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Another Galaxy Nexus Custom ROM, Better Battery Life

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A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you all a custom ROM and some modifications that I installed onto my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The mods and the ROM took an awesome phone and made it fabulous. Unfortunately, I get bored easily and when I returned home from CES, after the slept catch up, I decided to change things up.

Before I talk about the new ROM, let me talk about battery life. For the 1st couple of weeks that I used the Galaxy Nexus, I was completely stock. I was getting around 4.5 to 5.5 hours of battery life with moderate to heavy usage. After I switched to the Android Revolution HD ROM, I saw a slight increase in battery life. After switching to this new ROM, I am seeing awesome battery life. I am still using the phone about as rigorously as before and nothing else has changed, so we have to chalk this up to the new ROM.

This look is quite different in some ways than what my other layout looked like. The folders are the same, the lack of Google search bar is the same, the tray icons are the same, but I am using a different clock and some new (but old) is added. Notice the software buttons at the bottom. With the stock ROM and my previous custom ROM, the search button was gone from earlier Android versions. This ROM adds this button and a persistent menu button. This ROM allows you to move all the buttons around as well.

 

The ROM is called Codename Android and I found it over on RootzWiki.

On the left, you can see the details of the ROM and other data and on the right, you can see one of the cooler modifications build right into this ROM. Check out the notification slide down near the top. Switches, including on to turn LTE on/off are part of the notification bar drop down. This allows me to free up some screen real estate using a widget to turn things on/off rapidly.

There are dozens of great mods included in this ROM which eliminate the need to load up 2-3 of the mods I had in place previously to accomplish a single change. This ROM also includes an alternate launcher which allows you to increase your home screen grid as well as remove the persistent Google search bar. I still prefer to use Nova Launcher, which has been updated 4-5 times over the last week.

For all this ROM offers, there is one feature that the author isn’t talking about really. BATTERY LIFE. It might be complete coincidence, but since moving to this ROM, I am getting awesome work days out of the Galaxy Nexus.

I am starting to see battery life like this on a standard battery. I was near dead at this point previously. I don’t have screenshots of other days, but I am getting 10-12 hours on a charge now.

I am not saying that everyone needs to run out and hack their Galaxy Nexus to get better battery life, but if you are into custom ROMs, you might want to give this one a look.

 

24 Comments

24 Comments

  1. GNex

    01/19/2012 at 2:10 am

    CodenameAndroid 1.1.4 with Franco kernal (13) is giving me awesome results.

  2. CHARLESLITTLE

    01/19/2012 at 8:33 am

    clittle30680  Has verizon got anytype of block on this rom

  3. Brkshr

    01/19/2012 at 8:54 am

    Really? Codename is one big kang! He takes AOKP rom and adds mods that other devs make. You should support real developers like kejar31 (GummyNex rom), romanb (AOKP rom, almost identical to codename cuz codename takes his rom ), birdman (rootzboat rom) & pretty much anyone else. Codename is making devs mad by putting their mods into his roms before the original developer can even get them out in their own rom. This proves that this site is not tech savvy & I’ll be ignoring it from now on.

    • Chris Leckness

      01/19/2012 at 9:47 am

      You are free to follow whatever site/sites you wish, but I would urge you to reconsider your choice. This site is full of tech savvy writers. I just happen to not fall into that category. Just ignore the author of this article… me. I found a ROM after trying a half dozen ROMs that I like, I’m using it, and I shared my experience using it with the readers of this site.

      So basically, continue following this site but choose not to read articles written by Chris Leckness. Missing posts by Chuong, Adam, Xavier, Josh, Warner, KTB, Sumocat, Kevin, and Xavier wouldn’t be worth it imo. 

      • Philip A. Kaiser

        01/19/2012 at 3:38 pm

        I will do the opposite and cancel that guy out, I am gonna start reading your posts now. (first time here) I completely agree with exactly what you just posted. I happen to be using codename Android as well. If it is a giant mashup of other people’s ROMS but works so fantastically, maybe the other developers should see this as a sign that they should work together and build better roms as a community instead of acting like individual whiney bitches. Yes, I have seen the bickering online. The reader claims that Codename steals their ideas before they get to incorporate them. Hmmm.. industrial espionage, spying, hacking computers? Or maybe, tweeks are discovered universally as a community but he is quicker to incoorporate them into his rom. Either way, I will follow the guy with the quickest updates and best innovations that I can use, not read about. The whole point of using an unlocked android phone was the idea that you can get the best of everything and stay on the cutting edge of technology. Sounds like Codename Android just puts those ideas and principals into one neat little package… Like the guys that write those “How to  for idiots,” books. Are they bad guys for compiling information into one small package for all to use, although they didn’t write the programs or invent the processes?  Btw, it is not as if these guys are writing code themselves, they are editors, tweeking something that someone else wrote and they are not for profit either, so there are no damages lost. Free for all, open source.

