Route tracking zapping battery on iPhone 4s

iDad
iDad Posts: 68
edited June 2013 in MTB general
What route tracking app for MTB riding?

I’ve been using MapMyRide for some time now and this last weekend I managed to run the battery down on my iPhone during a ride of a little over 4,1/2hrs. I realise the GPS really zaps battery life so I’m wondering it they all do the same?
I’ve a 75K MTB marathon coming up that I’d like to track so I can post to my sponsorship page later to show the course details and I’m pretty concerned the battery wont last long enough.

I’ve heard Strava mentioned….what other App would be worth trying out to get better battery life. Or do you have any tips for improving battery life on the iPhone

iPhone 4S

Comments

  • Daz555
    Daz555 Posts: 3,976
    Strava is great but more generally (I don't use map my ride) can you ride with data turned off and then upload later? If so this will save you some battery on the route.

    I have no issues with battery on Strava on Android.
    You only need two tools: WD40 and Duck Tape.
    If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40.
    If it shouldn't move and does, use the tape.
  • felix.london
    felix.london Posts: 4,067
    for your long ride turn off 3G, Wifi & Bluetooth and whack the screen brightness right down (and close down all apps except your route tracker). Should easily get a full day with just 2G and GPS running.

    Or get a proper phone where you can swap batteries :wink:
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  • tudj
    tudj Posts: 254
    edited June 2013
    The iPhone has notorious bad battery life.

    The only real solution (short of a new phone) is to use something like this:

    http://www.mophie.com/mophie-juice-pack ... p4-blk.htm

    No idea if that particular one is any good, it was the first result on Google.
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  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    What I phone is it? I did a 4 hr ride the other day using strava on a iphone 4 and I only used 1/2 the battery life
  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    Use a gpx logger instead. I had the same problem on my WP7 phone, but a logger didnt sap as much juice.
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • The Northern Monkey
    The Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    welshkev wrote:
    What I phone is it?
    Lol, Kev..


    Re: Route tracking zapping battery on iPhone 4s
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    The Northern Monkey wrote:
    welshkev wrote:
    What I phone is it?
    Lol, Kev..


    Re: Route tracking zapping battery on iPhone 4s

    Doh, I'll get my coat........ :oops:
  • mcnultycop
    mcnultycop Posts: 2,143
    Strava is fine on my iPhone 5, but I only use it if I forget the Garmin Forerunner.
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  • bowden769
    bowden769 Posts: 143
    You think battery life on the 4s is bad wanna get Samsung galaxy s3 tis absolutely shocking mine barely lasts a day :-(
  • Daz555
    Daz555 Posts: 3,976
    bowden769 wrote:
    You think battery life on the 4s is bad wanna get Samsung galaxy s3 tis absolutely shocking mine barely lasts a day :-(
    The screen is a hungry beast but I have no issues wityh my battery life. Perhaps you have a rogue process eating up battery in the background. There are some apps on Play which can help you hunt them down.

    My S3 lasts for hours and hours tracking rides - even with data enabled, so for Strava at least it does the job.
    You only need two tools: WD40 and Duck Tape.
    If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40.
    If it shouldn't move and does, use the tape.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    bowden769 wrote:
    You think battery life on the 4s is bad wanna get Samsung galaxy s3 tis absolutely shocking mine barely lasts a day :-(
    Depends what you have running, in the UK my S3 battery lasts about 36 hours before going into battery protect mode when it will then complete the second day, overseas with all the smartphone stuff turned off it lasts a week.

    My S3 will do a 3hr ride at the end of a normal day without turning anything off.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • jairaj
    jairaj Posts: 3,009
    Can you change the interval the GPS will track your position on that app?

    Turning down the frequency it checks your position will save battery but at the expense of accuracy. But its just for tracking a ride and not for finding out where you are shouldn't be a problem.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Receiving takes next to no power, it's transmitting or the screen that does that.....
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • YeehaaMcgee
    YeehaaMcgee Posts: 5,740
    Daz555 wrote:
    Perhaps you have a rogue process eating up battery in the background. There are some apps on Play which can help you hunt them down.
    My S3 lasts for hours and hours tracking rides - even with data enabled, so for Strava at least it does the job.
    Install an app to shut down other apps. This is the world we live in - fukkinstupid :evil:
    I've never seen an S3 under normal use, last more than a working day.

    Anyhoooo...
    felix.london wrote:
    for your long ride turn off 3G, Wifi & Bluetooth
    ^^This can make a massive difference. Not sure on the exact details of what you can and can't enable/disable on a iPhone, but if you turn off data, 3G, Wifi and Bluetooth, you should have a phone that will last about 5 days. Or about 2 days tracking GPS.
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