How to get the most out of your phone's battery

According to The Guardian's report on the mobile market, a phone's battery life is often one of the most common reasons why people buy new smartphones, whether that's because they've been swayed by the allure of a smartphone that has a longer-lasting battery life or because the battery of their old handset wore out. With this in mind, here are some top tips and tricks for how to extend the battery life of your phone.

Turn Off Unnecessary Connections

The very reason that you have your phone in the first place is the ability to connect to networks wherever you are. That may be a Wi-Fi connection, a data connection, a Bluetooth connection, or just a good-old-fashioned connection to a mobile tower. However, these can be extremely draining on our batteries. When the connections aren't needed, turn the connections off! Put your phone in airplane mode during times you don't want to be disturbed or when you aren't using your phone for extended periods of time.

Are Your Apps in Background Running Mode?

An oft-heard piece of battery saving advice is to close your apps down when you aren't using them, but this can actually have a negative impact on your phone's battery, so says Scotty Loveless, a former Genius Bar technician. Loveless explains that doing this takes the app out of the phone's RAM, meaning it uses up more battery when you load it back up. It's also unnecessary since (on iOS) your phone automatically freezes the app when you tab out of it. Instead, check your apps aren't in background running mode as this can actually drain your battery.

Update Your Apps Regularly

A smart but overlooked suggestion is to update your apps on a regular basis. App developers are no dummies - they know that severe battery drain is one of the primary reasons why someone would uninstall their app or just avoid it altogether. That's why they often update their apps to make them more efficient, allowing their apps to use the hardware specs of your handset in a smarter, more battery-friendly way. But you miss out on this unless you update your apps frequently!

Which Phones Have the Best Battery Lives?

It's also important to consider which phones have the best battery lives. Smartphone manufacturers seem to tout battery life figures all the time, but which one is really best? In reviews, it seems that the Huawei P20 Pro has a strong battery life. The Android-powered smartphone has a battery that can last anywhere between one and a half to two days. The fast charging feature also means that you'll only have to wait an hour and 30 minutes (or just under) for the phone to reach maximum charge.

Honourable mentions also go to the iPhone X, as the new Apple handset can last up to 60 hours (music play). Meanwhile, its closest rival, the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, is also said to have a good battery.

The battery life of your phone shouldn't limit you. You should still be able to use your phone as you wish without it running out of battery quickly. Use the tips listed above to make that happen.