4G phones deliver must faster download speeds but are already gaining a reputation for being heavy on their batteries. For many, 3G phones are bad enough in this regard, and sadly the value of 4G phones is quite limited until we can find a way to make the battery last longer. Whilst ultimately this will come down to the development of a longer life battery, in the mean time we can perform some tricks to extend the lifespan. Therefore, lets investigate how to improve 4G battery life.
The first point to note is that the newer smartphone releases are more battery friendly. The manufacturers are looking at a combination of harware and software updates, and its likely that the new iOS 7 will focus on been lighter on the phones battery. These should be significantly better on the power consumption side, but for those of us who already own a 4G smartphone, this isn’t much use. Luckily there are things we can do that make a difference on existing models.
Tip One: Dim the screen.
On any smartphone, the screen is the biggest power sink. Reducing the screens brightness down can make a big impact, adding some significant time to the phones lifespan.
Tip two: Reduce the timeout
The timeout is the time between ceasing using the phone and the phones screen going off. On tablets the timespan is default set especially high. This is perhaps the biggest waste of power going, as you’re not actually using the device whilst the screen dims. Shorten this time period down in your smartphones settings in order to gain an ‘easy win’.
Tip three: Turn off Bluetooth
Bluetooth is another big battery drainer, and most of the time it doesn’t need to be turned on. Managing this is another easy win to extend the battery life on a 4G device. Tip for iPhone users – there are apps that allow you quicker access to turn Bluetooth off/on from your home screen, to avoid having to go through your settings every time.
Tip four: when you’re in a no-signal zone, switch to airplane mode
When your phone loses its signal, it works hard to try and recapture it. This is so extensive on the battery that a lot of phones get physically warmer after they have been in a signal free zone for more than 20 minutes. Save the battery in this situation by flicking your phone on to airplane mode. This stops the phone from trying to pick up signal whilst switching off GPS and WiFi, which are two additional battery killers.
Tip Five: turn off apps that you’re not using
All open apps are sucking battery life out of your phone. Get into the habit of closing apps after you’re finished with them in order to cut off this hidden battery drain. Many apps run in the background, with map based applications being the worst because they are using location data whilst open.
Tip six: Turn off useless notifications
Lots of apps push notifications, many of which offer little to no value. Turn these off in the phones settings to avoid this unnecessary drain.
Tip seven: get in to the habit of doing a weekly full reboot
Rebooting your phone by removing the battery for 30 seconds can work wonders to refresh your phone. It works in a similar way to restarting a desktop PC frequently, as it efficiently closes down processes that may be running without your knowledge. This can be a surprisingly big battery saver and is well worth the effort once per week.
Tip eight: install a battery management app
There are a wide range of battery management apps across iOS and Android. One such app is Battery Defender. Battery Defender manages your apps whilst also streamline the smart phones processor workload.
Tip Nine: Replace an old battery
Smartphone batteries don’t last forever – in face 1,000 charges is the maximum number of charging cycles that your battery will last whilst performing at its best. This realistically means 1,000 days for most people, so if you have had your phone for more than two years, you may want to consider this. 4G is too new for this to applicable but it’s one to bear in mind as the technology matures over the next 18 months or so.