We’ve all been there: The important work meeting you miss because your smartwatch died. The assignment you can’t finish because your laptop turned off. The cell phone at 3% with no outlet and calls to make. Yikes.
The modern-day nuisance of an uncharged battery might seem trivial, but it can easily cause unnecessary frustration and zap critical time from your day. To make life a little bit easier, here are 3 tips to address longevity for lithium-ion battery devices.
Smart charging
While traditional advice has focused on techniques to optimize your charging by time and duration, new technology is aiming to make this process hassle-free. For example, products such as Chargie now claim to automatically manage a power source, working to limit and delay charging for optimal battery longevity.
Not feeling ready to give a new product a try? At the very least, ensure you’ve upgraded your device software to the latest operating versions. Many companies now offer built-in adaptive battery strategies, such as with Android Marshmallow, iPhone battery optimization, or MacOS Monterey software that features a new low-power mode to extend battery life. A quick check-in your settings tab should do the trick to ensure these features are available and enabled.
Decrease power consumption
This recommendation is tried and true, yet a substantial number of users fail to take the steps available to decrease overall power usage. Simple things like lowering your screen’s brightness, reducing the amount of time it takes for your screen to turn off, deleting unused apps or programs, cutting down on notifications and alarms that will “wake” your screen, and generally reducing the use of anything that unnecessarily requires extra power. It might seem simple, but in combination these measures can really help extend your charge-use time, potentially lengthening the lifespan of your battery.
Upgrade devices to battery-saving models
When it’s time for an upgrade, consider devices that feature improved battery longevity. This might be as simple as prioritizing larger battery capacities (e.g. Samsung is in the early phases of launching a big-battery smartphone, one that boasts a two-day battery life on a single charge), or devices that feature low-temperature polycrystalline oxide — LTPO — display technology that can support high variable refresh rates. Examples include the 2021 Galaxy S21 Ultra and OnePlus 9 Pro, but new options are always coming available.
Know other tips to increase the lifespan of your battery? Comment below!