topic Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating in XPERIA archive

Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

puihungma — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 13:17:44 GMT

Hi,

I've had my handset since about November and not had any problems. Can usually get to the end of a day of fairly heavy use and still have around 30-40% left.

Yesterday however, something has gone amiss and my battery was draining by about 10% an hour when in idle/standby. Basically came off charge at around 9am and down to 0% by 6pm and that is with Stamina mode activated and Ultra-Stamina once it got to 10%. Charged it up from about 6pm-11pm last night and taking it off charge was same, losing approx 10% an hour.

Can also feel heat building up on both sides of the handset around the area just below the SONY branding on the rear.

I've not installed any apps around the time of this happening, but am aware that several apps auto-updated over the course of yesterday. Didn't take any particular notice of which ones it was so I can't pinpoint it down to anything to trial.

Am planning on doing a factory restore, but just wondered if this is a common occurance? This is my first real go at a diversion from iPhone so it's still a learning curve 🙂

It's a Z3C running stock Android 4.4.4

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

Thommo — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 13:40:43 GMT

This sounds more like an app or apps running in the background or you have things like GPS etc turned on which will use battery quicker however I would advise you not to do a factory reset but to do a system repair see below for details

Performing a system repair using PC Companion will factory reset your phone and erase all data so backup your files first

Switch off your phone and unplug from Pc (Hold volume up and power for around 10 seconds)
Start PC Companion and select Support zone then Update my phone/tablet then in Blue Repair my phone/tablet and follow the on screen instructions - When prompted connect your phone still switched off holding volume down or back button - This should start the repair or reformat process

If you are using Windows 8/8.1 or a 64bit operating system then adjust the settings for PC Companion and run in compatibility mode and chose Windows 7 or XP

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

Mehim — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 13:41:50 GMT

I'm having the same issue with almost exactly the same background.

Phone used to work great, held battery for about 50h but now I am charging it for the second time in the same day.

Also whenever I turn it on it gives me a massage that movie creator just stopped working or smth

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

puihungma — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 16:39:35 GMT

Thanks.

Well did a factory reset, which didn't make a difference.

So tried the suggestion of the repair and elected not to restore my old data (so as not to install anything other than the stock android installation files) but have immediately switched of NFC and switched on Stamina. Appears this hasn't done anything either. I've lost about 3% of battery in approx 10-15mins and again the handset fells warm to the touch.

Looks like a trip to o2 Store or Sony Centre 😞

EDIT: Has dropped down 18% in 90mins and have only sent one SMS message. Has been on standby the rest of the time

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

SergioPL1 — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 20:31:01 GMT

Could you post a screenshot from Settings / Power / Battery usage?

Maybe we can see at least what is stealing your power...

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

dandy63 — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 20:56:09 GMT

You could also try running it for a while in Safe Mode......this will let you know, as you suspect, if a 3rd Party App is causing the problem....

http://talk.sonymobile.com/t5/FAQ/How-to-boot-your-phone-into-safe-mode/m-p/348008

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

clairechappers — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 17:41:49 GMT

Hi all

I've had problems from about midday when I might have installed the 4.4.4 release. Now it wont above 16% even if only charge for 2 hours and it's dropping down to 0% in 15 minutes just using the Internet. I've installed no apps and don't use it any differently than I have done in the past 4 months.

Also not sure if it's worth noting but my keyboard when typing is alittle weird, jumping all over the place, not deleting. Just done a virus scan and it's fine.

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

puihungma — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 11:27:47 GMT

Dropped it in this morning to be sent off so hopefully will be sorted quickly (fingers crossed)

Took it off charge this morning at 9.15am and got to store at 9.45am and had already dropped 7% just sitting untouched in my pocket.

Guy in the store was alright at first, even commented on lack of running apps and my screen brightness being pretty low, then, as conversation went on, tried to tell me it's normal for a current smart phone to lose approx 10% an hour in standby mode and that 100%-0% in 9 hours, with fairly minimal useage, isn't uncommon as they generally only last for the working day! Also it's normal to get extra from the battery when it's new and it will drop off over time. So after 2 months ownership, expect your batter to lose around 70% of it's charging capacity very very suddenly, like maybe tomorrow...

Can't see how it can be a third party app when I had carried out factory restore and also a Sony Bridge Repair and have ran it with essentially nothing installed other than what comes as standard and running it in Stamina mode. I even went as far as disabling/uninstalling things like Facebook, G+ and some of the Sony bloat apps.

Sorry I didn't get back on here to post a screenshot, but there was genuinely nothing running.

Screen and Phone idle are the main two I can remember and they took something like 30-40% and 20% respectively

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

puihungma — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 11:32:56 GMT

Was 4.4.4 an auto OTA installation?

I can't remember manually updating my OS recently but my handset was running 4.4.4.