        • Lawrence Brooksher

          01/19/2012 at 7:10 pm

          Basically, no you don’t have to ask for permission to use other devs code.  But, the respectable thing to do between devs, is to ask and contribute.  Codename does neither.  A perfect example is kejar31 and romanb, asking for and sharing mods.  I have seen plenty of the GNex devs ask for and receive code from one another.  Codename gets the mods from the original devs source, that is there for others to contribute to the code and use if desired.  Kejar31 and romanb (and their teams) actually write their own code for most of their mods.  Codename (copy/paste dev) disrespecting the devs (actual coding devs) has already made them change how they post their code.  Not good for the android community!  What happens when codename pushes away/ pisses off the devs that actually code?  Codename won’t have anymore code to copy/paste from.  Then the whole android community loses.  I’m all for everyone sharing code, but do it in a respectable way.  One of the greatest devs, DroidTheory, quit a couple weeks ago because of being disrespected by another dev.  And we all lost big time!

        • Chris Leckness

          01/19/2012 at 7:22 pm

          Thanks for the support. Unfortunately, I don’t have as much time to read through forums as I used to. Back when I ran Aximsite, I was always in forums, but now… not so much. I want to get in, get what I need, and get out. That’s not great for a community, but that’s what I am able to do these days.

      • Brkshr

        01/19/2012 at 6:17 pm

        I may follow your site now (i haven’t before), just because of your open & honest response. Thank you for that! I really appreciate it!

        • Chris Leckness

          01/19/2012 at 7:25 pm

          Awesome. 
          To be even more honest, I have very little idea who is actually developing the ROMs. I just find what works for me and move on. Most of the time, I actually donate 10-20 to them as well. Well, I did for the last 2 ROMs and a couple side loaded app devs. I haven’t been into using ROMs long either. If you click the link in the 1st paragraph in my article, you can read why. 

          I can understand your concern about the developer of the ROM I showcased here. I was unaware of the friction. Thanks for the heads up.

      • m4nc1n1

        01/24/2012 at 6:49 am

        This ROM is fantastic and I tried them all. Thanks for the heads up!

    • m4nc1n1

      01/24/2012 at 6:39 am

      what a douche lol. Oh and rootzboat rom for the Gnex sucks a$$ btw. Go buy an iPhone little boy.

      • Joebiden

        04/30/2012 at 3:35 pm

        Trolllollo

    • Shayes Says

      03/08/2012 at 1:12 pm

      I agree kejar and roman, and everyone on team kang are the real devs. gummy has always been my fav rom, from the droid x, to now the galaxy nexus.

  4. mgoblue

    01/19/2012 at 9:45 am

    What is the name of that clock widget?

    • Chris Leckness

      01/19/2012 at 9:49 am

      It’s called One More Clock and the theme of the clock is called Ice Lock,

  5. Anonymous

    01/23/2012 at 5:52 am

    Wow, that’s pretty poor battery life.  I’ve seen 2 days on a charge using the GSM model.  

    • m4nc1n1

      01/24/2012 at 6:48 am

      any model GSM will get better battery life then a CDMA i am sorry to say. Even the iPhone on AT&T gets better battery than the one on Verizon.

  6. John Weathers2

    01/24/2012 at 2:40 pm

    What is the wallpaper you are using?

    • Chris Leckness

      01/24/2012 at 5:18 pm

      I am not sure what it’s called, but hit me up via email (chris(at)notebooks.com) and I will send it to you tomorrow.

  7. Bill Bolyard

    02/07/2012 at 9:23 pm

    I just rooted my Verizon GSM using Codename Android 1.3.0 and added Nova Launcher as Chris did.  I added a WIFI tether to use with my Asus Transformer.  I usually begin each day with two charged batteries in my pocket.  I hope the better battery life will help me as I am always listening to internet radio and usually get less than 4 hours per battery.  If it hadn’t been for Chris I would still be running a stock GSM.  It took a good article to get me to become a rooter… Thanks Chris

    • Chris Leckness

      04/01/2012 at 8:24 pm

      I just changed ROMs this weekend. Nothing wrong with codename, but I just wanted to change things up. A new post and video going up tonight.

  8. Shayes Says

    03/08/2012 at 1:10 pm

    I tested 9 popular roms for the LTE galaxy nexus and compared the battery usage quantitatively. check out the results: 
    https://shayessays.com/2012/03/08/testing-the-battery-usage-of-the-most-popular-roms-for-the-samsung-galaxy-nexus/

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