Dubai: With smartphones being constantly employed for a variety of tasks, their battery life has never been in greater danger. But if you’re careful, you can make sure they don’t run out of juice.
Haitham Kalakesh of tech major Riversong says the increasing number of features in smart phones these days does affect the battery. “One may notice that the phone battery saps off easily, which then requires you to charge your phone more often, and this may not be convenient. But with a few tips, you can lengthen your smart phone battery life.”
Faulty charging
To begin with, he said faulty methods of charging considerably reduce the battery life. “As much as possible try keeping your battery charge above 50 per cent at all times. A common mistake most people make is to charge the battery till it reaches 100 per cent. Doing so may not be fatal to your battery, but will surely reduce its lifespan. So a little charging a few times a day is good for optimum use.”
Kalakesh said it is advisable to keep the light of the smart phone/device dim or use the auto brightness option. “Although you may love viewing the images on your phone in full brightness, this is highly detrimental to the life of your battery. A major portion of your battery energy is consumed due to this. Using the auto brightness mode adjusts the light of your device according to the requirement.”
Turning off the Bluetooth and Wi-fi in your device, when not in use, can also save your battery from draining out. “We understand that you may require your Wi-Fi when at home or at work but it would be a good idea to switch it off when you’re out and about. At this time your Wi-Fi does nothing but use your phone battery energy.”
App updates
Another essential tip is not to ignore the regular App update notifications you receive on your phone. Although this may seem cumbersome and time-consuming, it helps to improve the overall performance and battery life of your smart phone, says Kalakesh. “The logic is simple, all apps are updated by developers considering battery and memory optimisation - so ensure that your smartphone has the latest version installed at all times.”
Kalakesh said another major aspect to improve the lifespan of your smart device battery, is to avoid exposing it to excessive heat or humidity. So leaving your phone in the car can prove very detrimental.
He says you should regularly wipe your phone with a clean cloth, ensure it does not get wet and avoid letting children play with it.
“In case of smart accessories, although they may not be as expensive as the devices, they are hugely indispensable. So whether it is your charger, power bank, ear phones or any other accessory, you can sure increase its lifespan by keeping certain pointers in mind. Never leave your charger on if it is not charging. Not only is this dangerous, as it is unattended passing electricity, but it is also utilising the energy of the charger. Never unplug your charger by pulling the wire as this will in the longer run cause irreparable damage. So always unplug from the head. Finally keep it away from water and extreme heat,” adds Kalakesh.
He says in the case of power banks, ensure that you charge your power bank only with the original charger. Do not over charge your device and if you do not use it often still make sure you charge it off and on, as not doing so can affect the charging capacity of the device. “Also while charging your gadget do not attach any other device to it. Let it charge to the optimum and then use it to charge any other device. As for ear phones you need to keep in mind the basics like ensuring you keep them away from heat and water. Avoid pulling them off from the wire and doing a quick wipe after every extended period of use.”
Must-dos
Keep charging, but not up to 100%, few times a day
Always keep the battery charge above 50%
Dim lights, use auto brightness
Turn off Bluetooth and Wifi when not in use
Don’t ignore regular App update notifications
Avoid exposing the phone to heat and humidity
Wipe your phone with a clean cloth regularly
Never leave your charger on if it is not charging
Always unplug the charger from its head, don’t pull it out
Charge power bank only with the original charger. Charge it off and on even if you don’t use it
Keep earphones away from heat and water, avoid pulling them off
Wipe earphones after extended period of use
