Could AT&T's MicroCell be draining battery life from handsets?
0. phoneArena posted on 27 Dec 2011, 01:44
AT&T's MicroCell is a device that takes the cellular signal from your phone and routes it over your internet connection just in case you are in an area with poor cell reception; one Samsung Focus S owner complained of a 15% to 20% hourly battery drain with the MicroCell pluged in...
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1. JordanCox posted on 27 Dec 2011, 02:03 1 0
We've got one and my battery is the same as it always is on my Atrix. It sounds like these people are making things up or something. My sisters have iPhones and they don't complain about any battery issues either.
2. stevebrock posted on 27 Dec 2011, 03:24 0 1
I believe that I'm having this problem as well. I have an app on my Focus S that graphs battery levels. I've tested this by turning the Microcell tower off for 4 hours and on for 4 hours. The Microcell-on method drained my battery a good twice as fast as the Microcell-off method.
I called AT&T and they basically told me to pound sand. They said that they can't be held responsible for battery drain when using the Microcell tower. The representative, Jennifer, told me that if I were home, I should keep the phone on the charger. She then told me that she could give me Cisco's phone number. I've never been more disappointed. If she'd simply offered to pass my information up the support chain, I'd have been much happier. Such crass honesty sucks!
5. networkdood posted on 27 Dec 2011, 10:20 2 0
Normally, connections to EDGE, 3G, HSPA+, 4G LTE will drain your battery faster than no connection. Starting with EDGE the battery drain is minimal and as you work your up to 4G connections, it only increases. The Green Power android app limits the drain. Now, as for this microcell drain issue, it should help it, as the app only allows slight connectivity when the phone is not in use. You can also turn off data overnight - who needs to receive FB and email alerts while asleep?
6. gregoryxandrew posted on 27 Dec 2011, 12:04 0 0
This is definitely valid, I've had this issue for months with Several Handsets... usually phone's won't last me even a half a day with moderate use if I'm home.... I was thinking it was just the devices that had horrible battery life. Unfortunately, I don't get service inside my house with AT&T...
So a week ago I bought the DROID RAZR from VZW. I'm not thrilled to be using Verizon, but I have no other option at this point.
7. troyrig posted on 31 Dec 2011, 01:13 1 0
I have a Focus S and the battery life has been horrible, going from 100% to 0% in six hours while I sleep. I read this and other articles regarding the Microcell. Sure enough, I turned mine off and I've used only 70% in 15 hours. Guess I'll be taking my chances without that POS. It drops half of my calls anyway.
8. pgeller posted on 22 Apr 2012, 10:30 0 0
Definitely an issue. I tested battery drain with a new Lumia 900 using the Nokia Diagnostics app. Consumption averages 120mA with the MicroCell off, and closer to 400mA with it on. Explains why my battery lasts 6 hours sitting at home. FYI, WiFi apparently draws little current.
