Galaxy S4

[MRU]

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What's wrong with the S4's polycarbonate case again? It may look cheap and flimsy, but at least it's decent enough.
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Ask a question and answered straight after.. Made me giggle.....


Actually I didn't think the S4 was a cheap looking phone at all. For me it felt solid build quality (if not build materials) and had no issue with it being polycarbonate. Would I have preferred metal or such, yes, but would it hold me back getting an S4 if I liked Samsung phones and Touchwiz? no...

 

[The Game 161]

I don't have my SD card in yet but deleted the music widget so see if battery life helps...hard to measure how good it is right now to be honest. more so at work.

right now i'm on 4 hours and 66% left and I've used it a fair bit so far and it hasn't been in standby that much.

main concern is how much it would drain in standby.

first night it dropped 11 % overnight which is over 7 hours.

 

[daveathall]

main concern is how much it would drain in standby.

first night it dropped 11 % overnight which is over 7 hours.

Averaging that out that would give you about 63 hours in standby.

 

[The Game 161]

Averaging that out that would give you about 63 hours in standby.

Well yesterday where i don't get much signal my S4 had about 20 hours total on the battery before draining to died...woke up at 5.30 and had 78% left and the phone died around 17.30 ish so lasted 12 hours..guessing that sounds normal to you and other S4 users?

 

[daveathall]

No, I get quite a bit more than that. I don't really take much notice about the battery for 2 or 3 weeks after having the phone, I find (rightly or wrongly) that the battery seems to settle down and, TBH, I also settle down and use my phone "normally" rather than the constant tinkering I do with a new device.

I dont really have that much of a problem with batteries, I have a charging cable at home and work, a car charger and an emergency battery charger when I am in the field.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Powertravel...8&qid=1368264416&sr=8-4&keywords=power+monkey

 

[The Game 161]

No, I get quite a bit more than that. I don't really take much notice about the battery for 2 or 3 weeks after having the phone, I find (rightly or wrongly) that the battery seems to settle down and, TBH, I also settle down and use my phone "normally" rather than the constant tinkering I do with a new device.

I dont really have that much of a problem with batteries, I have a charging cable at home and work, a car charger and an emergency battery charger when I am in the field.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Powertravel...8&qid=1368264416&sr=8-4&keywords=power+monkey

True,,I have one at work, at home and can use it for car too...suppose if you worry too much about battery you can't enjoy the features of the phone and the reasons I bought the thing.

 

[daveathall]

True,,I have one at work, at home and can use it for car too...suppose if you worry too much about battery you can't enjoy the features of the phone and the reasons I bought the thing.

Yep, I think you are right, in this day and age one can normally find some sort of power, I'm a soldier and have never had problems. The other option is to buy another battery in case of emergency.

 

[The Game 161]

Yep, I think you are right, in this day and age one can normally find some sort of power, I'm a soldier and have never had problems. The other option is to buy another battery in case of emergency.

like the one you linked to? any other good ones?

 

[daveathall]

like the one you linked to? any other good ones?

The one that I linked to is a real good one, that company makes quit a few different ones with various price points.

https://www.powertraveller.com/iwantsome/primatepower/

The misses has stolen mine from me and keeps it in her bag, she never seems to bother plugging her non smart phone in to charge it on an evening (bugs the living daylights out of me).

You could also buy the Samsung battery for the phone in case of emergency but I find that one of the above chargers gives me the option of charging other things also.

 

[The Game 161]

The one that I linked to is a real good one, that company makes quit a few different ones with various price points.

https://www.powertraveller.com/iwantsome/primatepower/

The misses has stolen mine from me and keeps it in her bag, she never seems to bother plugging her non smart phone in to charge it on an evening (bugs the living daylights out of me).

You could also buy the Samsung battery for the phone in case of emergency but I find that one of the above chargers gives me the option of charging other things also.

How does it that charger work? do you just plug it in with the battery with a cable or is it like a case?

 

[daveathall]

How does it that charger work? do you just plug it in with the battery with a cable or is it like a case?

You use a cable from the device into your phone, it comes with different adapters for different devices (I don't know about the new Apple connector though, mine came with the old type of Apple connector originally).

 

[The Game 161]

You use a cable from the device into your phone, it comes with different adapters for different devices (I don't know about the new Apple connector though, mine came with the old type of Apple connector originally).

Might give that a try then...how long does the juice last on the battery charger?

 

[daveathall]

Might give that a try then...how long does the juice last on the battery charger?

You use it to recharge your phone rather than use it as an add on, it can recharge it your phone 3 or 4 times IIRC, I never got/get to the stage where the charger is run out completely, I either plug it in when the misses says she has used it, or when I had it, I just used to plug it into my work computer usb to keep it topped up.

I would wait awhile until you see your usage/battery on your S3 once it settles down.

 

[MRU]

I would wait awhile until you see your usage/battery on your S3 once it settles down.

Ditto that. And surely to god someone will come out with a bigger battery and rear flap to accommodate it at some point too.

 

[appletoandroid]

I think some people have to come to terms with the reality that there is no such thing as a perfect phone that will satisfy everyone.

What's wrong with the S4's polycarbonate case again? It may look cheap and flimsy, but at least it's decent enough.

Samsung, as with all other companies, can't make a product that will please everyone.

