Genealogy on Android smartphone

[Nick29]

You can make the battery life a bit better by turning off bits that you don't need (Bluetooth, wi-fi, sat nav), and reduce the frequency that your phone checks for email.  And make sure that you terminate applications once you are finished with them, otherwise they just carry on running in the background, using up CPU time and battery power.

P.S. Dropbox gets my vote - it's brilliant if you are sharing census images and photos with other genealogists.

[Falkyrn]

A useful free tool for turning off unwanted or battery intensive background applications is Android Assistant

[Vinwad]

Is the Legacy app a heavy battery user? Interested if not, but the downside with Android phones seems to be battery life.

I haven't really noticed any exceptional drain on the battery. As Nick29 says, if you turn off the bits and bobs you're not using the battery life is pretty good. 

Should point out that I don't use the internet on the phone to carry out any genealogical research on the web - I use the library computer for that and then record whatever I've found straight into my family tree app.

[Falkyrn]

The only time I have noted excessive battery drainage is when using 3G to access the Internet other than that the two Genealogy programs (Family Bee and Gedstar Pro) I have tried have had minimal effect on the battery.

[Redroger]

Sounds promising then. I downloaded Android booster to try and improve battery life, but it seems to be something of a battery hog. Will try Android Assistant.

[Braindead]

The first beta version of the Ancestry android app is now available for download on Android Marketplace.
You need at least Android 2.1 and must be a subscriber to Ancestry to use the beta version.
It's read only at the moment. My impression is that it's clear, easy to use & looks good. Not a lot of functionality, but for reading your tree, it's fine.
Perhaps later beta versions will let you do more.

[KGarrad]

My Samsung phone (apparently!) has Android 1.5.
If I go shopping for phones, nowhere do the shops tell me what version of Android they are using and (surprise, surprise!) the shop assistants give me a blank look when I ask!

Shall have to wait for a contract update, I suppose? 

[Braindead]

I have a Sony Xperia X10. When I first got it it had Android 1.6, but updates have brought it up to Android 2.3.
It may be worth going into your phone's settings to check the Andriod version & see if there are any updares available.

[KGarrad]

Tried that!

NPC (Samsung New PC Studio) tells me no updates are necessary!
Kies says my phone model is not supported!

Have a Samsung i5700