[ubizmo]

Much has been said about how LTE can drain the battery of a smartphone (any smartphone). It's also pretty clear that LTE is overkill for many data transfer tasks, with the exception of web browsing, streaming media, and perhaps navigation. For email, BBM or other messaging, and many apps, 3G is more than adequate. So why can't the device be smart about LTE use? Let the user configure which tasks should try for LTE connectivity, and let everything else default to 3G (or even 2G, as a settable preference). Could this be handled by an app, or is it something that would need to be baked into the OS? I suspect the latter, but I really don't know.

I don't see why the user should have to manage LTE manually to conserve battery power when the user's preferences could easily be automated.

[mooda]

I think Radio connectivity is an on or off thing. You are either on LTE or H+ ect. so the os would have to stop then switch radios on the fly. not saying that it is impossible just saying it a little much to ask of an infant OS especially when there is very little LTE areas.

[Sith_Apprentice]

Much has been said about how LTE can drain the battery of a smartphone (any smartphone). It's also pretty clear that LTE is overkill for many data transfer tasks, with the exception of web browsing, streaming media, and perhaps navigation. For email, BBM or other messaging, and many apps, 3G is more than adequate. So why can't the device be smart about LTE use? Let the user configure which tasks should try for LTE connectivity, and let everything else default to 3G (or even 2G, as a settable preference). Could this be handled by an app, or is it something that would need to be baked into the OS? I suspect the latter, but I really don't know.

I don't see why the user should have to manage LTE manually to conserve battery power when the user's preferences could easily be automated.

Can you elaborate on your last line? I am not sure how a device that is built to multitask would do this, even close to well. For instance, say you are on the web, watching youtube when a BBM comes in. Which network would your device use, 4G or 3G? If you set your preference to 3G for BBM, your device would then drop to 3G to receive the data? That doesnt seem like a great idea IMO, I would think an all or nothing approach would be best. You dont really see your laptop doing this effectively when connected to WiFi, and that is a much more powerful machine. I mean it is possible to put a throttling policy in place, just seems like you wouldnt really benefit from the constant switching between radios.

[ubizmo]

I think Radio connectivity is an on or off thing. You are either on LTE or H+ ect. so the os would have to stop then switch radios on the fly. not saying that it is impossible just saying it a little much to ask of an infant OS especially when there is very little LTE areas.

That makes sense, but as things stand the OS has to downshift anyway from LTE to H+ (or whatever) when it loses LTE signal, so it doesn't seem like a stretch to have it try for LTE in the first place only when a whitelisted app is running. As you say, it may be a bit much to expect the OS to have this capability at this point, but I'm just putting it out there as an idea.

For this to work as an app, there would have to be API access (is that the right terminology?) to the radio setting. I don't know if this access is there.

[howarmat]

IMO its not the actual LTE that causes major battery drain its signal strength. If you are going in and out of LTE coverage or you just have a weak LTE signal that can really drain a battery. At work before we had repeaters installed I could drain my Galaxy nexus in my 12 hour shift no problem. We got repeaters put in finally though and now with a strong LTE signal i can leave work and still have 40% battery sometimes after a 12 hour shift and on LTE the whole time.

I was under the impression BB was really trying to nail the LTE vs battery life thing on the phones but it will take some time to perfect it.