just not fond of all those stupid UIs created by manufacturers, just my personal taste.

 

[barnacles]

You asked why I hated SenseUI so I replied.



It has limitations because it does not allow you to change the number of screens. Not true?

Of course if you disable it, it is fine and that would be the first thing I would do if I had it pre-installed.

I am not saying I have HTC or Desire, I am just not fond of all those stupid UIs created by manufacturers, just my personal taste.

So let me make sure I understand. The ONE limitation you are speaking of is increasing and decreasing screen numbers? That doesn't seem like that serious of a limitation

I'm not trying to prove you wrong, I'm simply asking for clarification. I just don't feel the number of screens and whether or not you can change them is something to base an entire os on.

 

[Szadzik]

So let me make sure I understand. The ONE limitation you are speaking of is increasing and decreasing screen numbers? That doesn't seem like that serious of a limitation

I'm not trying to prove you wrong, I'm simply asking for clarification. I just don't feel the number of screens and whether or not you can change them is something to base an entire os on

To me ANY limitations is a limitation.

This is all OT so we should stop this discussion or create a new thread for it.

 

[jauhari]

Root and apply the mod that turns the default battery icon to a percentage. That's your best bet for something that doesn't drain the battery, and the tidiest.

How to ROOT and Apply the Mod?