Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE): The Extended Standby Mode is a major lifesaver for smartphone batteries

Smartphones can do a lot at the same time. Even when your phone is switched off, it will be busy syncing data on applications, getting updates, and, generally, multi-tasking at a rate which ordinary phones are not capable of doing. However, such a high level of activity eats into the battery life at a very fast rate. The price of getting everything done without having do it all by yourself, manually, too, has a price.

In order to counter this, Sony Corporation (ADR)(NYSE:SNE) has introduced the Extended Standby Mode as a solution.  This mode will be available in all the Sony smartphones which are running on the Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. The Extended Standby Mode is a power-saving facility through which the battery life of the Xperia phone being used will be extended substantially, thereby, increasing the standby time. However, what makes the Extended Standby Mode so different is the fact that, much like the phones on which it will be operating, it is smarter than other ordinary modes which save power.

As soon as the Extended Standby Mode is activated, it will, in turn, start doing it magic about fifteen minutes after the display has been locked by the user. it will start operating, and its power saving techniques will come into play. This will include the stopping of the syncing of data on different applications. Background work will not be allowed to wake up, and data will be turned off automatically.

However, if you are getting paranoid about the basic operations, they will still be running as usual. For example, the calendar and the alarm will be working, and you can also receive and call people. It’s the same with text messages. Therefore, instead of mechanically switching off everything, the Extended Standby Mode holds on to the essential functions which not letting the other activities carry on. Unlocking the phone will make things work like they normally do.

Sony’s testing proved that this software is indeed very useful. It increased the battery standby of the Xperia P smartphone from 13 to 65 hours. All the Sony smartphones with the Android Ice Cream Sandwich will have this software.