Does your new Smartphone battery drain too quickly? For the most part, the standard batteries that come with the new Smartphones aren’t up to the tasks demanded by the many apps and widgets running on the phone. In addition, the 4G network drains batteries even more. To top off all of that, your cell phone provider may be adding to your battery woes. No wonder your standard battery is giving up the ghost!
Everyone agrees that the 4G network drains your battery faster than the 3G network. Forums are reporting 4G drains the battery 20% faster than the 3G. The only thing you can do to combat this is to turn off the 4G unless you are streaming video or data. You can buy an extended battery, but that means your case won’t fit as the extended battery is thicker than the standard battery. There is a good solution to this dilemma. Buy a spare battery and a Sync and Charge Cradle. For example, the HTC EVO 4G Sync and Charge Cradle not only allows you to sync your EVO 4G, but will charge it will you’re streaming video. It has a spare battery charger built into it so you can be charging the spare battery as well. No need to get the bulkier extended battery that your case won’t fit. Sure you have to carry around the spare battery, but that’s a small inconvenience. Another cool gadget that may save you bacon from the fire is called an Emergency Portable Charger. It is external and just plugs into your Smartphone or iPhone and recharges your battery. It is great for those times when the power is out (like during the upcoming winter storms) or when you are out and about without access to electricity.
There are some simple, easy to do steps that will help your battery life. These include conditioning your new battery, configuring your Smartphone services, and being selective about which apps you use on your cell phone. These tips are the pretty much same whether you have an iPhone or an Android Smartphone. The only big difference is that you can’t get an extended battery for your iPhone or change it out easily. For those iPhone owners there are some cool gadgets that help, like the Rechargeable Battery Case for the iPhone 4.
Battery conditioning and battery care is critical to get the most out of your mAh (milliampere-hour). The mAh determines the length of talk time and stand by time your battery will give you. When you get any new Smartphone or cell phone, you should always condition the battery so that it utilizes the most charge it can. Conditioning the battery means that when you get the new battery you should take it out of the phone and then replace it. Keeping the device off, plug it into the AC charger and then let it charge for 6-8 hours without being on or using it (overnight is usually best.) This will bring the battery’s charge up to its highest capacity initially, an important step in conditioning the battery. The next step is to use the phone and discharge the battery until it is almost dead. Then repeat the charging process overnight. Do this for the first 2-3 times you charge the battery. Repeat this process about once a month as we tend to do a shallow discharge and recharge the battery frequently. (We all do it. We have a fear of having a dead cell phone.)
Reduce your screen brightness. Your screen is without a doubt the worst offender for taking down the battery charge life. Turn the screen brightness down to 30%. Unless you are out in really bright sunlight, you will still be able to read your screen just fine. This adjustment alone could enable you to have another few hours of battery life per charge.
Change your email settings. Unless you are totally addicted to getting your email immediately, change the frequency of checking email to every couple of hours. While it may not be as exciting as getting your email instantaneously, your battery charge will last much longer.
Turn off the GPS locator, the Wi-Fi, and the Bluetooth. If you are going to go on a trip and need the Google Maps feature, you can turn it back on. Other services that use the GPS are Weatherbug, Latitude, etc., but again, if you don’t absolutely need them, turn off the GPS locator. Just having the GPS off will save your battery. If your phone is constantly searching for a Wi-Fi connection you will drain the battery quickly. Turn it off and only use it when you get to a location you know has a Wi-Fi connection. As for the Bluetooth, turn it off at night or when you aren’t using it. It will save you lots of battery charge.
Be selective with running apps. Your new Smartphone has a bunch of application running, and you may have downloaded even more. There are so many cool apps available for the various Smartphones. But having all these cool apps running takes down the battery in a big way. I have downloaded an app called Advanced Task Killer for my Droid X, which allows you to manually stop apps you choose. You can always access the apps from your home screen any time you wish. I automatically kill running apps every time I access my phone. This saves the life of your battery. For iPhone owners there is the AppManager.
By being smarter than you Smartphone, you can extend your device’s battery charge life. As with anything else in life, management is key. So again, condition your battery and be choosy about what’s running on your phone. You will get a whole lot more life out of each battery charge!