We've all encountered that panicked moment when we're away from a power outlet and our cell phone is running out of juice. And everyone knows the sad moment when we realize that our battery only lasts half as long as it used to a year ago.
There are a million ideas for maximizing the life of a cell phone battery. Here's what you need to know.
But how much of this is our fault, and how much is the fault of the device? And what can you do about it? Here's what you need to know.
But how much of this is our fault, and how much is the fault of the device? And what can you do about it? Here's what you need to know.
Watch Video from CNN - Charger fills your battery in 30 seconds! Unbelievable Watch it!
To charge or not to charge? Once upon a time,
rechargeable batteries functioned best when you fully charged them, and
then fully discharged them. But over the years, materials have changed,
and so have the rules.
Today's Lithium-ion batteries function
best when perpetually kept between 20% and 80% charge. And while this
will help maximize the capacity of the battery over time, it also won't
make such a huge difference that you should become overly preoccupied
with it.
Silent but deadly. While many battery issues can be
remedied with power-sipping processors, the hardware itself isn't always
the problem. Instead, the length of a phone's battery life has more to
do a phone's apps.
Messaging apps, in particular, will quickly and quietly slaughter your
battery, even when you're not using them. These apps are constantly
checking in with a central server for new messages, which keeps the
power-hungry cellular radio active for a longer period of time. And if
those apps aren't optimized particularly well (ahem, Facebook Messenger), your battery is gonna go kaput pretty quickly.
Temperature rising. When it comes to long-term
battery life, heat is the great killer. If your device constantly runs
hot, you can expect your device to degrade quicker. In the case of
cellphones and tablets, there's not a whole lot you can do about this if
you discover issues with heat after buying, but you'll at least have
some idea as to what's causing those rapid power drains.
What you should do. For
long term health, charge your phone frequently, but don't obsess over
it. Your battery capacity is going to taper off no matter what you do.
But occasionally, let it run down to zero so that your phone can
accurately tell you how much life is left in it.
Keep your
brightness as low as works for you, as displays use as much battery life
as the cellular radio. If your phone allows for apps to work in the
background, even if they're closed, disable this feature for any app
that it's not crucial for.
And if you're in a pinch, turn off
any wireless feature you don't need, close any unnecessary apps, and
turn your screen brightness all the way down. It might only buy you a
few minutes, but it could be a few minutes you'll absolutely need.
