Phone Batteries
One of the most important parts of a cell phone is the phone's battery. This is what gives you the ability to talk, text, and surf the web while on the go. While all cellphones come with a battery standard, their life is not guaranteed. For several different reasons, mobile phone batteries die, break, and need replaced.
Luckily you can purchase replacement batteries for most brand of cellular phones. When you purchase a replacement mobile phone battery, make sure you have the exact name of the phone, including the make and model. There are two main categories you need to observe when shopping for a new phone battery.
- Stand By Time- This number will tell you how long the battery last if it is simply left on with nothing happening. That means no calls, no Internet, not even a single ring. This will be the highest number you observe, and if you notice, you will never actually achieve this number of hours. If you did, that means you had your cell phone charged and ready to go, but never even used it.
- Talk Time- This number may seem low, typically only 1/20th of the stand by time, but this is how long the battery lasts when in constant use. If you have a five hour talk time battery life, you can have a five hour conversation on your cell phone without need to charge it.
Ask about both of these numbers, especially when shopping for an extended life battery. Many times, the extended life number will be the same as your standard battery. Many people do not know what the actual life of their battery is, but it can easily be found in the handbook that came with your phone.
There are a number of things that can drain you battery as well. These tips will help you extend the life of your cell phone battery.
- Lower your screens brightness, since this can help to drain your mobile phone battery.
- Avoid using the Internet except when you have to.
- Turn off you e-mail. Most smart phone automatically download e-mail as soon as they hit your inbox. This drains that battery, and can be very annoying if you get a ton of spam. Instead, set you phone up so you can check you e-mail, but only when you want to.
- Avoid using the camera if you are not somewhere you can immediately charge your phone. While the standard camera won't drain the battery too much, shooting video or having a flash feature can kill it quickly.
- Turn off what you aren't using. These things can include your Bluetooth mobile device, Internet access through a wi-fi connection, and your vibrate feature. The vibrate feature is a big one, since it can quickly kill the battery. If you have the ringer on, do you really need to hear your ring tone and feel the vibrations at the same time?
In addition to these tips, you should also properly charge your cell phone. While those instructions the sales person gave you may sound pointless, there is a reason they tell you to do this. The majority of mobile phone batteries are made with lithium, while older cell phone batteries used nickel to hold a charge. One your first charge, right after buying your phone, let it die completely. Make it so it won't even turn on. Then charge it until the battery is fully charged. The first major charge will dictate just how long of a charge you can hold in the future. If you charge it when it's still got some juice left, then the battery will not last as long. Charges after that should be done only after the phone has less than a 40 percent charge. This will extend the life of the battery.
Charging it in this manner will keep your battery in top condition. Newer cell phone batteries will naturally lose their charge as they get older, and if you keep your phone over a few years, you will most likely have to purchase a replacement.
Battery Life Extenders
These are additional supplemental battery packs that can attach to the bottom of your phone. If you are running low on battery power during an important conversation and your charger is no where to be found, this can give you an extra hour of two of talk time with one quick attachment. While many people find this necessary, it is much easier to charge your phone properly and help it keep a charge. If you are talking on a mobile phone for over 5 hours without being able to get to your charger, you should already be carrying it with you.
Chargers
Your mobile phone charger is just as important. You should use the stand charger that comes with your phone. Most cell phones have a specific type of plug used for each brand, therefore there is only one type of charger you can use. If you lose your charger, it gets chewed up by your dog, or subsequently broken, they can be replaced for around $10 online.
In addition to the standard wall charger, there are several new mobile phone chargers on the market, but the most popular is the car charger. This lets you charge your mobile device directly from your cigarette lighter. While this may seem like a great idea, it can easily lead to over charging your phone or charging it when it isn't needed. This helps phone batteries die much quicker.
