220-1101 Mobile Devices Practice Question
A user reports that their smartphone's battery drains very quickly even when the phone is idle. The technician checks battery health in settings and it shows 'Normal.' No single app reports excessive power consumption. The phone also feels warm to the touch while not in use. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the distinction between a hardware fault (like a bad battery) and a software-based issue (like malware), where the presence of heat and drain with 'Normal' battery health points to unauthorized background activity rather than a defective component.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The phone is infected with malware
The phone feels warm while idle and drains battery quickly despite no single app showing high usage, which strongly suggests background activity from malware. Malware can run hidden processes, keep the CPU active, and maintain network connections, generating heat and draining power without appearing in standard battery usage lists. The battery health being 'Normal' rules out a faulty battery as the primary cause.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The battery is faulty and needs replacement
Why it's wrong here
While a faulty battery can cause rapid drain, the reported 'Normal' battery health makes this unlikely. A degrading battery typically exhibits erratic capacity, sudden shutdowns, or swelling, not consistent idle discharge. Moreover, the phone's warmth under light use points to active CPU processing rather than internal battery resistance. Without signs of battery failure, replacement is not indicated.
- ✓
The phone is infected with malware
Why this is correct
Malware (e.g., cryptominers, spyware, botnets) runs silently in the background, constantly keeping the CPU and radios awake, which prevents the phone from entering low-power idle states. This continuous processing draws significant current from the battery, causing the rapid drain and noticeable heat even when the screen is off. Additionally, malicious apps may transmit data over the network, generating further radio wake-ups. The combination of idle drain and warmth is a strong indicator of an active rogue process.
- ✗
The operating system requires an update
Why it's wrong here
A pending OS update typically fixes security vulnerabilities and adds features, but it does not itself cause continuous background activity. While older versions might contain battery inefficiencies, they would not suddenly generate sustained heat during idle; instead, power drain would be more gradual and not accompanied by thermal output. The observed symptoms are more consistent with a third-party process consuming processor cycles, not a missing patch. Thus, updating alone would not address the underlying cause.
- ✗
The phone's charging port is damaged
Why it's wrong here
A damaged charging port affects the ability to charge or connect peripherals; it cannot discharge the battery at idle because the port is not part of the power delivery path unless connected to an external cable. The warmth the user feels is generated internally by the SoC or battery through current flow, not by the port. Indeed, a faulty port would show symptoms like intermittent charging, loose connectivity, or failure to accept a charger—none of which match rapid battery drain. Therefore, port damage is unrelated to this symptom.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1101 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1101 exam.