Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine - Battery

Turn off the screen during calls

Daniel Hart — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:26:50 +0000

A tip from WMExperts.com describes how to use a freeware program to turn off the LCD screen on your smartphone during calls to save battery power. Click here for the article.

http://www.wmexperts.com/articles/howto/tip_of_the_week_month_whenever.html

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Turn down volume level to save power

Daniel Hart — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:49:17 +0000

When conserving power to extend battery life, every little bit helps. One way to conserve a little more power is to turn the volume down to the lowest setting that is bearable for you.
   On touch screen devices, tap on the speaker icon in the upper right corner of the screen. An adjustable volume slider will appear that you can use to set the volume. Note that if you have a phone-enabled device, there will be two separate volume sliders: one for device alerts and sounds, and the other for ringtone volume. You can also adjust the volume in media players such as Windows Media Player Mobile—tap on the “+” and “-“ buttons to raise or lower the volume.
   On non-touch screen smartphones, the way in which the volume is adjusted varies depending on the device. Some devices have a dial or buttons on the side of the smartphone that you can use to manually adjust the volume, others do not. Consult your user manual if needed. In Windows Media Player, highlight the volume icon and press up or down on the D-pad to adjust the volume.
   The more you use features that require sound—appointment alarms, games with sound effects, and especially music and video—the more power you conserve by turning the sound down.

Lower the device volume to conserve battery power.

Based on a tip from pdastreet.com

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Using the â€œUSB Chargingâ€ option in HP iPAQs

Daniel Hart — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:22:47 +0000

Most HP iPAQs have a built-in feature called “USB Charging,” which enables the ability to charge your device from your PC’s USB port and allows you to set the rate of charge to “Slow” or “Fast.” To activate this feature, go to Start >Settings >System tab, tap on the Power icon, and select the tab labeled “USB Charging.” Check the box labeled “Use USB Charging” if you want your iPAQ to charge while it is connected to a desktop PC via a USB sync cable. Once the box is checked, you can then select from one of two charging options:

Slow Charge: This option charges your device at a lower power setting over a longer time period. Use it when don’t need to recharge your device quickly, especially for overnight charging. Because this setting provides less power, you should not use it if you intend on using your device while it is being charged. Also, be sure to turn off the screen if you choose this setting.
Fast Charge: This is the default option when you activate USB Charging. It provides more power and charges your device faster. Note that this setting will cause your battery to heat up more than the Slow Charge setting, which may cause a reduction in the life of the battery over a period of time. Use the Fast Charge setting if you intend on using your device while it is charging.

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Conserve battery powerâ€”turn off backlighting

Daniel Hart — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:53:01 +0000

On some touch screen devices, you can press and hold down the power on/off button to turn off the screen backlighting (hold the button down again to turn it back on). Turning it off will save you power, but it will also make the screen difficult to view in a poorly lit environment. You might experiment with this; if you can still see the screen with the backlighting off, you’ll be able to use your device a little longer between recharges.

You can also adjust the backlight brightness level downward to reduce the drain on your battery. (Or adjust it upward if you are having trouble seeing it.) To do this, go to Settings >System >Backlight (or Brightness).

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Save power while playing music: Turn off the screen

Daniel Hart — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:10:26 +0000

If you are listening to music on your device for a long period of time, you can save power by turning the screen off. This can be done by assigning a button to toggle the screen on and off in Windows Media Player. Follow these steps:

Media Player 10 Mobile (WM 6, WM 5, and some WM 2003 Second Edition devices)

Open Media Player to the main screen and go to Menu >Options >Buttons.
Scroll down to the bottom of the list and select (highlight) the Toggle Screen option.
Tap on the Assign button (non-touch screen smartphones: Select Menu >Assign).
Press the button that you want to assign to the toggle screen function.
Press OK when you are finished assigning Media Player functions to buttons.

Media Player 9 for Pocket PC (Some WM 2003 Second Edition and devices running earlier versions of the OS)

Open Media Player to the main screen and go to Tools >Settings >Buttons.
Select a Media Player function from the Select Function drop-down menu by tapping on it.
Press the button you want to assign to the function.
Tap OK.

You can save battery power while listening to music in Media Player by assigning a button to toggle the screen off.

Note: Media Player 10 Mobile allows you to assign its functions to the directional/navigation pad, but not the application launch buttons. (Media Player 9 for Pocket PC does allow you to do this.) Also, if your Windows Mobile 5 or 6 device has a QWERTY or numeric keypad, you can assign Media Player functions to those keys. Finally, if you assign a function to a button that already has another Media Player function assigned to it, it will lose its original assignment.

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Battery life expectancy

Daniel Hart — Tue, 15 May 2007 20:19:27 +0000

The normal life expectancy of a lithium-ion battery in a Windows Mobile device is between two to three years, or 300 to 500 discharge/charge cycles. After that, the battery will start to degrade (regardless of usage intensity) and will hold less power after a charge. Here are a few tips about using lithium-ion batteries:

It’s better to do frequent partial discharges; full discharges should be avoided.
When you charge a lithium-ion battery for the first time, it will only be at around 70% power when fully charged. It should reach full capacity after two or three discharge/charge cycles.

