Extending the Life of Your Used Cell Phone Battery
Cell phones are no longer limited to just being a tool to keep in contact with your friends. Instead, they have infiltrated their way into almost every aspect of modern day living. From checking your email to calculating how much of a tip you should leave at the lunch counter, it is safe to say that those who own new or used cell phones are constantly finding new ways to utilize their portable lifelines. However, with constant use comes a constant drain on your cell phone battery. Follow these simple steps to not only extend the power of your current charge, but the entire life of your battery.
Ring and Vibrate? Pick Only One
While either option will drain some of your battery, having both on together taps into a lot of power that could be wisely spent on other features. Decide which mode best suits your lifestyle and make certain you shut off the other option in order to extend your cell phone battery life.
Cold Climates
Depending on where you live, winter weather or otherwise cold conditions will drain your battery much faster than if you were in an environment around room temperature. Next time you're waiting for the bus, try to wait indoors somewhere or you may find yourself with a dead cell phone by the time you reach work.
Charging: Too Much of a Good Thing
Believe it or not, you can actually charge the battery on your refurbished cell phone too much. Charging a cell phone everyday will wear on the longevity of your battery, so it is ideal to not do a daily charge unless your battery is below 50%.
Reduce Your LCD Display
When not in use, a sizable amount of battery power is diverted to the LCD display screen on your cell phone. If you think you can manage a lower brightness setting for your screen, read up on the manual that came with your used cell phone and see if there is an option available to reduce the brightness. A few settings lower can be the difference between getting that important phone call or missing it due to a powerless cell phone.
Turn Your Bluetooth Off
If you don't use your bluetooth capabilities often, or do not plan on to for an extended period of time (like during work or class), then do yourself a favor and turn it off. The power wasted to keep that connection live can be enormous.
Clean Your Battery Contact Points
If the connection between your cell phone and battery is not clear and free of debris, it is possible that power being transferred is lost in transit. This is especially important for used and refurbished cell phones as you don't know when these contacts were cleaned last by the previous owners. Remove your battery and gently clean any corrosion or debris from your phone and battery using a cotton swab and some gentle cleaning solution, if necessary. When you replace your battery (after it is dry), the battery connection will be much stronger and you will know that no energy is going to waste.
Eventually, depending on how long you keep your cell phone, the battery will need to be replaced. Following these few simple steps, however, could make the difference between months and years of use before you need to purchase a new battery for your used cell phone.
