Data Connection/Battery Usage Question...

[waly01]

Hey, I just did a reg tweak that kills my data connection if idle for 2 min. but when talking to a friend with the samsung i700 he told me that he read it takes more battery to connect to data to check email every hour than it does to sit idle..

so my question is, is it better to disconnect after everytime i use data connection, or is it better to leave it idle and save 5-6 re connects throughout the day/

[pylesw]

Originally Posted by waly01

Hey, I just did a reg tweak that kills my data connection if idle for 2 min. but when talking to a friend with the samsung i700 he told me that he read it takes more battery to connect to data to check email every hour than it does to sit idle..

so my question is, is it better to disconnect after everytime i use data connection, or is it better to leave it idle and save 5-6 re connects throughout the day/

IMO, I don't believe that the radio stays connected continuously, even if left on. It would be inefficient for the wireless carrier to keep continuous open connections to devices that are idle. That's why you get much longer battery life in standby mode than actual talk time. I believe the radio may still be powered on, perhaps in a listening mode for data like text messaging, but not actively sending until it's needed to do so (like checking mail once an hour).

The act of powering up the radio each time may require more from the battery than keeping the connection going. This is likely what your friend is referring to. Done frequently enough, it's possible it might use more power than keeping the radio powered up in an idlde mode.

But that's just my opinion.

[Adrynalyne]

Well, considering that I checked my Omnia this morning and it had been connected to the net for 9.5 hours....I'd say it does stay connected.

[aleis]

the power it takes to connect for mail cannot be more than the power it would use staying connected.
IMO