Android Google Nexus 7 runs out of battery... Tips?

[zeello]

Google Nexus 7 first gen.
When playing Magic 2014 the battery drains even while charging...
I'm trying to find ways to keep the battery from running out so quickly.
I already disabled bluetooth and auto brightness, and lowered screen brightness.

Here are my other ideas:
- disable wifi
- download a battery-lengthening app (I think I will go with "GO Battery Saver &Power Widget")

Though I am wondering if multiple users causes the system to drain battery more quickly. I sure hope not.

By the way I am new to android.. is Force Stop the only way to manually close apps or is there another way?

 

[Zerousen]

Those GO apps will most likely do you more bad than good, they tend to be RAM hogs. Are you using the stock power adapter and cable?

 

[zeello]

Are you using the stock power adapter and cable?

I am using the original cable (at least I'm pretty sure it is) but not the original adapter. I am using an Apple adapter in its place.

 

[Zerousen]

I am using the original cable (at least I'm pretty sure it is) but not the original adapter. I am using an Apple adapter in its place.

Are you using the power adapter that comes with iPhones and iPods? If so, the reason why you aren't charging fast enough is because your power adapter is only 5W, while the default ASUS power adapter is 10W. Basically, you are charging at half of the speed than what you should be charging at with the original adapter.

 

[zeello]

I just took a look at that Apple power adapter, and it says it's a 10W USB power adapter!

but I did see this so maybe it is a knockoff:
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-iPad-Power-Adapter-A1357/dp/016642966X

That said, I will use the original adapter, I might as well use it just in case it makes a difference.
I don't have it on me right now though. x(

Anyway, I will avoid those battery-saving apps as per your advice.
(But maybe I will get an app or something that puts wifi switch on the home screen..)

 

[Mark McDonut]

Disabling Wifi is a great power conserver, but a lot of those battery lengthening apps are just reporters of what you're using most, you may need to root your device (the one I have came pre-rooted)but what you're interested in is a CPU governor, I use "no-frills cpu control" on my android tablet and set it to minimum 96 mhz and maximum 1ghz (my tablet can do up to 1.5 ghz and has a dual core) and I get a good handful of hours out of it between charges.

as far as closing your apps, it depends on your layout, but you can probably press the icon in the android bottom bar that looks like two rectangles, and when thumbnails of running apps pops up, press and hold each thumbnail and choose "remove from list" when it pops up, this closes it gracefully instead of force stopping, which is kind of like killing it in task manager in windows vs. closing normally.

 

[Chocolina]

Can someone tell me if I need a specific type of charger to take advantage of Qualcomm's Quickcharge 2.0?

 

[zeello]

Just posting to say that I got the Asus charger and tried it out, and it works like a god. I opened up Magic 2014 and spent a couple of minutes in it, and when I was done the battery was actually at a higher percentage than when I started, which never happened before. Now this tablet is officially awesome!

Though, part of me is wondering why the official charger made such a humongous difference. In fact I recently ordered a USB cable for DSi/3DS, but now I don't know which charger I will use with it. (I have three: an Asus, an Apple, and a Logitech) I assumed they were all the same but looks like I was dead wrong.

But anyway, I'm glad I got this thing sorted out. Thanks for the help.

as far as closing your apps, it depends on your layout, but you can probably press the icon in the android bottom bar that looks like two rectangles, and when thumbnails of running apps pops up, press and hold each thumbnail and choose "remove from list" when it pops up, this closes it gracefully instead of force stopping, which is kind of like killing it in task manager in windows vs. closing normally.

Thanks... The wording "remove from list" is what threw me off.. it didn't really sound like a way of closing it.
But now I know.

 

[Mark McDonut]

Yeah I agree it's kind of phrased ambiguously, glad I could help

 

[zeello]

Are you using the power adapter that comes with iPhones and iPods? If so, the reason why you aren't charging fast enough is because your power adapter is only 5W, while the default ASUS power adapter is 10W. Basically, you are charging at half of the speed than what you should be charging at with the original adapter.

I'm writing down the values shown on each adapter:
5.1V===2.1A (Apple 10W USB charger)
5.0V===2.0A (Asus)
5.15===,1A (Logicool)

And the Apple one feels the heaviest.
I dunno.. Maybe the Asus one is just magic. Or it is rigged to work better with the Nexus somehow.. Maybe it can tell whether the Nexus is powered on or not, and provides more juice if it is.

 

[Zerousen]

I'm writing down the values shown on each adapter:
5.1V===2.1A (Apple 10W USB charger)
5.0V===2.0A (Asus)
5.15===,1A (Logicool)

And the Apple one feels the heaviest.
I dunno.. Maybe the Asus one is just magic. Or it is rigged to work better with the Nexus somehow.. Maybe it can tell whether the Nexus is powered on or not, and provides more juice if it is.

Hmm, was it just Magic draining battery whilst charging or other games as well? I don't normally game on my tablet, just read or browse reddit, so battery drain was never a real issue for me. I don't think the problem are your charging adapters themselves, as they seem just fine. I'm guessing that since you're gaming the CPU is constantly running at a higher clockrate.

 

[zeello]

Hmm, was it just Magic draining battery whilst charging or other games as well?

I thought it was Magic 2014, but in fact the battery drained no matter what I was doing. Cable was plugged in, the charging icon shows (and it says "charging" in battery settings) but the percentage goes down.

 

[Zerousen]

I thought it was Magic 2014, but in fact the battery drained no matter what I was doing. Cable was plugged in, the charging icon shows (and it says "charging" in battery settings) but the percentage goes down.

And the only way it would charge is if it is powered off?

 

[zeello]

And the only way it would charge is if it is powered off?

It charged while powered off, and I think it charged in sleep mode as well.

 

[Crisp Cookie]

Change your brightness of your screen, it helps me.