I pull my 9900 out and had been using it for the last few days. It worked perfectly on the data plan for another phone, without BIS obviously, with browser and other applications able to access data. I was using the phone heavily for texting, a few calls, and Web use. It made it from early morning, 7am or so, on Friday until Sunday at 4pm with about 60% remaining. Maybe there has been something going on with the 9900's connection to the BIS that is causing the normally poor battery life.
From Friday morning (7am) until Sunday afternoon (4pm) ???? Has that battery been dipped in gold or something and then I'm not sure it would last that long. I must be doing something wrong, and I thought the 10 hrs I was getting was good??
Is he tethering? I remember when I first got my 9900, I tried using the data plan from a different phone and I couldn't do anything on the web until I got switched over to BIS or used WiFi.
Tethering? His 9900 to be able to surf the internet? I don't think so. I can't discuss what Rogers may or may not do, but with Bell I didn't have to add BIS service (well, I did but that was cause I wanted BBM), yet I could still surf and use SMS services. When I switched from an Android to my BB.
Forum is lousy with stories with people who have connected to their browser and have no BBM and they can't understand why they would need a BB Data Plan if their internet is already working.
Ah, so it's a carrier specific thing then - I just remember I couldn't access facebook or anything through the browser when I first got the 9900 before I got switched to a BB data package. I had never owned a BB before this one, so I didn't know about the specific plans due to BIS. I guess Rogers simply blocks all web traffic on BB devices unless you sign up for a BB plan.
My original post was VERY poorly written and I apologize for that. I was writing on my Galaxy Nexus and the keyboard I was using was improperly "correcting" words that needed no correction so I resorted to using the voice recognition. Long story slightly longer � I got lazy!
The data plan on the line I have been using my 9900 with is a T-Mobile line with a data plan (5GB) for my HTC Radar and unlocked Titan. Windows Phones. I took the SIM card and put it in the 9900 and started using it. I had no expectation that I would be able to access the BIS for email, BBM, or anything else specifically RIM-related. However, I expected to be able to text, call, email, and use applications that I could obtain outside of the BlackBerry AppWorld. I was surprised that the browser worked perfectly and I had a full 4G connection and was even able to tether my MacBook.
Last year I bought a 9900 immediately upon the phone being available with T-Mobile. I was convinced by CrackBerry's review. I loved owning it and using it for three weeks but the battery life was killing my ability to use my phone freely. I changed to the second battery by around noon and used the phone while the original battery was charging. By maybe 6pm or so I was back to change the battery again. If I left the phone off of the charger overnight it was losing at least 25%-40% of the battery power remaining!
I could not live with a smartphone with that kind of power drain so I replaced it with a Galaxy S II and subsequently a Galaxy Nexus along with a Radar (at first) then a Titan (unlocked).
However, after pulling the same 9900 out and using it without a BIS connection I was surprised to have it last so long. Lasting all through Friday, overnight, Saturday, overnight again, and Sunday with 60% remaining by the early evening means it certainly would have lasted a few more days without charging. I spent plenty of time on the line, as I was using it for calls instead of the Nexus, browsed a decent amount as well and I texted much more than normal.
It gives me the impression that maybe the battery life issues of the 9900 are related to the BIS connection rather than the battery being too small or the processor gobbling too much power. Sure bad reception would hurt any phone but it is obvious that more is going on with the 9900's power draw for most of us.