That's the thing. Polycarbonate is fine. But when people come to terms with it, that means they buy something else instead. There is no reason not to do it, because it will only attract customers. What is it going to do, cause customers to switch to Nokia? Nokia would be the only major company with a polycarbonate design. I'm not saying they need to do this, but it would be smart to because that is where the HTC One typically "wins" compared to the GS4

 

[Lindsford]

Media Server can be related to MicroSD accessing all the time, or YouTube / google music services / widget


You do have a microSD card inserted I take it... Are you using google music or have any music / YouTube widgets. Turn them off.

And then eject the microSD card and see if media server service usage disappears. If it does, you may need to reformat you microSD and put music and stuff back onto it.

Consensus over on XDA is pointing to MicroSD access. The benefits if extra storage now not looking so 'beneficial'

I play pandora and use stock music app on the way to work but have always done that... Hmmm..

 

[jamezr]

If the music is stored on MicroSD or google music (streamed) even though the widget looks inconspicuous in itself, you must remember it still means the application is running in the background (in order for the widget to function - the app the widget is for must be running/accessible) and therefore if the app is accessing music from either of those sources then media server background task will be active - regardless of whether your listening to the music or not.


However not all Android OS's are created equal and it seems according to XDA the media server issue is pointing to MicroSD access for the majority of users with the problem. It also appears to be more Touchwiz based as S3 & Note 2 users have all reported similar background service running in background.

Also....

It also doesn't have to be music, if you have your phones camera photos or wallpapers saved on the MicroSD and you have one of those wallpapers / camera photos setup as your desktop / lock screen wallpaper then you will see this accessing if Media Server too as it basically is constantly accessing the MicroSD to display the wallpaper....

Like I say best way to see if it is the MicroSD accessing that is your own Media Server background task user - is to remove the microSD, if usage drops then there is the culprit.

And if it is the culprit and you want to stop the continuous access of Media Server, either turn off music widget, and move any photo you want as desktop wallpapers to the on-board storage, so that the phone doesn't need to continuously access the MicroSD.

hmmmm...I have about 12 GBs of music , photos, and videos on my SD card in my GS4...... I do not use the built in music player but instead use Rocket player music widget. My battery shows no drain as you describe. In fact my battery last about 24 hours on a normal days use for me....

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Yep, I think you are right, in this day and age one can normally find some sort of power, I'm a soldier and have never had problems. The other option is to buy another battery in case of emergency.

That is the beauty of the Galaxy S4 and S3. If you are unable to recharge your phone for some reason you can always carry a spare battery and then DOUBLE your up time. Seems like that would be a great fit for you!

 

[MRU]

hmmmm...I have about 12 GBs of music , photos, and videos on my SD card in my GS4...... I do not use the built in music player but instead use Rocket player music widget. My battery shows no drain as you describe. In fact my battery last about 24 hours on a normal days use for me....
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Interesting.....

I'm only re-iterating what folks posted over on XDA about the media server background task

I never had the issue, so had no reason to suspect the info on XDA is wrong or right, just that's what was reported and one of the solutions to the media server background task, and the explanation given for why it is accessing it.

 

[jamezr]

Interesting.....

I'm only re-iterating what folks posted over on XDA about the media server background task

I never had the issue, so had no reason to suspect the info on XDA is wrong or right, just that's what was reported and one of the solutions to the media server background task, and the explanation given for why it is accessing it.

yeah....its kinda like going to a support forum....seeing all the issues being reported then assuming everyone is having the same issues. We can go to the XDA forum for the HTC One.....But should not assume every One owner is having the same issues that are being reported over there with captive buttons not being responsive or wireless issues or battery issues or having dead pixels.

 

[jamezr]

TBH, I dont think it looks or feels cheap, solid enough for me. OMMV though.

I dont put my phones in protectors either.

Me either...I don't put a case on my phone. I often wonder why people buy an awesome phone that is made of delicate materials. Then put a case on it so it won't get scratched or show wear because the back is made of soft metals or glass.
With the SG4 you can stick with the plastic or put on a battery cover replacement that is metal or a case.

 

[MRU]

Me either...I don't put a case on my phone. I often wonder why people buy an awesome phone that is made of delicate materials. Then put a case on it so it won't get scratched or show wear because the back is made of soft metals or glass.
With the SG4 you can stick with the plastic or put on a battery cover replacement that is metal or a case.

I always put a case on my devices regardless of what the phone is made out of simply because I want to protect my investment. Knowing its looked after will re-coup / reward me with an easy sale when I trade it in / sell it off later.

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Just received this for the S4 (a white one)

 

[Sylon]

Doesn't really matter what the phone is made out of, 90% of the owners are going to put a case on it anyway.

 

[jamezr]

I always put a case on my devices regardless of what the phone is made out of simply because I want to protect my investment. Knowing its looked after will re-coup / reward me with an easy sale when I trade it in / sell it off later.

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Just received this for the S4 (a white one)


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When I switched from the IP5 to the SG4......I never had a case on my iPhone...
I sold it on CL for $500

 

[MRU]

When I switched from the IP5 to the SG4......I never had a case on my iPhone...
I sold it on CL for $500

Yeah well I paid €900 for my 64gb iP5 ($1168.38) so protecting the device from bumps and scrapes to me is worth the €50 for a Glas.T screen protector and nice case

 

[jamezr]

I always put a case on my devices regardless of what the phone is made out of simply because I want to protect my investment. Knowing its looked after will re-coup / reward me with an easy sale when I trade it in / sell it off later.

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Just received this for the S4 (a white one)


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Hey MRU....i thought you chose the One over the SG4? Did you end up keeping both phones? I see you posting in the One thread with some awesome pictures!