Battery drain in airplane mode (> 1%/hr)

if0rg0t · Jan 15, 2014

OS: 4.4.2

Several of us have noticed a significant battery drain even in airplane mode, > 1%/hr . Typically, we've seen >10% discharge overnight.

Here is an example. Put it in airplane mode all night and had location services disabled. Here's the result, > 1%/hr drain. This was with Google Play Services 4.1.

This thread is to collect our observations, experiences, and hopefully find a resolution to this annoying issue. The MOTO G should, in theory, have bad-ass battery life.

if0rg0t · Jan 15, 2014

Here are the further steps I took in determining a root cause.

1. Do a factory reset.
2. Full charge, leave it on charging for an additional 30mins beyond 100%.
3. Allow play store to update all built-in apps.
4. Add google account, and select the usual items for sync (no location!).
5. Disconnect power cable.
6. Discharge down to < 10%.
7. Full charge
8. Activate airplane mode.
9. Disable location services.
11. Lock screen
12. Disconnect charging cable.

OS: 4.4.2
Google Play Services: 4.0.34

So far, 5+hrs and no decrease in reported battery level. It is still showing 'charged' (i.e. it has not dropped to 99% yet).

Next test: Determine the effect of updating Google Play Services to 4.1
1. Update Google Play Services to 4.1 (newest one)
2. Use normally thru the day.
3. Fully charge phone at night.
4. Activate airplane mode.
5. Disable location services.
6. Lock screen.
7. Disconnect charging cable.

lost101 · Jan 15, 2014

Google Play Services 4.1.31 was not available on Google Play for me. Here is the apk:

http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23308990704255022

scott_doyland · Jan 15, 2014

if0rg0t said:
Here are the further steps I took in determining a root cause.

1. Do a factory reset.
2. Full charge, leave it on charging for an additional 30mins beyond 100%.
3. Allow play store to update all built-in apps.
4. Add google account, and select the usual items for sync (no location!).
5. Disconnect power cable.
6. Discharge down to < 10%.
7. Full charge
8. Activate airplane mode.
9. Disable location services.
11. Lock screen
12. Disconnect charging cable.

OS: 4.4.2
Google Play Services: 4.0.34

So far, 5+hrs and no decrease in reported battery level. It is still showing 'charged' (i.e. it has not dropped to 99% yet).

Next test: Determine the effect of updating Google Play Services to 4.1
1. Update Google Play Services to 4.1 (newest one)
2. Use normally thru the day.
3. Fully charge phone at night.
4. Activate airplane mode.
5. Disable location services.
6. Lock screen.
7. Disconnect charging cable.

So when you upgraded to kitkat where you still on goole play services 4.0.34 ??

And if so where did you get google play services 4.1. If it was as an update on the playstore then fair enough but if you have downloaded it from elsewhere then maybe the 4.1 is not supported on moto g running kitkat etc. ie are you creating an issue yourself - of course we dont know yet if google play services is the cluprit anyway.

From your above post it seems your battery issue is fixed with bog standard kitkat, ie you say 5hrs and no drain yet.

if0rg0t · Jan 15, 2014

scott_doyland said:
So when you upgraded to kitkat where you still on goole play services 4.0.34 ??

And if so where did you get google play services 4.1. If it was as an update on the playstore then fair enough but if you have downloaded it from elsewhere then maybe the 4.1 is not supported on moto g running kitkat etc. ie are you creating an issue yourself - of course we dont know yet if google play services is the cluprit anyway.

From your above post it seems your battery issue is fixed with bog standard kitkat, ie you say 5hrs and no drain yet.

Unfortunately, I can't be sure when I noticed the >1%/hr drain - whether before the google play services 4.1 update or after. The update that I installed was signed from Google, and the whole point of it was to decrease battery drain. I find it unlikely that it was the root cause of the battery drain. But, as you can see in my above, I plan to run an experiment to determine the effect of google play services 4.1 update.

