We live in the era of smartphones and other mobile devices. Some would say we’re addicted. I will readily admit two weeks ago when the wifi went down at our work I debated on working from home feeling unable to function properly. It was then that I realized how much I need that network connection to survive. In fact, it can be difficult to watch TV or walk down the street without seeing an ad or billboard touting buzzwords like “Fastest 4G / LTE / HSPA plus.” Most smart phones come with support for one or more of these features. In one sense this is great, it’s the content we want at speeds we prefer. However, I and many others, have noticed that this transition to breakneck speed data has come at a price. Not financially, though you do pay more for some of these services, but at the cost of battery.
I recently upgraded Android and got a LG Nexus 4 with Android 4.2.2 and last year I bought my wife an iPhone 4s which is currently running iOS 6.0.1. Both of these phones are fantastic in so many ways. Battery life however does not seem to be one of them even on my wife’s iPhone which statistically has a largely superior battery to my Nexus 4. However my battery often lasts much longer than Bethany’s. This is not due to lack of use. I use my phone constantly podcasting with bluetooth headphones, reading news articles, watching videos and various other nerdeavors (nerdy endeavors). Bethany primarily uses her phone for Pinterest, Instagram and some simple games. A lot of the day her phone is in her pocket while she works. The main contributing factor to why my battery survives longer on a charge then is the network we connect to.
My Nexus 4 is not 4G enabled it’s HSPA+ (poor mans 4G). If I run my phone connected to HSPA+ from the moment I’m unplugged at 9:00 a.m. until noon often I am down to at least 60 – 65% battery strength. Let’s look at that same situation but connect my Nexus 4 to AT&T 2G network. It’s now 2:45 p.m. and my phone is still at 78% battery life. This is a huge difference and something that deserves consideration. If you have a phone that is constantly low on battery it may have nothing to do with your actual phone usage and more with the network you’re connecting your phone to. If this is the case there are a few things you can do.
Airplane Mode
Almost every phone has airplane mode. You’re supposed to use it when on an airplane so no signal comes in or goes out of your phone. Having your phone in airplane mode is a huge battery saver, however it’s not always useful because you cannot receive texts or calls. However, if you work in a service jobs that doesn’t allow you to answer texts or calls, or your snowboarding and not intending to answer phone calls anyway put your phone into airplane mode at the beginning of your shift and take it off at the end. You will notice a huge drop in the amount of battery wasted even in 4 – 8 hour long shifts.
Use WiFi
In the era of capped data plans, it’s best to do this anyways, but it helps even in saving battery life. If you are constantly downloading apps, videos, pictures on a 4G connection your battery will suffer. I would suggest saving any large file transfers and streaming to the times when you are WiFi connected which, let’s be honest, is about 85% of your life. It can be a little obnoxious to make the change to this kind of data consumption but I have found it to be very useful. It’s good to note however, having WiFi on while you’re out and about will drain your battery because your phone will constantly try to connect to all available networks so it’s good to turn it off WiFi when you are not using it.
Disable High Speed
The second best weapon, and my go to battery saving method, is simply disabling your high speed network connection. Don’t worry you’ll still be able to make phone calls and receive texts no problem even small MMS messages. Since you’re typically connected to WiFi, you shouldn’t have trouble getting those large MMS messages either. I also regularly use GPS guidance while connected to 2G or “Edge” networks. This may be an inconvenient method but it helps out tremendously.
Ways to do this:
Nexus 4 running stock Android: go to: Settings > more… > Mobile Networks and click “Use only 2G Networks.”
iPhone 4: go to Settings > General > Network > 3G on/off
Iphone 4s: Jailbreak Only (Install SBSettings, enable the 3G, toggle) use this to turn 4G on and Off
iPhone 5: go to Settings > General > Cellular > Enable LTE
Quick Adjustments
Bluetooth – Disable bluetooth when it’s not in use, this can be a huge battery drainer.
Brightness – Turn off auto-brightness and set your phone to a low brightness. This makes it hard to see outside, but is better overall.
Location Services / GPS – If you’re not using your phone for directions or location based stuff turning off your GPS helps a lot.
If you have trouble with your Android or iPhone running low on battery and you can’t figure it out chances are this is one of your issues. The guys over at LifeHacker have put together two great articles that go into great detail on this subject. If you want to read more check out their articles.
iPhones: http://lifehacker.com/5859413/how-to-improve-your-iphones-battery-life
Android: http://lifehacker.com/5795796/how-to-get-better-battery-life-from-your-android-phone
Have any battery saving techniques I could learn? Leave a comment below!
Have a blessed day,
Bryce
