Mobile Battery Power

Mobile Battery Power Overview

There are lots of questions around Battery Power for a Mobile Devices.  

When it comes to a mobile device, Windows Mobile or other, battery power is really limited by 5 things:

1. Processor
2. Screen
3. Radio
4. Hard drive
5. Battery Size / Type

1. The Processor: As we try to get more and more out of Windows Mobile devices, OEMs keep putting in faster and faster processors.  On some devices you'll find that the processors can step up and down power consumption based on usage, however as we move forward we'll generally see faster processors using more power.

2. The Screen:  The Screen on the Device is yet another huge power hog.  The larger the Screen, the more power its going to use and this is something to keep in mind.  With OLED and other low power Screen technologies around the corner OEMS (Hardware Manufactures) should be able to improve battery life on devices. 

3. The Radio: The Radio (Wifi, CDMA, GPRS, EVDO, WiMAX, Bluetooth) causes major battery usage on Windows Mobile devices and its important to understand how quickly a device's battery can run down when these radio's are on.

• Cellular - GPRS, 1XRT, EDGE:  Most phones in the market have utilized this radio for the past few years  and when we look at a device we can use battery life with just the GPRS/1xRT radio as a base line if you want to compare it to other devices. 
• Cellular 3G - EVDO, HSDPA:   While the EVDO (CDMA) radio doesn't put a huge strain on a Device the HSDPA (GSM/UMTS) radio can considerably tax a devices battery.  Many Non-Windows Mobile manufactures haven't released devices that have HSDPA into the market place.  One of the speculated reasons is that HSDPA radios have an adverse effect on battery life and this is a major concern with current battery technology.  On the other hand with many Windows Mobile devices there are ways to turn off the high speed HSDPA radio. Disabling the HSDPA radio will improve battery life but it will also make you lose the functionality of the high speed radio.  This doesn't really effect the device if you are just using it for Activesync (Mail Sync) but if you are browsing the web or using your device as a modem for you PC then you'll want to make sure you don't disable the HSDPA Radio
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth is yet another Radio on the device that can affect battery performance.  While Bluetooth doesn't hit battery performance has heavily as perhaps an HSDPA Radio or a Wi-Fi connection it does impact how long the battery lasts. 
• Wi-Fi: The Wi-Fi Radio is perhaps the most power hungry radio found commonly on a Windows Mobile device.  For Customers running LOB applications with ruggedized devices the battery is normally big enough to handle all day usage of the WiFi Radio, however if we try to use the Wi-Fi radio on one of the consumer devices you're going to end up with battery life that will probably not meet a user's needs.
• Wi-Max: Wi-Max is something we've yet to find in any Mobile Device that are generally available however the battery consumption from a Wi-Max device is extremely high.  While I've yet to do side by side comparisons, some have found that a Wi-Max radio can use more battery than a Wi-Fi radio.  Now Wi-Max is still in its very early stages so the Radio Battery consumption can be drastically improved.

4. The Hard Drive: While Few devices include a hard-drive, due to its moving parts a hard-drive consumes a considerable amount of power and can dramatically affect your battery life.

5. Battery Size / Type:  The battery size will directly impact how long the battery lasts.   Today with devices getting smaller the battery size also shrinks and its something to keep in mind when purchasing a device.

If all you are using on your Windows Mobile device is the Cellular GPRS/EDGE radio then you should also expect a pretty long battery life.  I've used both the Nokia and the HTC Diamnond2 with only GPRS/EDGE Radio enabled and I've gotten 2+ Days of battery life.  The Same device with 3G(HSDPA) had battery life that was considerably shorter.  When I left Wi-Fi on I got about half a day.   Now its important to keep in mind as you start turning on more and more radios it's going to impact your battery life.  Most non Windows Mobile devices don't have any of these advanced radios so their batteries last much longer.  It’s key to keep this in mind when you compare and contrast the device you are purchasing.

So more advanced your mobile device the higher you're battery usage;  in the end the enterprise or user will have the weigh the pro's of the the new advanced radios on a device with the battery performance. 

Real life Windows Phone 7 vs iPhone 4 speed test

The test looks very interesting.

