Ways to maximise the battery life of your phone
by Rebecca Sharpe
You've got to be kidding! Surely that last call did not suck half the life out of your newly-charged battery? Despite the fact that they seem to leak power at the times we need them most, there are many simple functions which drain our mobile phone batteries and which can be avoided if you're not going to be near a charger or plug any times soon. Here's what to look out for....
Tip 1: Set the right ringtone. You may be hooked on your Dolly Parton or Star Wars ring but do you need it on all the time? Turn your phone down or to silent when you can and if you're not in a meeting or the cinema, switch off the vibrate function - these will both conserve battery power.
Tip 2: Brightness, backlights and display. You may not be aware that you can adjust the backlight that comes on when you use your
phone. Drop it down a notch or two to save power. The other thing that could be dimmed down is the screen brightness which is usually set on 'full' when you get it. Turning off any swanky displays, screensavers and wallpapers will also help.
Tip 3: Use 'Power Save'. Check your phone's manual to discover if it has a 'Battery Save' or 'Power Save' option which you can activate to shut down any non-essential features if you're not using them.
Tip 4: Leave it alone. Just for a change, stop fiddling with your phone and your battery will last longer. Taking and making essential calls and texts will be easy if you cut out games, photos, music, internet or GPS. Prioritise the functions you need the most, and stick to these!
Tip 5: Turn it off. Radical, but effective. Not only will this give the battery a breather and make the most of the power you have left but many phones need to be turned off to 'clear' themselves - something which is even more important if you're using the phone a lot and sending tons of texts.
Tip 6: Turn off Bluetooth, GPRS, Wi-Fi and Windows Media Player. It sounds obvious but these can be working away and constantly straining your phone's battery without you even realising. Get into the habit of turning these off individually after every time you use them and you will increase your standby time. When using email, reduce the frequency with which your phone checks for new mail.
Tip 7: Switch from 3G. This is a classic power-muncher so if you don't need it, switch to GSM 2G and you could save up to half your battery's power instantly.
Tip 8: Watch your signal strength. You may not have so much control over this but signal strength can have a big impact on the amount of standby time your battery provides. Switching your phone off in an area that has a really poor signal will stop your phone from constantly trying to connect and leave you with much more power when you can actually use it.
Tip 9: Don't leave applications running. You may be already doing something with your phone such as playing a game when you receive a call. Just remember to turn the game off when you finish the call if you are no longer playing. If not, it will play on without you.
Tip 10: Spare batteries and recharging. If the worst happens and your beloved battery is flat, carrying a spare is a quick fix. Just don't forget that the spare will need charging and regular use so try alternating batteries to keep both lively and happy. If you have no spare then it is possible to buy emergency disposable batteries in many newsagents for around £5. You may also find a mobile phone shop which will take pity on you and let you charge your phone for a few minutes. Some modern taxis now have charging points in the passenger area which can give you a boost for free.