Smart Actions app for Droid

• GoChiefs

  

  Anyone else use this? I was bored a couple days ago so I figured I'd finally set it up for my Bionic and give it a try. Glad I did. With my extended battery, I was getting between 10 and 12 hours on a full charge with normal use. After setting up Smart Actions I got 21 and a half hours on one charge before I needed to plug my phone in again. All I did was set it so when I turned my screen off, Wifi, GPS, and mobile data was shut off as well. It starts right back up as soon as I turn my screen back on. Just thought I'd give those with battery issues a heads up if they aren't using it.
  
  
  I know, should have bought an iPhone, iPhone is better, etc.
• gport_tennis

  GoChiefs;1354127 wrote:Anyone else use this? I was bored a couple days ago so I figured I'd finally set it up for my Bionic and give it a try. Glad I did. With my extended battery, I was getting between 10 and 12 hours on a full charge with normal use. After setting up Smart Actions I got 21 and a half hours on one charge before I needed to plug my phone in again. All I did was set it so when I turned my screen off, Wifi, GPS, and mobile data was shut off as well. It starts right back up as soon as I turn my screen back on. Just thought I'd give those with battery issues a heads up if they aren't using it.
  
  
  I know, should have bought an iPhone, iPhone is better, etc.

  
  Shutting off mobile data is the key. That's where the big improvement comes from. I used it for a little bit. But I use my phone so much but the screen is usually on almost all the time and it didn't make too big a difference for me.
• Curly J

  

  I use it. Set it up for different actions when I'm at work or at home. Turns of and on the wifi automatically. I even have it change my wallpager at each location so I can tell if it's working.
• Curly J

  

  I use it. Set it up for different actions when I'm at work or at home. Turns off and on the wifi automatically. I even have it change my wallpager at each location so I can tell if it's working.
• gut

  With no wifi and no mobile data you won't get any texts or emails. If you're at home, leave wifi on all the time. It really doesn't take much juice - the default setting for Android, I think, turns off wifi when the screen is off, so you'd actually want to force wifi to stay on.
  
  GPS really shouldn't do much when you aren't using it. Display is really the number one battery killer, by far. Automatic settings or just dimmer (like 30%) if that works for you.
  
  I use Locale and usually get a little over a day (I basically turn everything off for 8 hours while I sleep, so it uses almost no battery in that time).
  
  The other big battery saver, if you're rooted, is to use SetCPU or some other way to underclock when under light loads. That might be stock in Ice Cream (not sure) and some newer phones. Not sure if the Bionic does that or not.
• gport_tennis

  gut;1354140 wrote:With no wifi and no mobile data you won't get any texts or emails. If you're at home, leave wifi on all the time. It really doesn't take much juice - the default setting for Android, I think, turns off wifi when the screen is off, so you'd actually want to force wifi to stay on.
  
  GPS really shouldn't do much when you aren't using it. Display is really the number one battery killer, by far. Automatic settings or just dimmer (like 30%) if that works for you.
  
  I use Locale and usually get a little over a day (I basically turn everything off for 8 hours while I sleep, so it uses almost no battery in that time).
  
  The other big battery saver, if you're rooted, is to use SetCPU or some other way to underclock when under light loads. That might be stock in Ice Cream (not sure) and some newer phones. Not sure if the Bionic does that or not.

  
  You will get text messages when data is turned off. Just not mms
• sleeper

  

  Battery life is the only reason I won't buy a smart phone. My flip phone can last 3-4 days with heavy usage and it's almost 4 years old.
• Curly J

  

  sleeper;1354144 wrote:Battery life is the only reason I won't buy a smart phone. My flip phone can last 3-4 days with heavy usage and it's almost 4 years old.

  I just have a smart phone because I have an average life and it makes me fell special...:laugh:
• wes_mantooth

  

  Curly J;1354147 wrote:I just have a smart phone because I have an average life and it makes me fell special...:laugh:

  
  I have a smart phone for unlimited mobile porn
• Ironman92

  

  wes_mantooth;1354148 wrote:I have a smart phone for unlimited mobile porn

  
  This man speaks truths.
• Ironman92

  

  sleeper;1354144 wrote:Battery life is the only reason I won't buy a smart phone. My flip phone can last 3-4 days with heavy usage and it's almost 4 years old.

  
  Cool story grandpa.
• sherm03

  

  I like some of the other features that Smart Actions offers.
  
  Now that you can get a ticket for texting and driving in Ohio, I use the "Drive Smart" rule. When I get in the car, it connects to a bluetooth speaker I have and initiates the Drive Smart rule so that if someone texts me, my phone automatically sends a text back that says that I'm driving and to call me if it's urgent. It is also set to read aloud the person that is calling me, so I don't have to look at the phone to see who is calling while I'm driving.
  
  The other one I use is for when I go for a run. As soon as I plug a headset in, the phone launches the app I use and starts playing a playlist that I have set up.
  
