lawdog - 20 August 2009 11:29 AM
I ended up getting the BB Tour through Verizon and have been very happy with it. The only issue is that I have noticed the battery life is starting to fade quicker than I anticipated (i.e. longer life out of the box versus a month later). Does anyone have any (tested and proven, as opposed to urban mythical ) charging tips which will prolong BB battery life.
Everyone uses their phone differently, and there may be some carrier specific applications or coverage issues that cause battery drain. But here are some other general tips that absolutely make a difference, if they apply to how you are using your Blackberry:
1. All new BlackBerrys use a lithium ion battery. Unlike older types of batteries, Li-ion do not have a “memory”, and can be recharged without being fully run-down. In fact, Li-ion batteries do better if they are NOT run-down, and are recharged whenever you have a chance.
2. Turn off all wireless function that you aren’t using - Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
3. Close any applications that you don’t need to have running, especially social media apps like Facebook, Twitter, AIM, Google Maps, etc. that continuously check for updates. You can always open them when you need them.
To check which apps are running, hold down the Blackberry button (the one with seven dots) to the left of the trackball/pad. This will bring up the list of running apps and you can close those that are not required.
4. When using your BlackBerry, keep the backlight turned low. This will make a big difference if you’re if your screen is on frequently for email or games (if your Brickbreaker high-score is above 10,000, this probably means you).
5. Turn off extra notifications. Does your Blackberry vibrate or beep every time a message comes in? That’s draining the battery (and the patience of your coworkers).
