by bill Palmer
iOS 5.0.1 has arrived and helped out the small percentage of iPhone 4S users who were suffering from a software based battery bug. most of you Siri-addicted iPhone 4S users were never affected one way or the other, but many are still looking for additional battery life. although the iPhone 4S has the longest lasting battery of any smartphone in the history of the market, that doesn’t mean it’ll be enough to get you through a full day, particularly if you perform activities which require the screen to remain turned on for long periods of time. so with the iOS 5.0.1 update come and gone and battery life still an issue for active smartphone users in general, here’s a list of ways in which you can get significantly more juice out of your iPhone 4S battery. most of these tips apply to older iPhones and other smartphones as well…
Wifi and bluetooth: the iPhone 4S has multiple wireless signals going on at one time. You’ll need the cellular signal to talk on the phone or to use the internet or network-based apps (via 3G/EDGE), so you’ll need to leave that turned on nearly all the time. But wifi and bluetooth are only used in certain situations. You’ll typically only find wifi at places like home or a coffee shop, and you’ll only use bluetooth in conjunction with a bluetooth accessory such as a wireless headset. try turning both wifi and bluetooth off by default in the Settings app, only turning them on when you’re using them. That’ll save battery significant battery life.
No signal: During those times when your iPhone 4S is out of range of a cellular signal (up in the mountains, on an airplane, in a subway), it’ll actually burn through more battery life because it’s constantly scanning for a signal instead of merely being attached to one. In this instances, try putting your iPhone 4S into “Airplane Mode” which tells it to stop looking. just be sure to turn Airplane Mode off once you’re back within cellular range…
Screen: Apps like Facebook and angry Birds (or any app) will use a good amount of battery life because they require the iPhone 4S screen to remain backlit for the duration. No one’s telling you to kill fewer pigs in general. But when you see your battery going down and you’ve still got a long day ahead of you, that’s the time to curtail your screen-turned-on usage. Watching video can use up your battery even faster than gaming. And if you’re just listening to music, make sure you turn the screen off, as the music will keep playing regardless. by the way, the screen is turned on while you’re interacting with Siri as well.
More power: so you’ve installed iOS 5.01 only to realize that you were never suffering from the over-hyped “battery bug” to begin with. You’ve turned off the right networks, you’ve taken the right steps, and you still can’t get through the day on an iPhone 4S. the answer is to get a carrying case which has an extra battery built in. the best of these products aren’t much bigger than a regular case, and they can add fifty to a hundred percent more power to your iPhone. also, don’t forget to charge up your iPhone while in the car. Here’s more on the iPhone 4S.
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