[RedGreenBlue]

My T-Mobile 8220 (which was replaced in April because the Bluetooth quit) worked fine for several months (under light use) and then the battery, which was previously long lasting, started to drain rapidly. It began draining 20-30 percent in 24 hours even when the phone was turned off. I thought it was because the battery was over a year old, so I bought an apparently new one, a RIM-branded C-M2 (from EMTC, Inc., for $9.95 including shipping). The new battery performed the same as the original (which was about 14 months old). I've kept everything turned off when the phone is on except the minimum (e.g., no wireless, GPS or Bluetooth service running), reset the phone and updated the software to v. 4.6.0.180; no change.

I then talked to T-Mobile customer service, who considering what I had already tried, had no further suggestions. The CS tech felt there is most likely a problem in the phone's hardware. (The phone is now out of warranty.)

As a last step before updating the software to v. .308, recommended in this forum, I drained the battery 100 percent a couple of times, which in each case took about 2.5 days. Still no improvement. In fact, upon completing charging immediately after those two cycles, the battery completely drained essentially overnight.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is the phone on the way out or have I more likely been dealing with two bad batteries?

Thanks.

[hubermania]

Go ahead and update the software to 4.6.0.308 per the post in this forum. That old .180 OS is a battery eater. Also check the battery life tips & tricks post in my signature.

BTW there are two "power off" modes. Holding the End Call button just puts the phone on standby. In the Setup folder there is a "Turn Power Off" icon that gives you the option to Turn Off or Full Power Off. Turn Off puts the phone on standby -- it still wakes up for reminders or alarms. The Full Power Off is a hibernation somewhere between standby and pulling out the battery.

Hmm, you might also try charging with the USB cable instead of the wall charger. Maybe your "wall wart" is going bad.

While you're at it, go to BlackBerry App World and get the free BatteryWatch app. It has more accurate battery information than Options->Status, and it's a lot easier than unlocking the engineering screens.

[vndlewis]

It began draining 20-30 percent in 24 hours
I drained the battery 100 percent a couple of times, which in each case took about 2.5 days.

This is not rapid. How long do you expect your charge to last?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[RedGreenBlue]

Thank you, Hubermania. I will try those things. (The wall charger seems okay, however. The batteries do appear to fully charge.) My phone, with OS v. .180, doesn't seem to have a standby vs. fully-off option. Both the red end-call button and the Turn-Power-Off icon option only offer "turn off handheld" and give me the same results in terms of battery drain while the phone is 'off.' I will see if the new OS increases my options and improves my results. I'm hoping the power drain while off can be cured by a software upgrade. After I posted this thread, I switched batteries to see whether the new battery had a problem and the original battery still held an apparently 100 percent charge after sitting around on the shelf for a month, so I don't think the batteries are to blame. If with OS v. .308 I can truly turn the phone completely off, the battery should hold its charge for quite a long time, no matter what else is going on with the phone while on standby.

Vndlewis, I just want the batteries to last as long as they did for the first year or so I owned the phone when the phone was turned off (which I now realize is standby), which was approximately the RIM-rated two weeks, not two days.

I'm little concerned about this model of phone because I already had one hardware failure--the Bluetooth, and potentially a second after only four months. (That is, my first 8220 lasted 10 or 11 months and its partial replacement--T-Mobile only gives you a replacement phone that comes without the SIM card, battery and memory card--had a problem after only about four.) My old LG was still operating like new after six years. I'm hoping the power drain while off can be cured by a software upgrade.

Thanks, everyone.

[RedGreenBlue]

Well, that was a short-lived experiment. When I attempted to install OS v. .308 through Desktop Software Manager, it told me the version was incompatible with my machine, so I boldly used loader.exe instead, following Stuka85's instructions. After the installation completed, I could no longer enable Bluetooth nor access the T-Mobile network in Mobile Network Options, only AT&T (though I could dial out). Since I'm not an AT&T subscriber, that seemed like a problem that outweighed battery-drain issues.

So I restored v. .180. Now the Mobile Network options will find T-mobile again, but Bluetooth still will not enable.

Anyone have any ideas on how to fix that? Frankly, the only thing besides the mobile network I use on the phone is Bluetooth.



Thanks.

[Hecsagon]

For the last couple months I've had the same problem. The battery used to hardly drain at all over night, but now it seems to be drained of 50% life over 8 hours or so when not in any use. It used to last for a couple days without needing a recharge, but now it dies if I don't charge it every night. I've just put up with it though, I'll be getting a new phone in a few months anyway.

[RedGreenBlue]

So, the solution for the rapid battery drain and the failed Bluetooth came from the extended warranty available through the credit card I pay my T-Mobile bills with and as a consequence bought my original 8220 with. It is almost certain that both problems were due to hardware failures. Indeed, I have seen that people have had the Bluetooth die in three 8220s in a row. So far, at least, I've only had two in a row. Are all models of Blackberries so prone to hardware problems? I hope not.

Anyhow, under the credit card company extended warranty coverage, I was able to purchase a new, unlocked 8220 for $110 (including shipping) on-line from Adorama, mainly known for its photographic equipment business. RIM will repair its phones for a flat $150, so a new phone was the better deal for me and the warranty service provider. (The new phone came without a SIM or SD card, partially explaining the bargain price, but of course I was able to use the cards from the dying phone.)

Interestingly, the new phone was made in Hungary for T-Mobile for the European market and most of the documentation was in German. (The phone came with 10 or 12 languages installed, including even Basque [!], as well as Semitic characters.) I don't know where my two North American-market 8220s were made, but my best guess is China. Now the battery is long-lasting (like the batteries in the previous phones were until # 2 started to fail) and I have Bluetooth again. Not only that, when I connected to Blackberry Desktop Software, it prompted me to upgrade to OS v. .308, which my previous 8220s could not run correctly. (After the OS installation finished, the welcome message and the setup prompts were all in German, even though they were in English when I first turned on the phone and it was running v. .180.) OS v. .308 and the new phone seem just peachy.

[Janye]

No, not all blackberry's are riddled with issues. I had a Pearl Flip myself and I have to admit that the build quality was not up to what I was use to. That being said, the older models are more like a tank and able to withstand a lot more than the models of today. The bluetooth was wonky in my PF from the get go. I probably would have replaced it but I never held onto it long enough. Maybe time for an upgrade ?

[RedGreenBlue]

Well, I have a shiny new, perfectly functioning 8220 for now, for only US$4.95 out of pocket. I'll see how long it lasts. Maybe I can get a year or so before it starts going on the fritz. And who knows—maybe the Hungarian version is more robust than the ones manufactured for North America.