I got the google play services 4.1 .apk from here:
http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...player-new-google-drive-api-preview-and-more/

Btw, 7hrs, and it is still indicating 'charged', and has not gone down to 99%!

lost101 · Jan 15, 2014

if0rg0t said:
Unfortunately, I can't be sure when I noticed the >1%/hr drain - whether before the google play services 4.1 update or after.

I noticed this issue last night, and that was with Google Play Services: 4.0.34 installed.

if0rg0t · Jan 15, 2014

if0rg0t said:
Unfortunately, I can't be sure when I noticed the >1%/hr drain - whether before the google play services 4.1 update or after. The update that I installed was signed from Google, and the whole point of it was to decrease battery drain. I find it unlikely that it was the root cause of the battery drain. But, as you can see in my above, I plan to run an experiment to determine the effect of google play services 4.1 update.

I got the google play services 4.1 .apk from here:
http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...player-new-google-drive-api-preview-and-more/

Btw, 7hrs, and it is still indicating 'charged', and has not gone down to 99%!

In installed Google Play Services 4.1. After going thru the same procedure, I am down to 97% after 3hrs using airplane mode and location services off the whole time. Perhaps Google Play Services is the culprit. However one of you mentioned that you observed the drain even with 4.0.3x ... strange. Maybe there are two difference phenomenon in effect? Will let it run some more to confirm the drain rate - then will revert to 4.0.3x to complete the A-B-A test

.

if0rg0t · Jan 16, 2014

if0rg0t said:
In installed Google Play Services 4.1. After going thru the same procedure, I am down to 97% after 3hrs using airplane mode and location services off the whole time. Perhaps Google Play Services is the culprit. However one of you mentioned that you observed the drain even with 4.0.3x ... strange. Maybe there are two difference phenomenon in effect? Will let it run some more to confirm the drain rate - then will revert to 4.0.3x to complete the A-B-A test .

Did a factory reset and the usual basic setup. This time around, my phone was automatically upgraded to google play services 4.1. I found the .apk for 4.0.34 and reverted to that. Then charged to full, and enabled airplane mode and disabled location services. After 2+ hrs, it is still at 100%!

I'll let it run all night to confirm. However, from the looks of it, it seems that google play services 4.1 is causing a ~1%/hr discharge in airplane mode with location services disabled. WTH google? I thought 4.1 was supposed to deliver *better* batt life.

Anywhoo ... will report in the morning.

theoneofgod · Jan 16, 2014

if0rg0t said:
Did a factory reset and the usual basic setup. This time around, my phone was automatically upgraded to google play services 4.1. I found the .apk for 4.0.34 and reverted to that. Then charged to full, and enabled airplane mode and disabled location services. After 2+ hrs, it is still at 100%!

I'll let it run all night to confirm. However, from the looks of it, it seems that google play services 4.1 is causing a ~1%/hr discharge in airplane mode with location services disabled. WTH google? I thought 4.1 was supposed to deliver *better* batt life.

Anywhoo ... will report in the morning.

I'm getting a 0.8% drain with everything disabled but 2G. Strange as this doesn't normally happen with me. Can't find a way to reduce it...

Mr.Scrooby · Jan 16, 2014

I had the same issue. With Google Play Service 4.1 I have 1% in 8 hours at airplane mode now. For me the manual upgrade did the trick. Battery seems to be better over all.

regards

if0rg0t · Jan 16, 2014

if0rg0t said:
Did a factory reset and the usual basic setup. This time around, my phone was automatically upgraded to google play services 4.1. I found the .apk for 4.0.34 and reverted to that. Then charged to full, and enabled airplane mode and disabled location services. After 2+ hrs, it is still at 100%!

I'll let it run all night to confirm. However, from the looks of it, it seems that google play services 4.1 is causing a ~1%/hr discharge in airplane mode with location services disabled. WTH google? I thought 4.1 was supposed to deliver *better* batt life.

Anywhoo ... will report in the morning.

Okay, here's the morning report. With Google Play Services 4.0.34: 9+hrs in airplane mode and location services disabled and still at 100%!