  It's a cool application for sure. Probably the smartest thing Motorola has ever done. Too bad they don't advertise it enough.
• WebFire

  sleeper;1354144 wrote:Battery life is the only reason I won't buy a smart phone. My flip phone can last 3-4 days with heavy usage and it's almost 4 years old.

  Who cares? I plug mine in while I sleep. Problem solved.
• Curly J

  

  WebFire;1355073 wrote:Who cares? I plug mine in while I sleep. Problem solved.

  
  Sleeper never sleeps.
• hasbeen

  

  WebFire;1355073 wrote:Who cares? I plug mine in while I sleep. Problem solved.

  
  I have a charger at home, at work, and one that I carry in my work bag. Not to mention an extra battery case.
  Battery life shouldn't be an excuse.
• gut

  WebFire;1355073 wrote:Who cares? I plug mine in while I sleep. Problem solved.

  Yep. Everyone makes such a big deal out of getting a "day". You need 16 hours, roughly, under "normal" use. And the frickin' USB cords to charge are like $10. 99% of people are routinely around an outlet, be it the car or office, and more than capable of recharging for an hour during the day.
• Curly J

  

  hasbeen;1355079 wrote:I have a charger at home, at work, and one that I carry in my work bag. Not to mention an extra battery case.
  Battery life shouldn't be an excuse.

  
  Just one at home, work, and my car. They actually charge pretty quick.
• GoChiefs

  

  gut;1355083 wrote:Yep. Everyone makes such a big deal out of getting a "day". You need 16 hours, roughly, under "normal" use. And the frickin' USB cords to charge are like $10. 99% of people are routinely around an outlet, be it the car or office, and more than capable of recharging for an hour during the day.

  
  Its a "big deal" because I have zero desire to carry a charger around with me wherever I go. I have my charger at home that I use when I go to sleep and thats it.
• GoChiefs

  

  WebFire;1355073 wrote:Who cares? I plug mine in while I sleep. Problem solved.

  
  The people whos battery doesn't make it until they go to sleep care.
• gut

  GoChiefs;1355139 wrote:Its a "big deal" because I have zero desire to carry a charger around with me wherever I go. I have my charger at home that I use when I go to sleep and thats it.

  How hard is it to have a charger in your car and one at work? I don't carry a charger everywhere I go, and it would be rare that I'm away from an outlet for 8+ hours.
• GoChiefs

  

  gut;1355152 wrote:How hard is it to have a charger in your car and one at work? I don't carry a charger everywhere I go, and it would be rare that I'm away from an outlet for 8+ hours.

  
  I'm in my car about 15 minutes a day. Its pointless. And I dont work in one designated area, so it is hard to have one at work.
• WebFire

  GoChiefs;1355140 wrote:The people whos battery doesn't make it until they go to sleep care.

  Then get a better phone. Sticking with a flip phone because of battery is lame.
• GoChiefs

  

  WebFire;1355184 wrote:Then get a better phone. Sticking with a flip phone because of battery is lame.

  
  Obviously I dont have a flip phone, and I know you were quoting sleeper, but the question still pertained to me I guess. I pay them $200 a month and paid $250 for my phone, I don't think its too much to ask to have a phone that lasts the 19 hours that I'm awake a day.
• sherm03

  

  GoChiefs;1355203 wrote:Obviously I dont have a flip phone, and I know you were quoting sleeper, but the question still pertained to me I guess. I pay them $200 a month and paid $250 for my phone, I don't think its too much to ask to have a phone that lasts the 19 hours that I'm awake a day.

  The problem is people want it all. Customers expect bigger, brighter screens. They expect thin profiles. They expect to be able to do everything you can do on your computer on your phone. And they expect the battery to last all day long. Unfortunately, that's not really feasible.
  
  Whenever customers complained to me about battery life, I'd always ask how long the battery on their laptop lasts if they were to unplug it and use it. Most would say it would last about 4 hours of continuous use before it would be about dead. So considering all the capabilities of smartphones, to get 8-9 hours of battery life on the device is actually pretty solid.
• GoChiefs

  

  sherm03;1355219 wrote:The problem is people want it all. Customers expect bigger, brighter screens. They expect thin profiles. They expect to be able to do everything you can do on your computer on your phone. And they expect the battery to last all day long. Unfortunately, that's not really feasible.
  
  Whenever customers complained to me about battery life, I'd always ask how long the battery on their laptop lasts if they were to unplug it and use it. Most would say it would last about 4 hours of continuous use before it would be about dead. So considering all the capabilities of smartphones, to get 8-9 hours of battery life on the device is actually pretty solid.

  
  But thats the thing, 8-9 hours with moderate use would be fine, but if I used the phone much, I was only looking at 6ish hours of battery life. The Bionic battery was absolutely atrocious and Motorola is well aware of it. I want a phone that can occasionally browse the web, etc, not a laptop.