Extending your battery Life

There are more and more devices in our lives these days that require power. Our laptops, mobile phones, tablets, Sat Navs, MP3 players and iPods all have batteries and it can be very frustrating when they run out. Pokemon Go players will know just how quickly a phone battery can drain! However, there are a few things you can do to make sure they last as long as possible.

1. Turn the brightness down

Lighting up the screen on any device is usually the biggest drain on power and reducing the brightness can give you much longer battery life. Sometimes, like in bright sunlight, it may be necessary to turn it up to be able to use the device, but make sure you turn it back down as soon as you're in the shade or head back inside.

2. Turn off features you're not using

Many of these devices have multiple features and even if you're not actively using them, they can be draining power. Wireless and bluetooth, for example, will be constantly scanning for nearby devices if you're not connected and if you don't need to be online or sending data by bluetooth, then disable these features temporarily and you'll reduce the strain on your battery. Most laptops have a button on the keyboard (it usually looks like an antenna with radio waves coming from it - See Below) to disable wireless and bluetooth connectivity. In Windows 10, you can easily activate 'Plane Mode' by clicking on the network icon near the clock and this will do the same thing. For phones and tablets you'll find these options in Settings or on Android by dragging down from the top of the screen.

3. Enable 'Eco-Mode'

This is probably most applicable to laptops and tablets running Windows. Manufacturers are constantly trying to make the hardware more power efficient and many systems come with software designed to make the most of these developments. Intel processors for example will run at a base speed to complete most tasks, but will reduce their power consumption at idle times and turbo boost at times of peak activity. Look out for software from the manufacturer of your device and set it to 'Max battery' or 'Eco-Mode' to squeeze the most time from your battery.

4. Consider and Extra Battery

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, the battery just won't last long enough to get you through the day. Lots of devices have batteries which are easily accessible and can be changed in a couple of minutes. If you're buying an extra battery, look out for high capacity versions. Battery life is rated in mAh and the higher the number, the longer it should last. But be wary of very cheap Chinese imports though as they may not meet the safety standards we are used to in the UK and could end up damaging your device. We'd always recommend genuine/original OEM parts from the original manufacturer of your device. Many laptop batteries are around £50, but let us know your model and we can get an exact price for you.

5. Or a power bank

If your device doesn't have an accessible battery or you don't want to keep changing it, then there is another way. Power banks are effectively external batteries and you can plug your USB cable into them like you would with your wall plug and charge your device from them. Again they come in different capacities and qualities, so make sure you know what you're buying. These can be ideal for phones or MP3 players with smaller batteries. They're not going to charge your laptop I'm afraid. You can see an example below. A good quality power bank is available for around £20 and we usually have them in stock.

If these tips have helped you extend your battery life, or if you have any tips of your own then leave us a comment and share this with anyone you think might find it useful.

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