Then, did a factory reset, and the usual updating of factory apps - which also updated Google Play Services to 4.1. Full charged. Now, I'm down to 98% after < 2hrs.

In summary:
Factory reset and Google Play Services 4.0.34. 0% discharge after 9+ hrs.
Factory reset and Google Play Services 4.1. > 1%/hr discharge.

Sigh, any ideas .. ?

Darth · Jan 16, 2014

Interesting. May have to downgrade my Moto x and try this as well. I'm getting 1 percent per hour loss with airplane mode or not. No real difference either way...which isn't right.

Sent from my Moto X cellular telephone...

if0rg0t · Jan 16, 2014

Mr.Scrooby said:
I had the same issue. With Google Play Service 4.1 I have 1% in 8 hours at airplane mode now. For me the manual upgrade did the trick. Battery seems to be better over all.

regards

Just to be clear:
With Google Play Services 4.0.34 you had > 1%/hr drain in airplane mode.
And now with Google Play Services 4.1 you have 1% in 8 hrs in airplane mode.

Questions:
1. Was the previous Google Play Services 4.0.34 for sure, or was it 4.0.33? Because the phone initially comes with 4.0.33.
2. Did you do a factory reset each time? If not, did you have other apps installed?

if0rg0t · Jan 16, 2014

kj2112 said:
Interesting. May have to downgrade my Moto x and try this as well. I'm getting 1 percent per hour loss with airplane mode or not. No real difference either way...which isn't right.

Sent from my Moto X cellular telephone...

Make sure you try 4.0.34, and not 4.0.33.

Please do report your findings back to this thread.

Regards.

if0rg0t · Jan 16, 2014

theoneofgod said:
I'm getting a 0.8% drain with everything disabled but 2G. Strange as this doesn't normally happen with me. Can't find a way to reduce it...

What version of Google Play Services did you observe the 0.8%/hr battery drain with?

Mr.Scrooby · Jan 16, 2014

if0rg0t said:
Just to be clear:
With Google Play Services 4.0.34 you had > 1%/hr drain in airplane mode.
And now with Google Play Services 4.1 you have 1% in 8 hrs in airplane mode.

That is correct! And I have way better battery in normal day use.

theoneofgod · Jan 16, 2014

if0rg0t said:
What version of Google Play Services did you observe the 0.8%/hr battery drain with?

JB 4.3, Google Play Services 4.0.34, I uninstalled the updates so it's 3. something, still draining around 0.9% I'm tempted to get my bootloader unlocked and do some real digging, like change governors, etc.
Btw I also had the drain on 4.4.2 with everything updated.

if0rg0t · Jan 16, 2014

Using Google Play Services 4.1

Just noticed that my wifi was set to always available for scanning. Even though wifi was off, phone in airplane mode, and location disabled - the battery screen still showed 25% drain due to wifi. However, the battery was discharged down to 96% in < 4hrs. 25% of that only accounts for 1% ... the rest of the 3% still discharged in some other manner ..

Recharging back to 100%, and disabled always available for scanning. Will see if it makes a difference. If it doesn't, I think I have grounds to replace the phone. Can't think of anything else to do .. battery drain with a factory reset and airplane mode ... sheesh.

if0rg0t · Jan 16, 2014

theoneofgod said:
JB 4.3, Google Play Services 4.0.34, I uninstalled the updates so it's 3. something, still draining around 0.9% I'm tempted to get my bootloader unlocked and do some real digging, like change governors, etc.
Btw I also had the drain on 4.4.2 with everything updated.

Have you tried this specific combination: KitKat 4.4.2 with Google Play Services 4.0.34?

theoneofgod · Jan 16, 2014

if0rg0t said:
Have you tried this specific combination: KitKat 4.4.2 with Google Play Services 4.0.34?

I haven't. I've just updated to 4.4.2 and did a factory reset. Going to start from scratch with no extra apps, and add slowly to debug it.

Battery drain in airplane mode (> 1%/hr)

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