It’s just not your day. You’re late for a date, and how wonderful! You got lost, and
your phone has kicked the bucket, so you can’t call, text, or -- anything! O f course, you
didn’t bring your charger. Oh, if only phones had removable batteries, and you could simply
change it on the go!
Well, let's get that clear: there are phones with removable batteries on the market – you
just don't see them as much. They’re less popular and a little outdated.
More common are gadgets with batteries that are glued and screwed into the inside of the
phone. You can take it out only with special tools and lots of courage. And you'll most
likely end up with a broken phone after that.
There are a few reasons why phones with removable batteries have lost their touch.
First, it’s because of a tighter and slimmer design. Non-removable batteries don’t need
a back panel, which means they take up less space inside the gadget. And since people
now want phones made from high-quality materials and with tons of features, manufacturers decided
to give them exactly that by making smartphones thinner. Taking the bulk down let them use
fewer of those pricey materials, which translates o a lower cost for customers. Plus, these
smartphones simply look more stylish and modern!
Giving up removable batteries also made it possible to have waterproof phones. Too bad
this was long after that one time mine fell out of my back pocket and right into the toilet,
but I digress. The fewer places exist to potentially let water in, the easier it is to keep it
out. And since water damage isn’t covered under most warranties, this feature has become
very popular among customers, me included!
Besides, non-removable batteries are better for your security. Let’s say someone stole
your phone. With the battery tucked inside and difficult to get to without that removable
back panel, it makes it harder for a thief to disable tracking features. So, your chances
of finding your property are much higher.
But, of course, this new non-removable battery isn’t only for your convenience. The lifespan
of an average smartphone battery is about 24 months. After that, it starts losing its
capacity, and you have to charge the phone more often, which is annoying to say the least.
It’s around this time when thoughts pop up in your head, like “Hmm, maybe it’s
time to get me a new phone?” Oh, how convenient! Your service provider will be happy to sell
you one!
But why not save your cash and try these tips to make your battery life last longer?
1. Check location tracking for all your apps. Some apps need to know your location to function
correctly (like maps or ridesharing apps). As for social media ones? Not so much. With
location turned off, your battery won’t have to work overtime tracking where you are
all the time. Besides, it can solve privacy issues. Do you really want everybody with
Internet access to know that you’re off on vacay and your home is now empty? If you
have an iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services. On an Android, it’ll be Settings
and then Security & Location. There, you can see what apps track you and turn off those
that shouldn’t.
2. Ditch live wallpaper and other visual effects. What kind of wallpaper do you have on your
phone right now? Let me know in the comments! If it’s a bright flashy animated one, then
I imagine your battery doesn’t last very long. Change it to a simple background image.
Also, don’t forget to delete all widgets that update automatically. To remove different
visual effects on an iPhone, go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Reduce Motion.
On Android, head to Settings > Developer options, and scroll down to the Window and Transition
animation scales and the Animator duration scale to turn them off.
3. Turn off automatic app updates. That way, there will be less activity happening
in the background and less battery power wasted on non-essential actions. iPhone owners should
go to Settings > iTunes & App Store, then find Automatic Downloads and turn off the
toggle next to it. Android users can open the Google Play Store and find the menu icon
in the top left corner. After tapping on it, push Settings > General > Auto-update apps,
and turn it off. You can always update your apps manually!
4. Check battery usage. Sometimes just one power-hogging app might
be the problem. Looking through your smartphone’s battery usage can help you pinpoint which
app it is. On iPhone, hit Settings > Battery, and you’ll see who’s eating up your power.
Android users, head to Settings > Battery > Battery Usage, and get rid of the apps that
don’t let you get enough life out of your smart battery. Or, ya know, maybe cut down
on the usage a little!
5. Tone down the screen brightness. Whenever your phone is lit up, precious battery
power is slipping away from you. You can lower the display brightness from the quick settings
menu. However, on most phones, the brightness is adjusted automatically depending on the
current lighting. It means you’ll have to lower it manually every time you use your
phone. It’s not exactly the most convenient, but it’ll help you get extra screen time!
6. Don’t drain or charge the battery completely. Don’t wait to charge your phone when it
turns off, and unplug it before it reaches 100%. Both these extremes drain the battery.
Try to keep it between 40% and 80%.
7. Turn off Bluetooth and WI-FI when you don’t need it.
Your phone will keep looking for a new connection as long as Bluetooth or WI-FI are enabled
but the gadget isn’t connected to anything. Make it a habit to disable these features
every time you leave home to save the battery. Most phones let you control WI-FI and Bluetooth
from the quick settings menu.
8. Shut off unnecessary push notifications. Your phone wakes up for each notification
and lights up the screen to show you a message and give you a chance to reply. As you know
by now, a lit screen means a depleting battery. To disable these alerts on an iPhone, go to
Settings > Notifications > Allow Notifications, and toggle it off. On Android, you can do
this either in an app’s settings menu or by long-pressing the notification itself and
select the “i” icon. This will take you to the app’s settings where you can block
push notifications.
9. Avoid temperature extremes. Your phone doesn’t like extreme temperatures
– can’t we all relate? If it’s too cold or too hot, it can strain the battery and
shorten its lifespan. Leaving your phone in a car is probably the most common scenario
when a gadget gets exposed to freezing or scorching temperatures. So, don’t leave
your little electronic friend alone in there. For the same reason, never leave your phone
under the pillow overnight, especially if it’s charging.
10. Reduce the screen timeout. If your phone is on but you’re not using
it, the screen will automatically turn off after some time, usually 1-2 minutes. That’s
more than likely a lot longer than you need, so why not reduce it? Apple users can go to
Settings > Display and Brightness. Scroll down to find Auto-Lock and tap it. Now you
can choose the desired time from the options. Android lets you do it by tapping on Display
from the Settings menu. Now scroll down to hit Screen Timeout.
11. Avoid using your phone while it’s charging. Reading, watching videos, or gaming on your
phone when it’s plugged in can distort the battery’s charging cycles. It’s best to
turn it off if it’s getting some new juice. Or, at least, keep it idle most of the time.
12. Use Airplane Mode not only on planes. When your phone is in Airplane Mode, it stops
receiving and sending radio signals, which will halt emails, messages, calls, Wi-Fi,
and Bluetooth connections. This may sound crazy to those who like being connected all
the time (like, all of us!), but it’s a great help in conserving your battery. As
you know, this mode switches off a lot of features, but you can always manually turn
on the ones you need the most without leaving Airplane mode.
So, keep a smart battery to go with your smartphone, and like, call me maybe.
Hey, if you learned something new today, then give the video a like and share it with a
friend! And here are some other cool videos I think you'll enjoy. Just click to the left
or right, and stay on the Bright Side of life!