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

dquilon — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 14:03:48 GMT

Hello puihungma,

You need to post a screenshot of the Battery Usage screen, both the general one that shows the apps running and draining, AND the detail of the graph that shows Wi-Fi, GPS, Awake time, Screen On, etc...

Without this, our help is very limited since we have no clue of what your device is doing... Even if there are no apps running, the battery usage screen shows you what system component is draining the battery... (Cell Standby, Android System, Google, Android OS, etc)

I had a similar problem the first few days after I got my Z3 Compact and the problem was my Yahoo account configured to the Gmail app, it was endlessly syncing and the phone got warm a lot and the battery didn't last...

Also even if you turn Wi-Fi Off, there is a "feature" that allows Google and other apps to turn it On without your knowing. This so called "feature" is located inside Wi-Fi Settings and then --> Advanced Wi-Fi (in the 3 dots menu). "SCANNING ALWAYS AVAILABLE"

This led my phone to show Wi-Fi always on under Battery Usage even when I had it off.

Finally Location is another tricky setting that even if its Off, Google can access it if you have "Location Reporting" turned on...

My battery gives me about 6 hours of Screen On time with games, browsing, camera etc... I am a heavy user and I find this to be phenomenal. I used to charge my Xperia Acro S twice, sometimes three times a day.

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

monoqoque — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 02:42:11 GMT

Same problem here with my 2 months old z3c.
While battery life was extra ordinary awesome something changed....
Now Even If I am on flight mode or even powered off I'm losing 10% battery per hour.
My phone is powered off and its getting warm and battery is drained !!!
Seriously I'm afraid to have it next to me while I'm sleeping...
Now im on a trip and I can't contact my retailer so I'm doomed until I returned back...
(Not So well spend money sony)

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

puihungma — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 10:34:35 GMT

Well back again!!

They sent me a replacement/refurbished handset about a week after they took it off me and all was well. Took my phone off charge this morning and it's doing it again Lost 9% doing my morning reading, which usually only uses 1-2% and down to 69% already after only 2 & half hours off charge.

Scanning Always Available is not activated.

Here's a couple of screenshots from the handset.

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

RohitTech — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 10:41:33 GMT

Where are the screenshots?

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

Thommo — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 11:50:18 GMT

Screenshots or images have to be approved before they become visible and the images should now be visible as I approved them, We do this because some members leave phone numbers on their images or IMEI numbers and that's just the nice ones

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

puihungma — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 11:12:27 GMT

Had the same arguement with a different guy in the same O2 shop, trying to claim that the phones behaviour was normal. Pretty much shrugged his shoulders and totally dismissed everything I said which has annoyed the **bleep** out of me and may make a complaint to O2 customer services later on.

Helpfully though, I spoke to the call centre of O2 and they agreed that it needed looking at! Since I was sending it back, I decided to hook it up to my laptop and do a full repair/factory restore on it and see how it went.

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

Thommo — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 11:15:17 GMT

I see your wifi was constantly on so I'm thinking something is going on in the background caused by an app - You should try turning off wifi and see how things go

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

puihungma — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 14:11:11 GMT

There are no apps installed, I repaired/restored it, uninstalled/deactivated facebook, G+ and other preinstalled social apps and left it. The only thing I did was to sync my contacts from the G-Mail account. The wifi has been switched on for probably 99% of the time I've had the handset, the same as I have done for each of the iPhones, MotoG and Xperia handsets I've had previously.

If there's something keeping my wifi active, then it's something within the Sony OS that is active. But that wouldn't explain why this occurs all of a sudden, when it had previously given me ample battery life for the month that I've had this handset and the 2ish months I'd had the first one.

I'm not dismissing what you say. But if I'm going to get another Z3C, I really need to identify what is causing the problem as 8-10 hours battery life just isn't acceptable for me. Is there anything that I can install to give a detailed run down of what is using what on the handset? I've heard people mention a couple of apps to do this, but it seems to always involve rooting the handset, which I don't really wnat to do.

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

chrisaaaaa — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 22:14:21 GMT

I had the same kind of nonsense, the trigger was my copying a few GB of music onto the phone. I tracked it down to some kind of indexing issue in media server related to the walkman app.

Unfortunatley walkman is part of the bloatware, but you can disable it and use any other music player.

Now back to about 3% an hour and I do not even need to use stamina mode.

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

puihungma — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 11:22:27 GMT

What music app are you using? I've tried a few but none of them are as user friendly as Walkman or, dare I say, iPhone/Music.

Re: Z3C Battery Drain & Heating

rashekar — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 15:11:53 GMT

Hi,

The problems I'm facing with the battery is exactly the same as faced by my colleagues in distress! But the only difference with my smartphone is that sometimes the battery works (for several weeks) fantastic ie. I charge almost once in every 2 days but sometimes it just drains down to 10% an hour. Unable to understand why this happens..

Right now I have this 10% an hour drain situation.

Can someone really analyse and suggest a foolproof solution? I'll be really grateful.

Thanks,

Shekar