Running out of battery charge is one of modern life’s little irritations. If you’re smart however, there are a number of things you can do to help prolong your phone’s battery life.

Here’s our 3 part guide:

Part 1 – Device Settings

Bluetooth!

Bluetooth is useful for sending small files over short distances, or pairing devices, like headsets, with your mobile, but it devours power. Always make sure that your Bluetooth is turned OFF when you’re not using it.

Screen Brightness

You probably don’t need your screen nearly as bright as you’ve got it – most mobile phones have their brightness set to maximum as a default, so get into your device’s settings and try turning it down a few notches. Some phones also have an option to set how long the backlight stays on for. The lower you set this, the more energy you will conserve.

Keep It Simple & Quiet

Equally, profile themes featuring fancy screen savers, an animated back-ground or a loud ring-tone will all drain your battery each time they kick in. Switch them off / turn them down!

GPRS / 3G / WiFi

Not every phone will have all of these, but if your device is enabled with these features when you’re not even using them, then you could stand to save a lot of juice. Look for a ‘Connectivity’ section where you will be able to turn your WiFi adaptor off and switch from 3G to 2G. If you browse the net on a GPRS connection ensure that you set the GPRS to ‘only when needed’ so that it turns itself off when you stop using it.

Part 2. Signal Strength

The strength of network reception on your device can have a BIG impact on your device’s battery life. When your device is struggling to find reception it is using up power. Conversely, if it’s in an area with good network coverage it won’t need to use much battery life. So, if you’re going to be in an area with little / patchy reception, turn your network connections off to save power. Also, try to make sure that when you make calls, you do so with 3 or more bars of reception.

Part 3. Learn How To Charge

Just as devices have evolved, so too has battery technology. Most mobile phone batteries nowadays are lithium, rather than nickel-based. Consequently what might have worked for earlier mobile phones, might not work for the latest handsets.

A lithium battery can be charged whenever it needs it. Full discharges aren't needed, in fact they're inadvisible. Instead, let the battery run down to around a third of its capacity and charge it on a regular basis rather than running the battery completely dead.

Overheating is a lithium battery’s main enemy. Leaving to charge overnight is fine, but longer than that and it will start to heat up. Equally, leaving the battery in the sun will heat it up and cause similar damage.

Also, don’t forget to replace your battery every two years. A lithium battery only lasts for around 300 to 500 charges, so if you have been using the same battery for more than a couple of years you may need a new battery. Buying a spare battery is no good though, unless you use it on a regular basis because lithium batteries deteriorate even when they're not in use.