220-1101 Question 385
Single answerCommon symptomsA user reports that their smartphone battery now lasts only a few hours, even when the phone is idle on a desk. The technician confirms the battery recently began draining much faster than normal, but the phone still charges successfully and shows no physical swelling. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this symptom?
- A
An application is running in the background and consuming excessive power
- B
The display brightness is permanently stuck at maximum because of a failed screen backlight
- C
The charging port is shorted, preventing the battery from storing a full charge
- D
The SIM card is corrupted and causing the battery to discharge when the phone is idle
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
This question tests recognition of a common mobile device symptom in A+ Core 1: poor battery life. In real support scenarios, technicians should first consider common, likely causes before assuming hardware failure. Excessive background app activity, location tracking, constant syncing, and high power usage by software are frequent causes of rapid battery drain. CompTIA A+ Core 1 objectives emphasize identifying symptoms and applying appropriate troubleshooting steps for mobile devices, including poor battery life, swollen batteries, and charging issues. Best practice is to check battery usage statistics, review recently installed or updated apps, verify screen and radio settings, and confirm whether the issue occurs during active use or while idle before replacing hardware.
- A. Correct.
This is the correct answer. On smartphones, one of the most common real-world causes of rapid battery drain is an app or service running in the background, such as navigation, syncing, location services, video, or a poorly behaving process. Because the phone still charges and there is no mention of swelling or charging failure, excessive background power usage is the most likely explanation for a sudden reduction in battery life.
- B. Incorrect.
This is incorrect. A failed backlight would more likely cause display visibility issues, dimness, flickering, or no visible image rather than a screen being locked at maximum brightness. High brightness can contribute to battery drain, but the scenario specifically points to rapid drain even while idle, which more strongly suggests background activity than a backlight hardware failure.
- C. Incorrect.
This is incorrect. If the charging port were shorted or otherwise failing to allow proper charging, the user would typically report charging problems, intermittent charging, slow charging, or the battery not reaching full charge. The scenario states that the phone charges successfully, making this less likely than a background application issue.
- D. Incorrect.
This is incorrect. A bad or corrupted SIM card can cause cellular connectivity problems, activation errors, or inability to access the mobile network, but it is not a typical primary cause of severe battery drain while the phone is idle. Although poor signal conditions can increase battery use, that is different from SIM corruption itself.