Windows Phone Thoughts: Random XDA musings, part 3

I took my XDA with me when I went away for a short trip outside Calgary this weekend, and I was outside the GSM coverage while there. I manually turned off the phone software, so it was no longer seeking a signal. On the Sunday morning when we were leaving, I turned it back on - still no signal, but I figured it would pick it back up when it came within range.

What I didn't realize, however, was that the XDA polls for signal every 15 seconds, and when it's seeking a signal it goes into a "high powered" mode to get a lock. When it can't find a lock, it gives up, and tries again in 15 seconds. As you might imagine, this has a brutal effect on battery life. I've been thrilled with the battery life of the XDA so far, but if you're going outside a GSM-covered area, turn off the phone software to prevent a serious drain on your battery. I wish this polling time was user-configurable - I'd rather have it set to poll every 10 minutes or so.