Microsoft has launched a number of ads showing how much faster Windows Phone 7 is in completing real life tasks than other smartphones.
Phillip Bach, a Microsoft Student Partner from Santa Clara University put the claims to test on video, pairing his Samsung Focus with a friend’s iPhone 4.
The task was to complete the following list as fast as possible:
1. Take a Picture
2. Upload Picture to Facebook with Caption (“Check out my new hat!”)
3. Update Status (“I love weekends!”)
4. Find Directions to a Restaurant (Olive Garden)
5. Get Movie Times (“Fast Five”)
With both phones connected to WIFI the Windows Phone beat the iPhone by about 10 seconds.

How to fix a wet cell phone and prevent water damage

It is seen that many will drop their mobile phone in water like pool and the cell phone that was in your pocket got wet. Or maybe you dropped your mobile in pool. Unless you own a water proof cell phone, you’ll want to know exactly how to dry out a wet cell phone, because you might still be able to repair it.

1. Remove the battery. This is the most important part! Damage in wet electronic devices mostly comes from short circuits. Removing the battery quickly will prevent electricity from further damaging the phone. Resist the temptation to test the phone while it is still wet!

2. Remove the SIM card (if applicable). The SIM card should have survived, but make sure you don’t use it again until it has dried completely.

3. Disassemble the phone. Use the required screwdrivers to disassemble the phone as much as you can. Note that disassembling the phone will probably void your warranty, but then so will dropping the phone in water. You’ve got nothing to lose. The reason for the disassembly is simple: the phone will dry up much faster once it is disassembled. You could skip this step, but water can remain inside the phone for weeks if you don’t do it.

4. Dry the phone as much as possible using q-tips or paper towels or a similar material. This will prevent water from getting further into the phone. Two ideas to help with the drying:

§  Heat the phone. Heat will help water evaporate. Leaving the phone under a desk lamp for 24 or 48 hours might help.WARNING: Do not overheat! Just a little warmth is enough. Heating the phone too much can further increase the damage done to it.

§  Use a fan. Leave the phone under a desk fan for 24 or 48 hours.

5. Test the phone. After a few days (usually two or three), the phone should be clean and dry. Reassemble the phone and put the SIM card and battery pack back in. If it doesn’t work, there is a chance your battery has died from water damage. Try an alternative power source. You can get another battery for cheap if your phone still works.

As always, be very careful when disassembling electronic devices. Know you warranties and insurances well before attempting anything, and make sure you note how to reassemble the phone. Repair a wet cell phone at your own risks.

Hopefully, you will manage to save your wet cell phone from drowning!

CDMA vs. GSM: Breakdown of the technologies

Are you looking to what is CDMA vs. GSM, the two major telecommunication standards that are used by the cellular networks worldwide?

It can be a hard choice to choose between CDMA vs. GSM, as both have their own advantages. When in the hunt for a cell phone carrier, you may have to figure out which of these two technologies is the best for you and hopefully this article will shed some light on the whole CDMA vs. GSM issue.

CDMA vs. GSM: Breakdown of the technologies

The Origins of CDMA and GSM

CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access is a technology developed by Qualcomm in the United States, and it is currently the dominant network standard in North America.

GSM: Global System for Mobile communications was invented in 1987 by the GSM Association, an international organization dedicated to developing this standard worldwide.

CDMA was established earlier in North America and thus has a bit more coverage than GSM. GSM on the other hand is an international standard backed by an international organization and the protocol is a more mature and thus more robust. There is no clear winner in the CDMA vs. GSM debate here; it all depends on your needs.

 

Coverage of CDMA vs. GSM

CDMA: It is mostly used in America and some parts of Asia. It is currently making progress in other parts of the world, but the coverage is still limited compared to the GSM technology. Its support is currently non-existent in Europe because the European Union mandates the sole use of GSM. In North America however, CDMA generally offers a better coverage than GSM in some rural areas because it was deployed earlier. Its network reaches over 270 million users worldwide.

GSM: Being an international standard, it is better suited for international roaming, provided you own a quad-band cell phone (850/900/1800/1900 MHz). The GSM network is also well established in North America, but not as much as the CDMA network yet. Its network reaches over a billion users worldwide.

