In addition to the missed message flasher app imfm mentioned there is another called NO LED (can be found
HERE) & works very well. Both make up for the lack of notification lights.
For everyone having the issue of the phone dying while plugged in problem I have a question:
Are you using the stock charger & stock cable provided with the phone?? If not, this could have an effect here.
For best charging performance be sure to USE THE STOCK CHARGER.
There is a thread over at Android Central that can be found
HERE & explains a little further about different cables with this phone. Very interesting read.
After reading the link I installed Battery Monitor Widget & found that some of my aftermarket chargers & cables I owned were not working well with this phone. Once I determined which ones worked best, I uninstalled the app.
There are phones out there w/ better Battery life. The battery life of coarse depends on the user but with a few easy tweaks (shutting off things when not needed/being used) 18-24 hours of battery life is possible.
Check out this very helpful post with really good tips on how to improve the Battery life of this phone.
Tweaks to improve your battery life and responsiveness.
I applied most (not all) of the tips & I am consistently able to get 18-24 hours of pretty steady use without having to recharge. I always keep a charger nearby anyway.
Brightness - If you keep the phone at 100% brightness, your battery will drop quickly. If you can adjust it & keep it lower it may help improve your Battery life.
Keeping the Data Sync, GPS, Bluetooth and Wifi are on (even they aren't being used) will drain the battery. Shutting them off when not in use will help improve Battery life. There is a free power control widget that comes with the phone but for more customization options, the EXTENDED CONTROLS App is recommended.
Apps such as BATTERY MONITOR WIDGET, JUICE DEFENDER, & TITANIUM BACKUP are great & do their job well.
Anyways, I hope this helps!
Feel free to reply or PM me directly if you have any questions or if there is anything else I can help with.