Laptops For Less Blog

Tips For BlackBerry Users: Seven Ways to Make Your Blackberry Last Longer [Part II]

The new generation of Blackberries [as well as other types of smart phones] work with an extensive array of media types. You can; download, store and play many forms of media. These handheld devices can; stream music, play games, or even let you catch a basketball game! Of course, apps you download and use can have a significant impact on your Blackberry’s battery life. If you’re running low on charge it only makes sense to minimize the use of multiple apps.

The two things to look out for when running apps is streaming, and the display. If an app has to have a constant open stream to the internet, then it will almost certainly drain your Blackberry battery very quickly. Most game apps and other interactive apps also need to have the display on all the time. The display is one of the most battery consuming components of the Blackberry. Having it on all the time is a constant drain. [That does not mean that you cannot download apps that're energy efficient, such as a radio that does not require the display].

The following tip is for users who are familiar with the Blackberry control panel. It requires turning off some of the Blackberry internet connection options. Having the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi settings on can be a constant drain. [If no active devices are in range, the device will continuously try to find a signal, meaning that the device is always active. If the device is always active it will always be using large amounts of battery power]. Under the; “Manage Connections” option, it’s possible to turn off all of your connections, however doing so may leave several of your apps unusable.

The smart thing to do is to keep the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi settings off, unless you specifically need them for an app. The 3G connection can also be turned off, but it renders the internet connection capabilities of the phone useless. Turning the connections off will still leave the voice and SMS features active though. [This trick can be extremely useful on vacation, when you are out of the country, or just don't want to answer your emails].

The next tip is relatively simple. Turn off unused apps, even if you will be turning them on again soon. It’s very simple to turn apps off, and ultimately common sense. Following on from this tip, some apps use “push” technology that allows the app to push messages or notifications to your phone. Basically, it is a way for the app to say “pay attention to me”. Each app that has the push technology is potentially using lots of battery power. [This applies not only to push technology apps for notifications, but to messaging apps such as Yahoo Messenger]. If you rarely use these apps, it’s best to turn the push feature off. This will ultimately save a lot of battery power.

These tips help reduce the software aspect of battery usage. What are some other ways to save your battery power? Read on in Part III of; “Tips For BlackBerry Users: Seven Ways to Make Your Blackberry Last Longer“.

LaptopsForLess.com has a huge selection of batteries in stock, at very reasonable prices [often a fraction of the cost of manufacturers’ own brand replacements]. We stock; Cell Phone Batteries [including Blackberry Batteries of course], and much more. If an electronic device contains a battery, we’ll stock that battery!