Possible to run 4G radio only?

JickBahTech · #1 (**permalink**) 08-25-2010, 01:34 PM

Hey all. I'm a long time lurker from the WinMo forums.

I just got an Epic 4G to play with, and I know this is an EVO forum, but you guys are the only ones playing with 4G so I thought I'd ask this here.

In regards to battery life, this phone is barely making it through the day on 3G, and I have access to 4G, but when both radios are on it's not pretty. Has anyone found a way to run these phones on 4G only? I don't seem to have the ability to turn off the cell radio on this phone and use wifi only either. It seems to be a cell radio on or EVERYTHING off kind of device.

Any thoughts?

**aman1127** · #2 (**permalink**) 08-25-2010, 01:57 PM

I tested it and from what I gather, the 3g switch is mobile internet. So for 4g, internet and 4g need to be on. I tried to do 4g without the 3g.and it didnt work. And battery on 4g is abysmal

Sent from my fast as hell phone that you can only wish you had

demolasko · #3 (**permalink**) 08-25-2010, 01:58 PM

only tune it on when needed .. ..... there is a widget for that

**Rager02** · #4 (**permalink**) 08-25-2010, 02:08 PM

Yup use the power widget..I'm sure touch wiz has something similar,btw how did you get an epic? Thought release was 31st.

Sent from my Evo using Tapatalk.

JickBahTech · #5 (**permalink**) 08-25-2010, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by demolasko

only tune it on when needed .. ..... there is a widget for that

Oh there's one built into the notification drop down for the Epic, so that's not the problem. I guess I just didn't understand that Android can't run radios individually. Like on WinMo, I can turn off the cell radio and run wi-fi only, and on Android I can only turn off the cell radio by using Airplane mode?

I wonder if the phone is actually keeping both radios on when 4G is on? If I have access to WiMAX, why would I need EVDO?

**gTen** · #6 (**permalink**) 08-25-2010, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JickBahTech

Oh there's one built into the notification drop down for the Epic, so that's not the problem. I guess I just didn't understand that Android can't run radios individually. Like on WinMo, I can turn off the cell radio and run wi-fi only, and on Android I can only turn off the cell radio by using Airplane mode?

I wonder if the phone is actually keeping both radios on when 4G is on? If I have access to WiMAX, why would I need EVDO?

The radio will always be on in a way...they don't have voice over wimax yet so it uses it only for data...

so the best I can think of is running 1x and Wimax at same time..but turning off 1x is pretty much means no phone calls...

JickBahTech · #7 (**permalink**) 08-25-2010, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gTen

The radio will always be on in a way...they don't have voice over wimax yet so it uses it only for data...

Aha! Ok, that makes sense. For some reason I thought Sprint was transitioning to voice AS data, like VOIP. I guess we're just REALLY ahead of the curve LOL...

**tokuzumi** · #8 (**permalink**) 08-25-2010, 03:43 PM

I have not found a way to turn off the voice radio, and use the 4G only.

I noticed you said you were having battery issues when leaving the phone in 3G mode. HTC Sense-based phones have an option to disable "Always on mobile data". It turns your data connection when the phone is in standby. I still get gmail notifications right on time. I haven't found a con to using it yet. We find it under menu, settings, wireless and networks, mobile networks. If you don't have a setting for that in your settings menu, get JuiceDefender from the market. It's free (you can upgrade to UltimateJuice if you want full functionality), and will shut off your EvDo/3G radio when the phone is in standby. It turns it on for 1 minute every 15 minutes. I used it with good success when I was using the CM6 nightlies.

I'm not sure what kind of user you are with your phone. If you are someone who never turns the phone off, there's not much you can do.

JickBahTech · #9 (**permalink**) 08-25-2010, 04:24 PM

Thanks tokuzumi!

It doesn't look like us Samsung users get that setting in Mobile Networks... I'll check out JuiceDefender!

This is my first Android phone, so I'm trolling the EVO and Samsung forums now just to get a good handle on what we can and can't control.

Reply MUCH appreciated!

**aman1127** · #10 (**permalink**) 08-25-2010, 04:37 PM

Buy beautiful widgets, it may enable the options like we have

Sent from my fast as hell phone that you can only wish you had