[K-9]

You pretty much covered everything. I've removed all apps that can be removed. Verizon won't allow me to remove them all. I've not tried a different phone. It's funny, the phone I have can perform great and then it will act up. For instance, last evening my phone was calm and cool. I'm starting to check frequently. It was sitting at 85% charge, and this was after 4 plus hours of mostly stand-by time. A half hour later, I checked again and the phone was noticeably warm and the battery was down to 50% charge. That's a lot of drain in a little bit of time. This issue is so random though, I don't have a clue what may be the cause. As I type this, my phone has been off the charger since 11:30 this morning and it's still showing 78% life. That's nearly 8 hours. I could live with this is that's the way it acted all the time.

My phone was only bad for the first two charges after I got it new. After the 3rd time charging it, I used it from 7AM until about 2PM and it was still at 91%. It lasts a day and half now with normal use. One day if I am using it a ton throughout the day. It's a Nokia Lumia 920 and it is incredible. Best phone I've owned. Never have to text with my fingers again as the voice texting works like a charm. I also love how it reads texts back to me through the bluetooth in my car, so I can drive safely and send texts back and forth without ever touching my phone.

I have a setting called "background apps" and I can block all constantly updating apps from running that take up power.

Do you have any weird apps like Flashlight? I used flashlight for a few seconds yesterday, and it seemed like my phone was very warm for hours later.

[Jasvox]

Just ordered a Samsung Galaxy SIII today since having seen one at a Cyber-Monday sale which was too good to pass up. After the past 3 years with an iPhone 3, looking forward to a more robust feature set, faster, larger/better screen, etc etc. I just hope learning Android will be easy...I cant imagine it wouldn't be.

Jason

[Lloydy]

Let me guess, this is similar to your home phone...

That's a sensible phone, it's tethered by a cable so it doesn't follow you about. I just hate phones in general, when they ring someone nearly always wants something, or wants you to do something. To hell with that, let them call someone else! A smartphone is one that's switched 'off'

[pentaxian_tmb]

Of all the great toys technology has given us in the last 20 years, smart phones aren't one of them. They're just stupid.

Larry

My smart phone is an electronic leash to the office-nothing more. Other than e-mail and maybe GPS maps, I don't use it. Call clarity sucks, and, as you mention, it needs to constantly be set on a charger. I am only 35, but I already feel old, as I just do not comprehend why people would want to use their phone to store their credit card info and why you would want to swipe your phone to pay for something. As for the "apps"...most seem like pointless gimicky games and other novelties that appeal to teenagers. I don't want to play games on my phone, don't want to use it to post to facebook, don't need it to make a lightsaber noise when I "swoosh" it, and, I definitely do not want to use it to take photos. My friends and co-workers laugh at me because I still carry a flip phone and use it to make calls--but it stays charged for days on end, has great call quality, and won't break it my cat knocks it off the table.

I fear I already qualify as a retro grouch

[pentaxian_tmb]

I feel the same way about cameras and my other hobby...bicycles. I ride a steel single speed or 1x9 with traditional rim brakes: cheap, reliable, doesn't break.

With cameras, I really wish there was a digital equivalent of the ME Super. No video, no scene modes, no effects, no 30 menus and submenus. Just give me a sturdy K-mount with a viewfinder and controls for aperture, shutter speed, white balance, ISO, focus, and exposure metering, and I would be all set.

[Racer X 69]

My smart phone is an electronic leash to the office-nothing more. Other than e-mail and maybe GPS maps, I don't use it. Call clarity sucks, and, as you mention, it needs to constantly be set on a charger. I am only 35, but I already feel old, as I just do not comprehend why people would want to use their phone to store their credit card info and why you would want to swipe your phone to pay for something. As for the "apps"...most seem like pointless gimicky games and other novelties that appeal to teenagers. I don't want to play games on my phone, don't want to use it to post to facebook, don't need it to make a lightsaber noise when I "swoosh" it, and, I definitely do not want to use it to take photos. My friends and co-workers laugh at me because I still carry a flip phone and use it to make calls--but it stays charged for days on end, has great call quality, and won't break it my cat knocks it off the table.

I fear I already qualify as a retro grouch

I'm right there with ya Kid!

[neil]

I feel the same way about cameras and my other hobby...bicycles. I ride a steel single speed or 1x9 with traditional rim brakes: cheap, reliable, doesn't break.

With cameras, I really wish there was a digital equivalent of the ME Super. No video, no scene modes, no effects, no 30 menus and submenus. Just give me a sturdy K-mount with a viewfinder and controls for aperture, shutter speed, white balance, ISO, focus, and exposure metering, and I would be all set.

Ha! That's funny...

