How to Maximize Battery Life of Your Phone and Camera?

Want to learn how to maximize battery life of your phone and camera? I gathered some helpful tips in this article. Today, lithium-ion/lithium-polymer batteries are installed in smartphones and cameras. They have many advantages. For example, they work up to 3-4 times longer than their alkaline counterparts. But their main drawback is degradation. Gradually, the battery loses capacity. It is impossible to prevent this, but it is possible to slow it down.

How to Maximize Battery Life of Your Smartphone?

How to Maximize Battery Life of Your Phone and Camera?
How to Maximize Battery Life of Your Phone and Camera?

1. Recharge Cycle

This designation means a full battery charge up to 100% and its full discharge to 0%. Phone batteries are rated for 400-500 cycles. After that, it is better to change the battery for a new one.

An important parameter is the depth of discharge. It is equal to the user charge level. For example, if a smartphone indicates a battery level of 45%, then the discharge level is 55%.

If you reduce the depth of discharge, you can slightly extend the battery life of your iPhone and other phones. It also applies to a full charge of up to 100%.

Conclusion: You can extend the battery’s life (battery) without discharging it to 0% and then not charging it up to 100%. Lithium batteries are optimally maintained at a 40-80% charge level.

2. Using A Smartphone in High and Low Temperatures

The operating range for lithium batteries is on average from -20 to +50 C. But heating to a maximum temperature or strong cooling will adversely affect the battery:

  • Overheating may cause unpredictable consequences up to the fire. Using your smartphone outdoors in hot weather will not reduce the battery level at that particular moment. But this will accelerate the degradation of the battery;
  • When cooled, the exchange of ions slows down, and the capacity is halved. Frequent repetition of the situation leads to the rapid exhaustion of the battery resource.
  • Working at borderline values ​​is also undesirable. The optimal performance is 10–15 degrees less than the maximum (from 10–5 to +35–40 °C).

Conclusion: You can extend the service life by observing the rules of operation. The phone should not be used outdoors in frost or extreme heat, in rooms where the temperature is above or below acceptable values.

3. Long Charge

Connecting your smartphone all night to the network is convenient but wrong. There are three reasons to give up this habit:

  • Unwanted 100% charge, which reduces the number of available recharge cycles – and therefore reduces the life of the device;
  • Overheat. It will accelerate the degradation of the battery may lead to a fire hazard;
  • The battery is constantly in good shape. If the battery loses its charge a little, it is immediately replenished (connecting to the charger). Because of this, the undesirable level of 100% charge is constantly reached.

Conclusion: The smartphone must be connected to the network to be controlled. As soon as it is charged up to 80%, it can be disconnected from the charger.

4. Non-Original Charger

A charger from other smartphones or Chinese analogs of original devices can also harm the phone:

  • If another smartphone model’s charger has less power, the phone will take longer to charge. It can lead to overheating, swelling of the battery, or further damage;
  • Cheap counterparts are often made from low-quality materials. As a result, the device cannot provide the necessary current strength or protect against voltage surges. Due to its jumps, the cable with the charging connector, the battery, the power controller, and the charge controller can be damaged.

Conclusion: It is better to buy the original charger and not analogs.

5. Battery Storage Rules

Lithium-based batteries wear out even when not in use. For them to degrade less, you need to follow the storage rules:

  • Must be kept in a dry, cool place (between 0 and 25°C). If the room is damp, the battery should be placed in a sealed plastic bag;
  • Should keep the charge level 40-50% (recharge from time to time).

Conclusion: It is essential to follow the rules for storing batteries. No need to pre-purchase additional batteries in reserve.

How to Extend Camera Battery Life?

These tips are relevant for all lithium batteries – no matter where they are: in smartphones, cameras, or other devices.

How to Maximize Battery Life of Your Phone and Camera?
How to Maximize Battery Life of Your Phone and Camera?

The first tip, which deals with the incomplete recharge cycle, is essential. The less often the battery is completely discharged to 0%, the longer it will last. But how can you make your camera battery drain slower and last longer? Here are some tips:

1. Disabling Wireless Features

If the camera is equipped with Wi-Fi and GPS (and they are not needed during shooting), it is better to turn them off since they consume a lot of charges.

2. View Finder

If the battery is running low and the camera is equipped with an optical viewfinder, turn off the LCD screen using the Menu. The LCD screen is handy, but it consumes a lot of power. And if you abandon it in favor of an optical viewfinder, you can extend the battery life by another 30-60 minutes.

3. Power Saving Mode

Not everyone is comfortable using the viewfinder. Therefore, instead of completely turning off the LCD screen, you can reduce its brightness.

4. Using Flash

Continued use of the flash will drain the battery quickly. Turn it off if there is no real need for a flash, and it is essential to save the charge.

5. Viewing the Photos You Have Taken

The longer the LCD screen is in playback mode, the faster the battery drains. If you’re low on battery, don’t spend too much time browsing and deleting photos.

6. Turning the Camera On and Off

Each time you turn it on and off, there is an additional energy loss. It is better to enable Sleep Mode. The device will automatically go into the maximum energy saving mode (in case of inactivity). The waiting period (before turning on the mode) can be specified independently; the factory settings usually determine 1 minute.

7. Battery Hypothermia

The lower the outside temperature, the faster the battery will drain. At low temperatures, the exchange of ions slows down, and the capacity is halved. Frequent repetition of the situation leads to degradation of the battery. There is no need to store the battery on an unheated balcony; keep it inside a cold chamber for a long time.

If you have to shoot outdoors in the winter and get to the location in the cold, it is better to put the battery in the inside pocket. She will stay warm, and this will keep her working. Or you can buy a good photo backpack. The equipment will be protected from cold and stormy weather better than in a conventional case.

8. Several Batteries to Replace A Dead Battery

If the battery level tends to zero, replacing it with another one in time is better. It will take a few minutes, but it will extend the battery’s life (after all, it will not be discharged entirely). Therefore, it is better to always have 2-3 spare options with you, especially if it’s a long trip.

There are cameras designed for long shots. If the duration of work from a single charge is essential, you can immediately pay attention to such models. They can take 1000 photos on a single charge, for example, Canon 250D (1600) and Nikon D3500 (1550). By the way, Nikon D3500 is a good option for a beginner, and there is material about it in our blog.

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