Mobile phone battery - advice please

Bogof_Babe

I'm going away by train for a couple of days soon, so luggage must be kept to a minimum. Therefore I don't want to take my phone charger.

A group of us are meeting up, from various parts of the country, and we will need to make arrangements during the weekend.

Here's the question - which is lighter on battery use - a text or a short (say 30 seconds) call? And is it easier on the battery to receive the call than it is to make it?

Hoping for some advice, as I really don't want the extra weight, but neither do I want my battery to run out while I'm away.

IvanOpinion

What size of a charger do you have? My charger is the same size as a standard 13amp plug with a wire hanging out of it ... and I usually throw it in the toiletry bag (it only weighs a few grams)

Ivan

Bogof_Babe

Mine's about that size, but certainly weighs more than a few grams. It's a fairly old phone (by the rate these things change nowadays - no flip-cover, no photos etc.). There is a travel charger available (or was, when they printed the instrucs booklet) but I don't want to invest in one just for one occasion, and it wasn't much smaller tbh.

My toiletries bag is another matter! And then there's my hair dryer, slippers, nightwear, several changes of clothing, smart shoes/boots, reading matter, snacks, cartons of juice, camera...

I have the luggage needs of a celebrity, with the weight carrying capacity of a gnat :rotfl: .

Edit: I decant all my toiletries into tiny bottles just enough for the trip, but somehow I still fill the bag and then some .

Marmiter

Keep the phone on silent but not vibrate, this will help conserve energy.

Fifer

Here's the question - which is lighter on battery use - a text or a short (say 30 seconds) call?

Probably a text as it doesn't take long to transmit digital data.

And is it easier on the battery to receive the call than it is to make it?

For texts it's probably about the same. Sending a text will take marginally more power than receiving one but it's probably balanced by the power used ringing the alert to tell you a text's arrived. For voice, the power used will be the about same as calls are duplex (ie, transmit and receive so you can both talk and listen) but receiving the call again will use a little power ringing the alert. There's honestly probably not much in it.

arkonite_babe

Bogof Babe

I'm going to move your post to the mobile board, I think you'll get more specific replies there.

Hope you don't mind

a_b

Bogof_Babe

Not at all, Arkonite_babe (woohoo two babes on the same thread ). I nearly posted it there in the first instance, but thought as it isn't really to do with money saving (except for the few pence to recharge the battery) then it might be in the wrong place! Doh!

Anyway I've now had a lovely helpful reply from Fifer, so you wus right all along! :T

Edinburghlass_2

Might help if you say which phone it is then someone might be able to say how long the battery should last under certain conditions.

Bogof_Babe

It's a Nokia 5210 - the one with the rubber coating. I just posted a piccie but it was huuuuge so I've deleted it.

Woby_Tide

will also depend on where you intend using it, the further away from a mast you are the more power the phone uses to keep in contact with the signal, so a short burst of text data a long way will probably use less than a call to a mast a long distance away i.e. if you are away in London won't be much of an issue, in remote areas potentially is an issue

would either just take the charger if it's that much of an issue, you'll only have it on the journeys, just leave it where you are staying when you don't need it, or buy an emergency charger that you use on a keyring and keep it in a purse

(that said a 5210 has a quoted battery life of up to 170hrs and nearly 4 hours talk time, should survive a couple of days no problems)

drahcir_2

maybe you could borrow a spare battery (ready charged) as these are the same as some other nokias like 8210 8850 8910 etc, or even buy a spare, only about £5 at the market and you will prob find it lasts longer with a charge than yours anyway as its newer