I have been building and riding bikes for 39 (of my 40 years) and love my latest build, a 29'er with disc brakes (albeit mechaical disc brakes, extremely reliable). I have a 1x9 setup as well (love the X.0), haven't had a fixie for a few years...

That said, I welcome new technology (in any of my hobbies) wherever it can improve my experience, I have already mentioned in this thread how much I use my Galaxy Note and wouldn't want to be without it.

If you want a back-to-basics type of camera you should try out what I just bought recently, a Sigma DP2 Merrill , stunning image qualities with a very basic feature set.

[larryinlc]

Update.....

Well, I downgraded to a semi dumb phone a week ago. I now have a Casio Brigade purchased new from ebay. It's a rugged military spec phone that seems tough as nails. With this phone, I was able to also downgrade my data plan to a modest 10 dollars per month which includes emails. I don't text. I really like this phone and the battery life is great. I can actually go three days in stand-by. All this without penalty from Verizon. Maybe some day I'll upgrade again when the infrastructure is more widespread in my area, but in the mean time, this phone works for me.

Larry

[jpzk]

Just ordered a Samsung Galaxy SIII today since having seen one at a Cyber-Monday sale which was too good to pass up. After the past 3 years with an iPhone 3, looking forward to a more robust feature set, faster, larger/better screen, etc etc. I just hope learning Android will be easy...I cant imagine it wouldn't be.

Jason

I got the SII and "almost" went for the Slll ... a friend of mine has the Slll and it rocks!

Android is fairly simple, straightforward type of op system (if that's the right word).
I like the fact that the comp recognizes it as a "USB device" or, if you want to call it that way, an "external disk".
Easy to transfer files to and from that phone.
Great camera too !

However, like any other "smart" phone: not so smart on batteries.

JP

[Jasvox]

I got the SII and "almost" went for the Slll ... a friend of mine has the Slll and it rocks!

Android is fairly simple, straightforward type of op system (if that's the right word).
I like the fact that the comp recognizes it as a "USB device" or, if you want to call it that way, an "external disk".
Easy to transfer files to and from that phone.
Great camera too !

However, like any other "smart" phone: not so smart on batteries.

JP

So far after 5 days with it, I am having no problems learning it as it is very intuitive and intelligently laid out. Compared to my older iPhone, is an entirely different world. Concerning battery life, mine is too new to notice any battery life faults, but maybe that is because it is new and because I don't stay on it all the time. Anyway, a backup battery is no different with a phone than with a camera. Otherwise, connecting it each evening before bed is no different than with a home based cordless phone...you set that on the charger each night too. With my previous phone after 3 years use, I never felt that the battery life versus usage was any problem. Usually user know-how can prevent any sudden problems that are battery related. That being said, I have never run out of gasoline in a vehicle in 25+ years of driving either.

So far, I am liking this new phone.

Jason

[SpecialK]

My smart phone is an electronic leash to the office-nothing more. Other than e-mail and maybe GPS maps, I don't use it.

I've gotten exactly 2 phone calls in several months from my boss who said I needed to be more accessible - and one of those was "oh, you got a phone". The other was when I was staring at my work phone which was not ringing.

I store a variety of my more interesting photos - like the space-shuttle, travel, etc - on it for show-and-tell.

I think I put some music on it, but without earbuds handy, that's pointless. And I have a Sansa player in my car already.

Never opened the games folder.

Used GPS once when my "real" GPS went wonky for a day.

I only check email if I'm expecting something worthwhile.

I've only sent texts when replying to them.

I once downloaded the map and info for the aquarium, but the paper copy was much better.

I have used it to make calls to local friends and family when out and about, and that makes it handy and probably worthwhile.

I have co-workers who always have it in their hand and are playing with it, as I like to tell them.

[southlander]

Don't use 4G or 3G if you don't have the signal for it. Your phone uses more power trying to search for 3/4G networks than it would if it was actually on them. So it's not really your phones fault - its your network providers fault for not providing for adequate service coverage. You could have a dumb-phone with 3/4G and you'll still have the same issues.

Agree totally. If a phone can't find its preferred network, it screams its lungs out trying to find a cell to connect to and just kills the battery pinging away at full transmit power. Once it finds a cell it is happy with, the phone scales down its transmit power to only what it absolutely needs to maintain a connection.

Edit: just on standby in a good reception 3G area I would get about 1.5 to 2 days battery life without using the phone for more than quick email and message checks (Google Nexus).

[Racer X 69]

I have co-workers who always have it in their hand and are playing with it, as I like to tell them.

Those aren't co-workers, they are Zombies.

[neil]

Those aren't co-workers, they are Zombies.

It's OK 'Racer X', we all get old eventually...

[Racer X 69]

It's OK 'Racer X', we all get old eventually...

Dayum! That phone looks like it was made from the sole of someone's shoes!