In this article, I am providing you my review details about – ‘how wireless networks drain your battery of the smartphone.’ A modern smartphone carries many wireless technologies “on board,” and they all need power. Some users even turn off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC when not in use. Let’s see how much energy these modules consume and whether it makes sense to turn them off constantly.
Content
- Night Consumption
- Wi-Fi or 4G
- Bluetooth vs Wired Headphones
- What About NFC and Geolocation?
- The Bottom Line
1. Night Consumption
First, let’s find out how much the primary wireless consumers “eat” when you sleep. All tests were carried out on the OnePlus Nord smartphone (8/128 GB, NFC, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, LTE, 4G, battery – 4115 mAh), which recently received an update to the current Android 11. According to the AccuBattery Pro app, battery condition – 93% or 3 847 mAh. They have installed 52 third-party applications, among which about a dozen consistently send notifications (social networks and instant messengers). In short, the average device of an ordinary person.
The device was tested in standby mode from 23:00 to 7:00, that is, exactly eight hours. In the first case, all wireless networks were turned off. On the second night, the smartphone was connected to a home Wi-Fi network of the 5 GHz range, and via Bluetooth, it was paired with an Amazfit GTS smartwatch.
NFC and geolocation were included and a “do not disturb” mode so that notifications did not interrupt the author’s sleep.
As a result, I found out that the “active” smartphone was discharged by only 1% more. During these eight hours, six notifications came from instant messengers. Sleep mode works quite efficiently.
2. Wi-Fi or 4G
Unlimited tariffs from operators have become more affordable. Many do not use Wi-Fi on their phones at all, preferring mobile Internet. It is believed that the latter discharges the smartphone much faster. Let’s check it out in practice. Let’s see how efficiently the modem of a modern processor works on the example of the Snapdragon 765G, released last year.
We run a test video with a duration of one hour. Let’s fix the brightness at the level of 30%. The phone uses a 4G signal; within seconds, the already mentioned 5 GHz Wi-Fi network.
As you can see, cellular data consumes more energy: we get 7% versus 5% for Wi-Fi in a relatively small segment. The difference in the discharge rate is visible even on the standard Android graph: the flat curve dramatically rushes down after switching to 4G.
And this is in ideal conditions when the smartphone is in one place. If you use 4G outdoors while constantly moving, the modem will connect to different cell towers and consume even more battery.
True, in the case of Wi-Fi, a similar situation is possible: for example, in a large shopping center, when the phone will periodically lose its signal and connect to several access points in the building.
The conclusion is obvious – it’s better to use Wi-Fi at home. It not only consumes less battery but is also much more stable in signal strength and latency. Of course, this is true, provided you have a good router.
3. Bluetooth Vs Wired Headphones
Wireless headsets have gained in popularity over the past couple of years. Because affordable models have appeared within a couple of thousand rubles, people have become much more willing to get rid of wires. But how much more power does a wireless headset drain your phone compared to traditional tailed headphones? Let’s find out. As a wireless option, let’s take an inexpensive TWS solution from Xiaomi – Mi True Wireless Earbuds.
They will be opposed by reinforcing Xiaomi Mi In-Ear Headphones Pro HD with an adapter to Type-C since the tested phone does not have a 3.5 mm jack.
I run the same video a couple of times, fix the volume at 50%. As you might expect, the consumption is higher with wireless headphones: some of the energy is spent operating the module responsible for the wireless connection between devices and maintaining communication between them.
Despite the presence of Bluetooth 5.0 in wireless headphones, which promises reduced power consumption compared to the fourth version, they cannot compete with the “tailed” brother. On a short distance, energy consumption is almost 30% higher.
You may also like to read: Poco M3 Review: A Best Smartphone That Encourages Buying (2021)
4. What About NFC and Geolocation?
After running a couple of tests with NFC and GPS on and then turning them off, we found that they did not affect the discharge rate. In standby mode, wireless protocols consume negligible power. They are activated only when you use them: pay for purchases or touch your phone to an NFC tag, look at the map or use the navigation.
However, in the case of GPS, it is worth making a small remark. Some applications may use geolocation in the background. To disable this feature, go to the permissions settings for a specific program and select “Location.”
Conclusion
Note that wireless networks and accessories are not always to blame for the increased consumption. Energy consumption can increase or decrease due to specific services; it also depends on the particular model.
Smartphones use different processors (Snapdragon, Kirin, Exynos, Helio), and each manufacturer develops its version of the firmware for Android. At the same time, the approach to optimizing energy consumption can vary significantly.
For example, Samsung Galaxy S20 users have complained about poor battery life due to a gluttonous processor and flaws in firmware optimization. The company took the criticism into account and installed a new processor in the Samsung Galaxy S21, which became a little faster and at the same time more economical.
The algorithms responsible for power consumption have also been updated. As a result, the new model significantly surpassed its predecessor in terms of autonomy.
In addition, each person has their scenarios of use: it is essential for someone that the smartphone lives for two or three days, while others take advantage of the opportunities to the fullest.
However, it should be borne in mind that mobile Internet, geolocation, and Bluetooth headphones will drain the battery faster in any scenario of use and any model since the principle of their operation is the same for everyone. If this is important to you, try adjusting schemes and optimizing energy consumption.
