Introduction
All iPhones are powered by a battery, and run from a hard drive. When the hard drive is processing information then it will spin, using power from the battery. This is applicable to all the iPod and iPhone models, including Touch, Nano and Classic. If you are finding that your power is going to quickly on your iPhone or iPod then you can benefit from following some of the very simple tips below.
Using the backlight effectively
Set your backlight to register for just a few seconds after usage. There is no need to have your backlight on for 30 seconds after you put the phone down, so adjust this one straight away. You can do this immediately by selecting the backlight timer from the iPod / i Phone menu settings. There are options for you to choose exactly how long you want your backlight to stay on for, and you can even remove in daylight altogether if not needed. You will be amazed how much battery you save by doing this. Far too often the main reason for quick battery loss is due to the backlight timer being on for too long.
Understanding the Cache
Every iPod and iPhone has a cache. This is the memory chip that holds sections of information, for example music which is then processed through the hard drive. If you are clever and use smaller files that are more efficient with the cache then your hard drive will not need to work so hard to process the information - therefore resulting in saved energy.
Do NOT use .WAV or .AIFF music formats
These files are far too large, and will normally result in your iPhone skipping tracks and get your hard drive spinning frantically. If you avoid these then youwill have more free space, and better efficiency when playing music - therefore saving battery.
Locking your iPhone / iPod
Do not underestimate how much power can be saved by using the sleep and wake buttons. Make sure that you lock your device every time that you are not using it. As with the back light you can go into the menu setting and if desired you are able to make these functions work automatically by selecting auto lock and choosing the length of time your phone should not be in use before changing to sleep mode. It is recommended that you do this as soon as possible.
Listening to Music Efficiently
Now that you know what files not to use when playing music (AIFF and WAV), you can continue to be more efficient! How many times have you been listening to music with your headphones only to remove then for a few minutes because someone enters a room and starts a conversation with you. Now, how many times have you removed the headphones and not thought to hit the "PAUSE" button to stop the track. By hitting the pause button you can save so much battery, especially if you are working in a busy office where you are being approached on a regular basis.
Get yourself some good headphones so that you do not need to set the volume to maximum.
Controlling Your iPhone/iPod
How many times have you got your phone out of your pocket only to see that it has amazingly managed to switch itself on and start surfing the web excitedly without you even telling it to! Don't worry this applies to pretty much everybody. The iPod and iPhone give you excellent opportunities to lock and hold your screens for a reason - it stops this happening! Flip your hold button the classic and nano models into locked position to stop yourself from accidently knocking the buttons - avoid your phone browsing the web on its own accord!
Setting up Good Playlists
Playlists are usually created and then when it comes to playing them we find ourselves skipping through lots of songs in order to get to 1 that we want to hear. Most of the time half the songs on your playlists will not even get played! Take into consideration that skipping tracks and stopping songs etc takes uo much more battery as the hard drive is being stopped and started and does not process the information continuously. Make sure that your playlists are good so that you can avoid skipping away, and attract battery saving!
iPhone & iPod Apps
Don't leave your apps running in the background and always make sure that they are switched on when you have finished using your device. Apps can use a considerable amount of the battery and space on your iPhone / iPod.