CDMA is prominent in North America, but GSM reaches a lot more users worldwide (about 1 billion vs 270 million). In the CDMA vs. GSM debate, GSM wins if you plan to travel to foreign countries but CDMA might have a better coverage in your area.

 

Data transfer

CDMA: The best data transfer technology it has to offer is the EVDO technology, allowing for a maximum download speed of about 2mb/s (about 700kbps in practice), which is similar to what a DSL line has to offer. EVDO is not available everywhere yet and requires a cell phone that is EVDO ready.

GSM: Offers EDGE, allowing for a maximum download speed of 384kbps (around 140kbps in practice). More technologies are being developed on top of EDGE such as HSDPA to boost the transfer rate to over 384kbps in practice. This technology requires an EDGE-ready cell phone.

CDMA offers faster data download and would therefore be the favoured choice for data transfer. GSM is catching up fast however, but its EDGE technology is subject to interferences.

 

Phone Identification (SIM cards)

CDMA: Your account information is programmed into your cellular phone. If you want to change your phone, you have to contact your carrier and have them reprogram your new phone. You will also need to re-enter your contact list and calendar information into your new phone. If you have a lot of contacts, your carrier might be able to help you perform this task. Some CDMA2000 cell phones support R-UIM cards (Removable User Identity Module) which are used to store account information and contact lists, but these are not very common in North America yet.

GSM: Your account information along with your contact list and other personal data are stored on a SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module). It is a small chip you can freely remove from your phone. When you get a new mobile device, you can simply insert your SIM card into it and it will work with your current account information and contact list. If you travel to another country, it might even be possible to purchase a prepaid SIM card which you can use to avoid roaming fees.

GSM is a clear winner here. The SIM card technology offers many advantages if you plan to travel or switch phone often.  CDMA phones are slowly catching up with R-UIM cards, but cell phones that make use of this technology as still rare.

Which technology is the best for me?

When asking yourself which technology to choose between CDMA vs. GSM, first ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is international roaming important to me? If you travel a lot to foreign countries, you might want to opt for a GSM phone for a better coverage.

2. Am I going to transfer a lot of data using the phone? If you intend to use the phone for mobile web browsing, watching television or downloading MP3s, you might be better off with a CDMA phone. Currently, it offers the best data transfer speed with its EVDO technology and is the clear winner for now.

3. Do I plan to change phone often? If you do, a GSM phone is best for you since you can swap the SIM card to a new device without having to re-enter your personal data.

Once you have established your basic needs, compare CDMA and GSM signals in your region. Also compare the carriers offering both services in your area. Talk to your friends and colleagues and ask them if they are satisfied with their cell phone carrier and how good their signal is. Remember, when choosing between CDMA vs. GSM, preferring a network technology over another also means limiting your choice in carriers.

Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)

Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)

Many of us don't know what a SIM card is all about. So here I tried to explain that is very simple words.


A Subscriber Identity Module or Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) is an integrated circuit which securely stores the service-subscriber key (IMSI) used to identify a subscriber on mobile telephony devices (such as mobile phones and computers).

A SIM is held on a removable SIM card, which can be transferred between different mobile devices. SIM cards were first made the same size as a credit card (85.60 mm × 53.98 mm × 0.76 mm). The development of physically smaller mobile devices prompted the development of a smaller SIM card, the mini-SIM card. Mini-SIM cards have the same thickness as full-size cards, but their length and width are reduced to 25 mm × 15 mm.

A SIM card contains its unique serial number (ICCID), internationally unique number of the mobile user (IMSI), security authentication and ciphering information, temporary information related to the local network, a list of the services the user has access to and two passwords (PIN for usual use and PUK for unlocking).

3G and 4G Mobile Bandwidth

The Internet long escaped the desktop and moved onto the mobile phone. The problem is that it has been following a similar learning curve that took us from 300 baud telephone modems to DSL & Cable broadband and now to high speed wireless and fiber optic service. Mobile bandwidth is undergoing a steady evolution, with the demand for higher and higher speeds pushing the technology. Let’s have a look at what’s available and what’s coming soon.

