In the modern world, batteries allow us to stay mobile and off-the-grid, independent of the infrastructure of electricity. That’s cool until the percentage on the screen starts getting lower, forcing us to find the nearest outlet and carry a spare charger. Of course, this is inevitable. But it is also possible that the battery capacity might be fading faster than you expected. For that reason, we’ll delve into the problem right away.
How long should smartphone batteries last?
| Capacity | Duration |
|---|---|
| 3000 mAh | 22 hours |
| 4000 mAh | 29 hours |
| 5000 mAh | 40 hours |
| 6000 mAh | 54 hours |
The above table shows how long a typical battery should last, given that you use the device moderately. The test was conducted by our team with 10 different smartphones under “normal” usage conditions. Gaming isn’t something we considered because of obvious reasons. A few hours of YouTube, few mins of voice calls, few hours of WhatsApp, and other typical smartphone operations were performed. Around 50% of the time, the smartphones were left in standby mode.
Keep in mind that based on your screen brightness, operating temperature, battery type, etc., the results could drastically vary.
With that being said, these are the 6 common reasons for battery draining –
1. Battery capacity was low from the start
You might have thought that you “cheated” when you bought a smartphone or tablet with powerful specs for a severely discounted price. In reality, the manufacturer had to cut corners somewhere to achieve that price, and battery and storage is usually the first choice.
How do you know you made the wrong choice? It’s not an easy answer, as the battery capacity is usually chosen to fit the screen resolution.
In general, you should never buy a smartphone under 1000 mAh in 2020. For 720p screens, a capacity of 1500 mAh to 2000 mAh is your best bet. For Full HD and FHD+ smartphones with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and higher, we recommend a smartphone with a capacity of 3000 mAh. You don’t have to worry about flagship models, they need to impress and satisfy their most demanding customers, and usually have a top-of-the-line battery (3000 mAh to 4100 mAh). You should also calibrate the battery to confirm the capacity is actually lower than advertised. Battery calibration should be done once in a while for older batteries.
2. Battery is old
This is the most common cause of batteries that can’t hold a charge. Every battery has a lifespan it was designed for. If you purchased the device second-hand, you know the source of pain. Shady sellers also tend to lie about age. They claim it is “lightly used” or “almost new”. In reality, they used it carefully for two to three years, bought a new one, did a factory reset on the old one, and tried to recuperate their money by tricking you.
Even if they claimed the battery was replaced and showed you proof that the battery cycle is very low, this is not a guarantee. Seasoned scammers can reset the counter or trick the sensor. If that’s not the case, it’s the reason below.
3. Battery is faulty
Although this shouldn’t happen if the company has strict quality control, it’s not impossible. In most cases, this is not a big deal, you have a certain warranty period. Granted, a rapid battery drain might not appear right off the bat. It might be outside of the warranty period, but still well under the projected lifespan. But, replacing batteries is impossible, right? Well, not exactly.
Manually replacing a battery without appropriate tools is next to impossible. Modern devices have a waterproofing seal on the edges, and the back panels aren’t made to be opened. But, someone with the right tools, battery for your device, replacement waterproof seal, and knowledge can still replace your battery. Be sure to check your battery health before giving it for any kind of replacement or repair.
It’s the question of value. Is it worth paying for parts, labor, and risking damage during repair or water causing a short-circuit of the device in the future? You might be better off purchasing a brand new or slightly used phone from a verified vendor.
4. You are charging battery the wrong way
Battery should be charged the way they intended to. Many smartphone manufacturers even have separate guides that will help you to retain battery health for a while. Following those instructions will itself make your battery last longer. There are many mistakes people commonly make while charging their smartphone batteries. The most common one out of them is using the wrong charger. Unless you cannot find the specific charger that the smartphone came with, you should always use that.
There are many more mistakes you should avoid. These smartphone battery charging tips will help you to avoid common mistakes while charging your devices.
5. Screen brightness and resolution
We’ve mentioned the resolutions above. The higher the screen resolution, the more power it will draw from the battery, obviously. But did you know that the brightness of the screen can also take a huge toll on battery life, too? Now, we’re not suggesting you squint in the sunlight to read a dimly-lit screen to save battery juice. Here’s what you can do to improve smartphone battery life –
- Be mindful of battery usage by the screen on Android.
- Go to Settings.
- Select Battery from the list.
- Tap on the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
- Choose Battery usage.
- Tap on the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner once again.
- Tap Show full device usage. Take notice of the percentage the screen uses.
- Download an adaptive brightness app. It will take control of brightness, and increase and decrease it on demand.
- Stop using live wallpaper. We’re sure they’re beautiful and interesting. But, you’re essentially playing a video on loop at all times, killing your battery life.
- Use a fully or partially black wallpaper. This will only do the trick on AMOLED screens. They can turn individual pixels off if they are supposed to show a black color.
- If you are desperate for battery juice, reduce the screen refresh rate. Some high-end phones offer a 120 Hz refresh rate, which is amazing for scrolling in the browser and playing video games. When you’re not doing that, feel free to reduce it to 50 Hz to 60 Hz in the settings.
6. Background and resource-intensive apps
If the battery isn’t faulty, why is my smartphone battery is draining quickly? Here are some of the things you can do.
- Reduce the usage of apps like YouTube, Netflix, Messenger, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, etc. They use plenty of battery juice while they’re active, which is normal. But these apps are also constantly working in the background, downloading, uploading, and writing data to bring you updates and notifications.
- Reduce the number of apps on your phone. When you have 128 GB or even 256 GB to play around with, it’s easy to shrug off random downloads. For the sake of your sanity, tidiness, and battery life, go on a cleanse and leave only the apps you use regularly.
- Limit an application. This will limit its functionality because it will be “sleeping” when not opened, but save battery life. Go to Settings, then Apps & notifications. Tap on the app of choice, then go to Advanced > Battery > Background restriction, and tap on Restrict.
- Disable or reset an application. An app might be glitching or crashing, thus draining the battery. Go to Settings again, then Apps & notifications. Tap on the app, then choose Force stop. Open the app from the home screen.
Additional tips to save battery
These are some additional tips to make the battery last longer –
- Turn off GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi when not in use. You’re probably not using these features all the time. They’re working in the background even when enabled, but not actively used.
- Turn on airplane mode. Your device is constantly communicating with nearby mobile network towers. If you have spotty service, it will work extra hard, using additional battery juice.
- Download updates regularly. Manufacturers and operating systems constantly publish updates, intended to optimize apps and reduce battery drain.
- Buy a power bank. If you are a smartphone addict or need to stay available 24/7 for other purposes, buy a power bank. It’s essentially an additional battery, typically with a capacity of between 5000 mAh and 15000 mAh.