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 How to Increase iPhone 3G Battery Life

By Bobby George

One of the hottest gadgets on the market today is the iPhone. Since its introduction in 2007, it has quickly become synonymous with fashionable and powerful consumer electronics. Although the original iPhone was a huge success for Apple, customers quickly began voicing their recommendations for the inevitable second iteration of the stylish phone. For instance, customers made it clear that 3G speeds would greatly improve the email, internet browsing, and other data capabilities the phone already possessed. Others proclaimed that the omission of GPS capabilities in such a powerful device was inexcusable, since so many other modern phones include GPS and the iPhone is already heavily integrated with Google Maps.

Around the 1 year anniversary of the original iPhone, Steve Jobs and company introduced the most asked-for features in the second generation of the iPhone called the iPhone 3G. It did, in fact, include the two features mentioned above, as well as some other hardware and software improvements/tweaks. Apple also announced that the battery life, something the iPhone was no particularly known for, would also be improved. This was welcome news to anyone interested in owning one of these ever so popular phones.

However, as users bought the phones and began using the new features in everyday situations, it became apparent that the increase in battery life was all but offset by the slew of new hardware and software features included in the second generation phone. In fact, users began to complain that the new battery would not last through a standard workday, something the original iPhone had no problem doing in most situations.

You may find yourself in the same boat if you own an iPhone 3G. However, there are certain steps you can take to prolong the life of the iPhone, allowing you to choose a comfortable balance of usability and battery life that will suit your individual needs.

3G

The 3G capabilities of the new iPhone allow for faster downloads, quicker emailing, speedier maps, and much more. However, 3G coverage is not available in all areas and is poor in others. If you do not use the 3G network very often, you can turn it off completely in the iPhone's settings menu. Otherwise, when not in a coverage area or when not using 3G for a long period of time, turning it off while not in use will improve the overall battery life.

Wi-Fi

If you are rarely near any Wi-Fi hotspots that you can connect to, you can turn Wi-Fi off completely in the iPhone settings menu which will save your battery for other things. If you do use Wi-Fi on a regular basis, it is also beneficial to turn off the "ask to join networks" feature to keep the iPhone from trying to get you to connect every time you are near wireless internet.

Screen Brightness

As with almost any other electronic device with a screen, changing the screen brightness level in the iPhone's settings menu can alter the battery life considerably. By default, the iPhone uses a sensor to detect the light levels surrounding the phone and adjusts the screen to a comfortable brightness accordingly. If you need all the battery you can muster, you should turn off this automatic screen brightness option and then turn the screen brightness down as low as you can while still being able to see the display.

Push and Auto-Fetch

The new iPhone also features an option for email to be "pushed" to your device as soon as it arrives on your email server. This is a vital option for anyone who relies on important emails for business and other important information when seconds count. However, if we are honest with ourselves, most of us do not need such instantaneous delivery. Turning off the push function will save battery life since the iPhone will not be connecting to the server so frequently. Similarly, the iPhone can be set to automatically check for new email messages every so often. Turning this function off and manually checking for new emails when you want to read them will also add some runtime to the battery.

iPod EQ

The iPod functions of the iPhone are revolutionary and fun to use, meaning a significant amount of battery life may be used listening to music. One thing that can help cut down on the amount of battery this uses is turning off the EQ functions of the iPod. If you aren't a fan of heavy base or blaring highs, this method may be for you. Also, the iPhone's speaker cannot handle many EQ setting very well, meaning that unless you are using headphones, the EQ can be turned off without much of a difference being noticed.

Bluetooth

Last, but not least, the iPhone's battery can be extended by keeping bluetooth turned off. The iPhone is not capable of sharing files or syncing with a computer over bluetooth, so unless you are using a wireless headset, keep the bluetooth turned off and you'll never know the difference.

Still need more juice for your new iPhone? Check out the article about our Duracell Instant Power Charger here.

Also, be sure to check out our products and accessories for the iPhone and the iPhone 3G.