Does Using SmartPhone as Hotspot Ruin Battery?

johnwalkerpa1 wrote:

2oldman wrote:
You are being BSed.

Agreed...they must teach that line in Verizon Sales School...I've heard it said more than once...usually when they want me to add another device to my plan...

It IS true that a tethered phone will use battery faster than non tethered but it won't ruin it...I equate it to how the battery on the phone goes down faster when you are in an area with no or weak signal and the phone is searching...it is about the same..

And even if battery life is somewhat reduced, you can buy genuine replacement batteries on Amazon at very low prices. They're only expensive when you buy them from Verizon.

docj wrote:

dclark1946 wrote:

So I researched that and it appears the you have to select advanced calling feature and also some cell towers don't support both data and voice at the same time. I got this from the Android forum. Did you have to do anything special to provide this capability?

Dick

You have to be using 4G for this to work, but that's not much of a limitation these days. I don't make any settings changes on the phone nor have I ever encountered a tower for which this didn't work.

Until 4G was introduced only some Verizon phones with dual radios (mostly made by HTC, I believe) were capable of this. Once 4G was available virtually all Androids could handle simultaneous voice and data, but iPhones could not. I believe it was the iPhone 5 that became the first of that series to be able to do it.

It's not a matter of doing research to find out the answer, just ask anyone who's been doing it for ~4 years and you'll discover it's true.

X2. Been doing it at least 4 yrs.

2oldman wrote:
You are being BSed.

Agreed...they must teach that line in Verizon Sales School...I've heard it said more than once...usually when they want me to add another device to my plan...

It IS true that a tethered phone will use battery faster than non tethered but it won't ruin it...I equate it to how the battery on the phone goes down faster when you are in an area with no or weak signal and the phone is searching...it is about the same..

dclark1946 wrote:

So I researched that and it appears the you have to select advanced calling feature and also some cell towers don't support both data and voice at the same time. I got this from the Android forum. Did you have to do anything special to provide this capability?

Dick

You have to be using 4G for this to work, but that's not much of a limitation these days. I don't make any settings changes on the phone nor have I ever encountered a tower for which this didn't work.

Until 4G was introduced only some Verizon phones with dual radios (mostly made by HTC, I believe) were capable of this. Once 4G was available virtually all Androids could handle simultaneous voice and data, but iPhones could not. I believe it was the iPhone 5 that became the first of that series to be able to do it.

It's not a matter of doing research to find out the answer, just ask anyone who's been doing it for ~4 years and you'll discover it's true.

dclark1946 wrote:

docj wrote:

dclark1946 wrote:
(unlike AT&T)you can not use your phone for any other purpose if you are using it as a hot spot.

With all due respect this hasn't been true for quite a while for most Verizon phones. Android 4G phones have always been able to handle simultaneous voice and data and newer iPhones can also. We have two Galaxy S4's and use both of them as hotspots. That way when one of us leaves and takes a phone, the other person still has phone and data capability.

So I researched that and it appears the you have to select advanced calling feature and also some cell towers don't support both data and voice at the same time. I got this from the Android forum. Did you have to do anything special to provide this capability?

Dick

my phones have done voice and internet for at least 4 yrs
starting with the thunder bolt
then the Nexus
and now the S4

deltabravo wrote:

96Bounder30E wrote:
Yes...he's BSing you.... It drains the battery but doesn't ruin it

Ditto

Ditto the Ditto

96Bounder30E wrote:
Yes...he's BSing you.... It drains the battery but doesn't ruin it

Ditto

docj wrote:

dclark1946 wrote:
(unlike AT&T)you can not use your phone for any other purpose if you are using it as a hot spot.

With all due respect this hasn't been true for quite a while for most Verizon phones. Android 4G phones have always been able to handle simultaneous voice and data and newer iPhones can also. We have two Galaxy S4's and use both of them as hotspots. That way when one of us leaves and takes a phone, the other person still has phone and data capability.

So I researched that and it appears the you have to select advanced calling feature and also some cell towers don't support both data and voice at the same time. I got this from the Android forum. Did you have to do anything special to provide this capability?

Dick

dclark1946 wrote:
(unlike AT&T)you can not use your phone for any other purpose if you are using it as a hot spot.

With all due respect this hasn't been true for quite a while for most Verizon phones. Android 4G phones have always been able to handle simultaneous voice and data and newer iPhones can also. We have two Galaxy S4's and use both of them as hotspots. That way when one of us leaves and takes a phone, the other person still has phone and data capability.

I will keep my Verizon Jetpack with 5G data plan and my small (250 MB) smart phone data plan. The jet pack can run for many hours on a full charge and with Verizon (unlike AT&T)you can not use your phone for any other purpose if you are using it as a hot spot.

Dick