TellMe!!!

[dishe]

Originally Posted by MrObvious

Well kinda. I was talking about the modes of data transfer and how CDMA only allows for us to text or place phone calls in 1x mode instead of EVDO and I know both are there and stuff.

Yeah, but you don't "switch" back and forth between them. They're both always active, but it would be messy and cluttered to have a 1x and evdo meter up there at the same time, so the top bar only shows one at a time- whatever is currently sending or receiving. (If I recall, I think Verizon's feature phones actually show both 1x and Evdo meters... hated that)

So, there is no extra loss of battery or otherwise due to how this works.

[MrObvious]

Then how come going to 1x and EVDO drains battery a lot if it doesn't switch? Sure the tower supports it but I think the phones only do one at a time.

[dishe]

Originally Posted by MrObvious

Then how come going to 1x and EVDO drains battery a lot if it doesn't switch? Sure the tower supports it but I think the phones only do one at a time.

I explained that above. When you see it switching back and forth on its own, its because you are switching networks. Roaming networks usually only allow you to connect to 1x data and not EVDO, which is why you see the icon changing (otherwise you would have no idea what it is doing behind the scenes). Each time you connect to a network, it drains the battery.
However, it is not the 1X or EvDo switching that is killing it, but rather the fact that you are disconnecting and connecting to new networks in the background.

This is different from being connected to one tower, using the 1x side of it for a bit, and continuing your EV connection. They are both always active (although current CDMA networks only allow a phone to send/receive on one protocol at a time, putting the other on "hold". All the while the connection stays live and doesn't consume any additional battery power).