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JuiceDefender - LGS is a Battery "Sipper" now

stef7

stef7

Android Expert
This is for others that might wonder if expecting more battery life from their LG Spectrum is a possibility.

I downloaded JuiceDefender - Battery (the free version) from the Market, and enabled it and kept the default settings. This phone seems to be a battery "sipper" now. Battery run-time on a charge is greatly increased.

Thus far, no downside that I can tell. I'm using K9Mail and Google Mail for email and also Whatsapp for IM, and play WordsWithFriends with my son, and so far, so good.

As in all things, YMMV.
 
I just upgraded to the Ultimate version and so far, in one day, it seems to be doing great! Nothing is running constantly in the background, and I have it set to update every 30 minutes.
 
@TheBigKahuna: I think I'll upgrade from the free version so the developer gets a little $$$ from me for the effort. Definitely worth a try by everyone.

Not sure I understand exactly how you have yours set up. Can you explain in a bit more detail?

Thanks!
 
Basically have all apps shut down, and it you can set it to update every 15, 30, 60 etc. That way certain apps are not running constantly. Upgrading will open up a ton more customization options.

The ability to selected what time you want night mode to kick in and then stop is great too.
 
Killing apps all the time defeats the design of android; it caches apps not in use and kills them if it needs the memory. It makes more sense to freeze the apps you're not using or the troublemakers, than it does to kill apps on a regular basis. Because killing an app you use makes the system work to restart the app, which defeats the purpose of a battery saving app.

Sent from my VS920 4G
 
If my phone is sitting idle, and I'm not using it, why do I need it to constantly update apps that I'm not using nor ever use?
 
I think MRB206 is referencing the ideal. But in the real world, if you run JD and it extends your battery life, the only thing that matters is if there is any negative side-effects. The rest is academic.

FWIW, on Plus, I think my results are not as good as on the free version. I might find myself uninstalling Plus and going back to the free version. I did recognize the author with a purchase... When I am streaming audio via BT, something seems not so proper now.
 
TheBigKahuna said:
If my phone is sitting idle, and I'm not using it, why do I need it to constantly update apps that I'm not using nor ever use?
Click to expand...

That's up to you. Many apps allow you to control when they run and you can set them to run only when the screen is on. If you find apps run when the phone is off, killing them all the time isn't the answer... Freeze or remove them.

If you do some research, you'll find Google and most devs agree app killers do more harm than good on Android. Rogue apps should be removed or not installed at all... Nfl mobile is one of them. Damn thing runs even if you never opened it yourself.
 
Juice Defender is not like task killer/manager type of app. It doesn't kill any apps running. It just controls mobile data/WiFi connections so that it's not always connected while screen is off. Also you can disable it easily when not needed. Freezing bloats is different way of saving battery.
 
That makes A LOT more sense than what was described. Still, killing wifi isn't necessary, since there's already a setting for that in wifi settings. Turning the data on and off with the screen uses more battery, because the phone has to search for the towers it was connected to. Of course, this only applies to if you use your phone, put it down and use it again 5 minutes later; if you're not using it for 30mins-1hour, it *could* help with battery life. It makes more sense to keep your phone in wifi @ home and run a conservative governor. I've tried data-killing apps and haven't found they improved battery any more than simply controlling the apps you have and tweaking your CPU. But, to each his/her own.
 
Rather than keep grappling with it mentally and trying to convince others you can't see a benefit in using it... you could try it.

It actually works, and works well, and is super easy to set up. The extension to my battery run-time is quite dramatic.

It periodically wakes the data connection to do syncs and get your messages. And yes, if an incoming call arrives, you are notified of an incoming call and can take it. :D

It may collide with Pandora and other streamers like tunein. I'm experimenting there.

In addition to this, I run a conservative governor, and I've frozen most of the bloat.

It's all good. :cool:
 
I honestly would, given the huge drain on battery LTE can be (it's considerably higher than my D2, DX and D1) but one of the huge turn offs was the lag in wake to receive a solid data connection in other apps (I tried a few, including Green Power Premium); I found the apps confusing the phone into keeping the data 'off', even when the screen was turned back on. Does J.D. have a quick response to wake?
 
It seems to happen within a few seconds. Two maybe three. I can understand if that is a nojoy for you. Honestly for me, if I'm not using streaming, if the phone is off, I don't mind if messages show up on a periodic poll. I'm not really in the need to know more often that that if someone wants to send me a message via Whatsapp or email.

The thing I'm trying to determine, is VZN halting my connection when I'm streaming music, or is JD? Songs will play fine, then mysteriously, instead of transitioning to next song, I'll wake the phone to see "Waiting for Data Connection" or something like that.

Not a big issue for me to Disable JD if I want to stream music... Just not sure who is culprit.
 
I just got a copy and it looks like you can make custom settings for apps, like screen lock and streaming.
Vz doesn't zap your streaming connection... I've streamed pandora and netflix for hours at a time. My guess is its jd, but you can change it of you use advanced settings.

I'm testing it now... So far the wifi reconnects quick, but I have 'wifi preferred' set. I'm going to see if it helps, but I like how it learns the wifi location. That eliminated the need for another app like wifi auto on.
 
Btw, it's under advanced profile, triggers, apps and configure. I set all the music apps to 'enable/screen off'. From what I can tell, that will keep the data connection live for those apps if the screen is off.
 
3.9.4. But as you can see, it doesn't seem to be as effective as other methods. If I keep wifi om, the drop is a lot smoother than this.

18115658-8a82-7ae1.jpg
 
I think I fixed the drain. Keeping wifi on, rather than turning it on and off with the screen has a more steady drain.
 
So far I'm very happy with the battery life while using Juice Defender Ultimate. I could still probably tinker with the settings a bit, I've adjusted some things on the fly to keep things I use more running more. But all day battery power is no longer an issue.
 
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