The Iphone is the cool gadget of the times. And proof of that is that when I wanted to go look at (buy 
) one recently I found that both Tampa Apple stores and all local AT&T stores were out of the Iphone 3G. Damn.
But, the device is not without issues and one of those issues is battery life.
The new Iphone 3G is said to be worse than the original when it comes to battery lifespan. One local tech blogger I talked to (Robert Nelson from Gadgetell) said he uses the Iphone 3G as an alarm to get him up in the morning. Going to bed fully charged, he said the battery had about 25% life left when he woke up in the morning. Just sitting there.
No doubt, the big screen, integrated GPS, and the phone constantly having data pushed to it and checking for new messages - all these things are a big drain on the battery. Making it even more annoying, too, that the battery is not user replaceable.
But, what can you do to extend the life of your battery? Or perhaps make it less of an issue?
- Turn off 3G. Yeah, it might suck but it will save battery.
- Disable the GPS when not in use.
- Change how often the phone checks for new messages
- Remove some of the email accounts if you have multiple accounts set up. The more accounts it has to check, the more busy the phone will be.
- Pull, don’t push your data. You don’t need to use push email. You can choose to manually download it.
- Turn off wifi when not in use.
- Turn off Bluetooth if you’re not using it.
- Use Airplane Mode, which is designed to keep the phone from search for cell networks when it can’t find any. Phones often drain down fast when sitting in low service areas because they are constantly looking for a network to connect to.
- Lower the screen brightness
- Turn off the sounds that are made when you press on the iPhone keyboard. This can be done in the Sounds pane of settings.
Apple also recommends that, at least once per month, you completely drain down your battery and recharge. If you never let your battery completely die, it can reduce the lifespan of your battery.
Mophie also has a battery extender called the Juice Pack. It is an interesting little contraption. You slide the Iphone into it and it connects via the docking port. The Juice Pack is rated for up to an additional 250 hours of standby time, 8 hours of talk time, 6 hours of internet use, 7 hours of video playback, and 24 hours of audio playback. The only problem is that the Juice Pack is only compatible with the first generation Iphone, not the 3G.
There is also the 3G Juice, which is compatible with the Iphone 3G. Kensington makes an option, too, which you can see over on Amazon.com.
The market will devise a solution, but it is still surprising to me that Apple released the second version of the Iphone still having no solution to the short battery life. It wouldn’t be as much an issue if it was user replaceable, but it isn’t. You have to send the phone to Apple for a replacement battery (for a charge, of course). If there is an Achilles heal to the lofty Iphone, this is it.
In the long run, though, is this going to keep people from using the Iphone 3G? Yeah, right.
David Risley is the founder of PCMech.com. He is the brains, the thinker, the writer, the nerd.
Drew said:
7/21/2008 10:38 am
With all due respect, just because the Apple stores are out of the iPhone doesn’t make it the “cool gadget of the times”.
Apple have limited stock so as to create a demand for it. Something like what Nintendo did with the Wii. It’s clever marketing really.
If Apple wanted there to be enough phones to sell, they would have ensured they did so. Not having the phones is obviously deliberate to create the demand for more, but that doesn’t make it a cool gadget just because there are none available.
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David Risley said:
7/21/2008 10:58 am
You are correct, Drew. But, trust me, I’m not basing that statement simply on the stores being out of inventory. I follow tech for a living and I can see that the Iphone is definitely considered the cool gadget right now.
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Drew reply on July 21, 2008 11:00 pm:
“The Iphone is the cool gadget of the times. And proof of that is that when I wanted to go look at one recently I found that both Tampa Apple stores and all local AT&T stores were out of the Iphone 3G”
Based on your wording it would have appeared that you were basing the statement due to stores being out of stock.
I guess I must have read it differently to how you intended
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Sharron Field said:
7/21/2008 12:13 pm
Well I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Why bother waiting for an iPhone when you can get an LG Viewty now: Better quality, better performance, better battery life, comparable price. Have a look at this for more limks etc: http://kkomp.com/archives/214 .
(I have no contract of any kind with LG; advertising or otherwise. I’m simply promoting what I consider to be a much better similar alternative product. Whether or not you buy one makes absolutely no difference to me whatsoever.)
I think overall the case is something like:
“Apple iPhone is a heap of …. To make the software work properly don’t upgrade, (But it’s now too late for nearly all existing iPhone users anyway.) and to extend battery life don’t use your iPhone.
It’s hardly worth buying one in the first place unless you want to be part of the crowd and say “Yes I wasted my cash on an Apple iPhone too.”
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David Risley reply on July 21, 2008 1:22 pm:
It is like the Mac in that it is the software which makes it. Aside from OS X, there is little reason to run a Mac. When you consider hardware to hardware, then yeah, maybe the LG is equal. But, when you throw the software into the mix, the Iphone does beat it.
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Sharron Field reply on July 21, 2008 5:15 pm:
Fair comment - to a point: That point being that the software has already proved to be substandard in the case of the iPhone… Because Apple rushed out their platform without properly debugging it for the purpose of beating the iPhone to market and selling the Apple product on the name “Apple” alone.
As I’ve said; it’s not the Apps from the App store that don’t work or are buggy: The reason they don’t all work or work properly is due to the fact that the platform is buggy. http://kkomp.com/archives/203
IF the product is selling on the reputation of the software in addition to the name “Apple” then Apple are committing suicide.
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Sharron Field reply on July 21, 2008 5:17 pm:
**ERROR**
Oops I meant “…beating the LG Viewty to market..” in the first paragraph in the reply above.
Typo
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Keerati said:
7/21/2008 2:25 pm
I went to bed last night with the alarm on and the phone fully charged. I woke up about 8.5 hours later to find that the battery was drained. I had to wait for a while after plugging in the power for it to function =(
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