If you’re a recent convert to smartphones, you’re probably still discovering all the amazing things that your new BlackBerry, android phone or iPhone can do. But one thing you most likely found out right away: the more you do, the shorter your laptop battery lasts.
While a standard cellphone’s charge can easily go three days or more, many smartphone owners are dismayed to learn that their new mobile laptop battery toy requires charging every 24 hours, or even more often. It was great that I could use one device — my iPhone — to check my calendar and respond to multiple incoming calls during January’s Consumer Electronics Show, but I paid the price when its battery died at 2 p.m.
The answer was not to desperately search for an electrical outlet to recharge the phone (though I’ve done that) or to consider giving up the phone (done that, too), but rather to figure out a strategy to reduce energy consumption while still having it available for essential tasks. Whether you’re using a laptop or a smartphone, the devices can be tweaked to get the most out of its lithium-ion batteries.
Reconsider Your Network
all things being equal, the C.D.M.a. mobile standard used by Verizon uses more power than a G.S.M. network, principally used by aT&T and T-Mobile. If Dell D5318 Dell GD761 battery life is critical, you might want to consider G.S.M. as long as its coverage meets your needs.
Dim It
The brighter your screen, the more juice you’re using. If you’re in a dimly lit room, turn down your LCD screen’s brightness. If your device has an autodimming feature that detects the light in a room, use it. Similarly, if you use your smartphone or Dell Inspiron 6000 Battery to play music, lower the volume.
If you have a BlackBerry, the company’s holster will automatically turn off the screen when you insert the phone.
Stop Searching
It is great that you can use Bluetooth technology to connect your smartphone to a headset, or use Wi-Fi to speed up the downloading of e-mail messages. But when you’re not using that headset or not near a Wi-Fi hot spot, turn off those features on the phone or laptop.
The reason is that portable devices will continue to look for Wi-Fi or a Bluetooth headset, using Sony VGP-BPS9 power. Similarly, put your phone to sleep when it is in standby. On an iPhone, you do so through the “Settings” icon. On a BlackBerry, use the “Manage Connections” icon.
Skip a Generation
Your smartphone is also continually looking for a cellphone signal. If you’re in a weak signal area, your phone must work even harder to find one, decreasing battery life. If you know that there is no coverage in your area, turn off your portable device’s mobile capabilities.
If your G.S.M. 3G network is not available or the signal is weak, the Dell Latitude D430 Battery will drain faster looking for one. Consider turning off the phone’s 3G network or using the slower EDGE network instead. It will make Web access slower but won’t affect phone call quality.
Check Mail Manually
Mobile smartphones can check for e-mail messages and instant messages automatically. Or they can be set to “push” notifications as soon as they arrive in your server’s mailbox.
Both strategies can be power hogs. To increase your Dell Latitude D630 Battery life, turn off push and increase the interval between when the phone checks for new messages. Or better, set up your phone to check for messages manually.
