Sometimes severe battery drain can come from unexpected sources. I installed a widget from the weather channel and checked my battery usage the next day and it was the first thing on the list. Even above the display. It was constantly figuring out where I was and displaying the weather. I uninstalled it and battery life is back to normal.
There are power usage apps out there that can assist you in identifying the battery draining apps. Or you can try changing the screen brightness. If it is just a matter of the battery not holding a sufficient charge, you can bring it to a corporate sprint store and have them look at it. When I had my HTC Zero, the batteries kept swelling and they wouldn't hold as much of a charge. I had to get 2 replacements before the issue was resolved.
As far as the chip set giving magical battery life, it might, if you never turn the screen on. I use my phone so much that my screen accounts for around 70% of my power usage. No SOC is going to make a difference in a user like me. For someone who uses the phone as a phone, or sets up streaming audio, turns off the screen and lets it play, or pretty much anyone who doesn't have the screen on constantly. It might help save battery life if your phone is constantly looking for stronger signal though. The radios are built into the chip.
You should post a screen shot after a regular day of usage and we might be able to identify potential problems.
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