If your Hero isn't resolving with the popular "work around" to the battery drain/SMS issue, you really need to read this.
In summary:
Handcent might be the app causing the problem in some phones.
Okay, so, I've had my Hero since 11/1. Because of all the pre-research, first thing I did was install Handcent and disable notifications within the native SMS. It looked like everything's going along fine, but I hadn't really looked deep into the battery drain/SMS issue ("BD/SMS"). I also installed a small handful of innocuous market apps...games, Where!, switches, star map, etc...
I cycled my new battery in order to condition and maintain the longest charge...after learning more about BD/SMS, it was apparent that the phone was awake at 100% (Settings-->About-->Status).
I tried everything--Soft resets, hard resets (x1), app killers, installing market SW, uninstalling, etc...but I was always sure to use Handcent. I'm pretty handy with a cellphone (i.e. HTC TP w/ MightyROM) and tried all kinds of logical combinations. No matter what I did, battery was chugging along at 100%, 100% of the time. After the one hard reset, the battery drain was <100%, but eventually, the problem was back by end of day.
So yesterday after my cardiac nursing exam, I stop over at the Sprint shop where I purchased my phone to start the formal complaining process with the shop and eventually exchange to a new phone before the end of 30 days. I tell the guy everything I did, he looked at the phone and even compared it to his coworker's Hero that was chugging along at 2%.
They even recommended using ATK to improve the battery life and I told 'em that I've done that as well. ATK was already running--one of the last-resort interventions before the hard reset mentioned above and also right before going to the store the morning of my test. This whole issue was driving me nuts.
I told him that I loved the phone, but the battery drain is ridiculous. I don't want a different phone...I love the Hero, but...I want his phone (pointing to his coworker). Mind you, he's being real cool and receptive and he eventually takes the phone in the back...He comes back with a service notice that discusses the BD/SMS and how
"HTC" will be issuing a fix "during the next RM"...or MR (next firmware update).
He then tells me that the firmware update will probably come out in December or even JANUARY (WTF!?!)
And here was my "Aha Moment": When he took the phone to the back, it dawned on me...from the first day with the phone, I've never actually used the native SMS. I even installed Handcent and disabled native in the parking lot after purchase.
While he's in the back, I go over to his coworker and ask him which SMS client he's using and
he confirms that he's only using the native SMS (not Handcent). I then go back to the guy and mention "What if..." What if the Handcent application is the problem??? What if the popular work around to BD/SMS is actually causing the problem? So my guy hands me back my phone and lets me know to give it couple of days (why? don't know.) and if it doesn't resolve, we can start the process of switching phones. What he's done so far is uninstalled handcent and "tweaked" the settings--shortened the screen time and probably other really minor stuff. Phone is still 100%.
On the way home, in my truck, I just say F$%k it and do another factory reset right there on the road (no. 2)...Let's start from the beginning, again, and lets use the native SMS...No Handcent. Well folks, current up/awake time as of 11:30 AM CDT: Up time: 8:50:56, Awake time: 0:23:49 (5%) (give or take).
Handcent is causing the f$%king problem - it's gotta be. My phone has never run this good for so long. I soft reset the phone a couple times yesterday after hard reset and I did a soft reset right before going to bed and those are the resulting times above. Other market apps installed so far: ToggleBlu, ToggleWifi, Google Maps, Scan2PDF Mobile. Keeping installs to a minimum for now.
If all the work arounds aren't doing squat for you, and I've noticed those posts, do a hard reset and do not install Handcent.
Look at me, I just might be a PPCgeeks forum contributor.