The benchmark today is 3G wireless. This service offers somewhere between 500 Kbps and 1.5 Mbps and is owned and operated by the cellular carriers. The same company that sells you your cell phone minutes also sells you 3G wireless Internet access. The signals come from the same towers, so if you are in a dead spot for phone reception you won’t be surfing the Web or watching videos either.

The 3G build-out has been proceeding at something of a panic level, especially since the introduction of the Apple iPhone. The first iPhone used the AT&T EDGE network, which is actually called a 2.5G network. That means it has considerably less bandwidth than the newer HSPA or High Speed Packet Access 3G network, perhaps as little as a tenth as much. HSPA is offered by GSM carriers AT&T and T-Mobile and is also known as HSUPA.

In India 3G service is provided by the Leader BSNL. In USA competing 3G service is also offered by CDMA carriers Verizon and Sprint using a different technology. Theirs is known as EV-DO and EV-DO Rev A. Download bandwidths are in the range of 1 to 2 Mbps, depending on signal conditions.

Note that 2.5G and 3G cellular broadband not only gives cell phones the ability to download videos and surf the Web but also gives you the option of adding 3G to your laptop computer. The functionality is added using a plug-in wireless modem aircard. These are sold with data-only service plans, since they don’t work as telephones. The aircard and wireless service has been a boon to field sales people who don’t always have the ability to set up shop within a WiFi hotspot.

The newest service on the market is called 4G mobile bandwidth. Right now the run away leader is the WiMAX service offered by Clearwire and Sprint under the CLEAR trademark. WiMAX is yet another wireless standard, albeit a global one not associated with the cellular phone system. WiMAX offers a powerful signal that covers an entire city. It’s strong enough to penetrate buildings so that you can have the same WiMAX broadband on your desktop and laptop computers. Download bandwidth typically ranges between 3 and 6 Mbps, considerably faster than 3G networks.

Mobile Connectivity Technologies

Mobile Connectivity Methods/Technologies

While an acronym sometimes is techno babble the layperson needn’t master, others are important for everyday cell phone understanding.

Though the jargon 1G, 2G, 2.5 and 4G might not have ever popped into your head, 3G very likely has given today’s emphasis on high-speed data usage from your mobile phone.

But what’s different between these technologies and how do they impact you? This article will help you understand the differences between 1G vs. 2G vs. 2.5G vs. 3G vs. 4G.

What is 1G:
Remember analog “brick phones” and “bag phones” way, way back in the day? Cell phones began with 1G. First 1G service was based on a TDM voice infrastructure -- built around class x switches and 64 kbps slots. It had data, but circuit switched over a 64Kpbs voice bearer. 

Now 2G (The Present World?):

Second Generation (2G) Cell Phones received their first major upgrade when they went from 1G to 2G. This leap effectively took cell phones from analog to digital. 2G service had the same switched TDM backbone, but added a true Data Bearer and a digital voice bearer. Data rates were still limited to the max 64kbps of a single time slot.

2.5G added a packet bearer to the mix, still limited to 64kbps slots. Before making the major leap from 2G to 3G wireless networks, the lesser-known 2.5G was an interim standard that bridged the gap.

Now 3G:

Following 2.5G, 3G ushered in faster data-transmission speeds so you could use your cell phone in more data-demanding ways. This has meant streaming video (i.e. movie trailers and television), audio and much more. Cell phone companies today are spending a lot of money to brand to you the importance of their 3G network. Starting with BSNL in India starting in India for giving 3G over mobile is a good move.

Third generation (3G) changed the backbone slightly to allow a full T1 or E1 or J1 to be consumed by a data sub-scriber, but is still based on an ISDN style backbone. Sure you have packet switched data, but its carried over a traditional TDM backbone. There still a circuit voice backbone and while the data rates are high enough for VoIP, the latency of the data service is to great to base all of the "bearer services" on it, so you still have circuit voice, circuit data and packet data bearers. 

Next 4G:
No technology would be complete without a looming upgrade for tomorrow. What’s on the horizon for 4G, what improvements will it bring “beyond 3G” and when might we expect 4G to go live? Finally, 4G systems will utilize a packet infrastructure rather than a traditional telephone architecture. Services will be horizontally layered on top of a proper low latency, QoS enabled packet switch (read IP) infrastructure. Gone will be the circuit voice and circuit data bearers. 

Now when 4G is starting its rays in USA we need to see when we will get this in country like India.

So "G" has more to do with the infra-structure and less to do with the data rates. The data rates over the air are driven by the organization of the infrastructure and other than that have little to do with what generation they are.

Windows Mobile 6.5 vs. Windows Mobile 6.5.3 vs. Windows Phone 7

	Windows Mobile 6.5	Windows Mobile 6.5.3	Windows Phone 7
Windows CE kernel	5.2	5.2	6.0 / 7.0?
Minimum resolution	None	None	WVGA
Skinnable Theme	Yes	Yes	No
Finger-friendly	No	Some  what	Yes
Multitouch	No	Basic	Yes
Capacitive touchscreen	No	Yes	Yes
Stylus	Required	Optional	None
Touchscreen keyboard	Unfriendly	Finger-friendly	Finger-friendly
Required buttons	Start	Start	Start, Back, Search
Style of application	Normal	Normal	Task hubs
Pane switching	Tabs	Swipe	“Pivot”
Browser	IE Mobile 6	IE Mobile 6	New, still IE-based
Zune integration	No	No	Yes
Xbox integration	No	No	Yes
Social networking	Apps / Skins	Apps / Skins	Built-in

As you can see, Windows Phone Series 7 improves and adds a lot of things that the two previous Windows Mobile operating systems did not provide. Things such as Zune and Xbox integration, a new browser and fully capable multi-touch functionality. It also removes things several major stuffs such as Smart Dialing (one of my favorite in WinMo), Copy Paste, Expanding Storage, Skinnable theme and many more. However, if you were to look at the user interface of WIndows Phone 7 Series, you can tell why Microsoft did not include the skinnable theme as a feature. Now we have several devices from venders like HTC, Samsung, LG and Dell etc are major player and Nokia will start soon.

Android 3.0 - The Honeycomb

Android 3.0 - Google's powerful new Honeycomb is out now, and it's a stunner. It is released only for the Motorola Xoom tablet so far, the new operating system, which started life on Android smartphones but is now formatted for the larger touchscreen, will eventually make its way onto the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 as well as other tablets from big manufacturers like Acer, HTC, Dell, Asus, LG, MSI and Toshiba. Google's improved operating system boasts a number of upgrades that could give the iPad 2's operating system, iOS 4.3, a run for its money.

Android Tops Mobile Phone OS

Rising Popularity Of Android
According to a several report, Google’s Android OS has become the top mobile phone operating system used by smartphones in the United States while Samsung, LG and Motorola remained the top mobile phone original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). As per the report, Android finished at 31.2% for the month of January while RIM grabbed the second spot with a market share of 30.4%.

It is to be noted that popularity of Android has been rising slowly with several smartphone makers rolling out handsets using the Android platform.

It is no strange that Android handsets have witnessed increased popularity in the last couple of years. Not only in cell phones, but Android OS has made inroads in netbook and the tablet market too. Android phones rolled out by Motorola, HTC, Samsung etc are high in demand. But the question is what are the reasons behind the popularity of Android?


Factors Pushing Growth Of Android
There are several reasons accredited to the growth of Android OS. Some of the vital factors bolstering Android’s growth are

Cost Effective
Android boasts of simple user interface and a relatively low development cost as compared to other mobile OS gives Android an edge over its counterparts. At the same time it can be used for powering various cell phone models which tilts the favor in its balance.

Presence of Multiple Apps
One of the great advantages of Android is its capacity to run several applications simultaneously. Android gives users the freedom to listen to music, receive notifications etc without keeping application open. At the same times users can download their favorite apps from the Android market.

But fragmentation and vulnerability to malware attacks still remains the major roadblock for Android. To become number one mobile OS, Google needs to address these issues. With several mobile phone manufacturers focusing on the Android platform, the OS is expected to further blossom in coming days.