Based on tips from pocketpcjunkies.com and aximsite.com

How to check your device's available battery power

Staff — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 19:01:06 +0000

Overview:

Check your deviceâ€™s battery power by going to Start >Settings >System tab and tapping the Power icon (non-touch screen smartphones: Start >Settings >Power Management). Many devices also display the remaining power somewhere on the Today or Home screen. Finally, check out pocketpcmag.com/_enc/encyclopedia.asp for third-party â€œbattery statusâ€ solutions.

Here's how to do it:

Go to Start >Settings >System tab (smartphones: Start >Settings >Power Management).
Touch screen devices: Tap on the Power icon.

This screen displays a bar showing you the amount of charge remaining on your Main Battery. You may also see a Backup Battery status which can provide temporary backup power for your device while you switch out the main battery.

Many devices also have a power indicator located on the Today or Home screen. On non-touch screen smartphones, there is a power icon that looks like a battery with four bars inside located in the right corner of the top menu bar. On many (but not all) touch screen devices there is a power indicator or an icon located somewhere on the Today screen. You may have to tap on it to view the status.

The Power screen in touch screen devices (left) and the Power Management screen in non-touch screen smartphones (right) show how much charge is remaining in the battery.

TIP: Don’t let your battery power get too low. If it’s below 50%, it’s a good idea to recharge it soon. This is especially important with pre-WM 5 devices, which can lose data and files stored in internal memory if the battery drains totally. It is a good idea to keep your device connected with the AC power adapter whenever possible, to keep the battery charged.

TIP: There are free and low-cost third-party applications that will display your battery status on the Today/Home screen (if your device doesn’t). Check out Battery Pack Pro (omegaone.com) or Spb Pocket Plus (spbsoftwarehouse.com), or do a search on “battery status” in our Encyclopedia of Software and Accessories (pocketpcmag.com/_enc/encyclopedia.asp).

For more information, go to the “Extending Battery Life” section found in the Mastering section.

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How to get started with a new touch screen or non-touch screen smartphone device

Staff — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 18:10:35 +0000

Overview:

Insert and charge the battery; turn on your device and follow the setup prompts; install ActiveSync (for Windows XP) and Outlook on your desktop PC (the Windows Vista OS has Windows Mobile Device Center built in); connect the USB cable or cradle that came with your device to your PC, and connect your device to the cable or cradle to synchronize. Then follow the on-screen setup instructions.

Here's how to do it:

Here is a list of steps you’ll need to follow with a brand new device. The first two steps are common to touch screen devices and non-touch screen smartphones.

Insert the battery into the device. If you’re unsure how to do this, consult the user’s manual.
Turn your device on. If you receive a low-battery warning or if the screen does not come on, you’ll need to charge the battery. To do this, connect your device to its AC power adapter and charge the battery. (DO NOT connect the device to your PC computer at this time.) It can take as long as 12 hours to fully charge the battery. Consult your user’s manual for the recommended charging time. After you finish charging the battery, turn the device on and proceed to the next step.

On a touch screen device (Pocket PC, Pocket PC Phone Edition, Smartphone Professional)

When you turn on a touch screen device for the first time, you are presented with a welcome screen followed by the Align screen. The Align screen displays a series of small crosshairs in different parts of the screen, and asks you to tap in the center of the crosshairs to calibrate the screen so that it recognizes taps accurately.
Next, you’re taken through an exercise that shows you how to copy and paste an appointment.
Then you are asked to select the time zone you’ll be using your device in. This finishes the initial setup procedure and you can now start working with your device.
You can personalize your device by typing in a device name and your name, address and phone number, etc. See: “How to enter, change, and display owner information” in the Learning section for the steps.
If you do not already have Outlook installed on your desktop PC, install it from the Companion CD that came with your device. (If you don’t use Outlook on your PC, you’ll need to purchase and install a third-party synchronization solution, in addition to installing ActiveSync.)
Users of Windows XP need to install ActiveSync on their PCs; it’s found on the Companion CD that came with their device. ActiveSync’s capabilities are built into the Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC), which is part of the new Windows Vista OS. However, WMDC does not work with Pocket PC 2000 and 2002 versions of the mobile OS. Users of the older Pocket PCs running these versions will still have to install ActiveSync on their Windows Vista PC.
With ActiveSync installed, plug in the USB cradle or cable that came with your device into your PC. You can now synchronize your device with your PC by placing it into the sync cradle or connecting with the sync cable. For more details, see “How to avoid problems with ActiveSync” in this section.

On a non-touch screen smartphone

After turning the phone on, follow any necessary steps that (may) appear on the screen in order to set up the phone.
Follow steps 5, 6, and 7 above if you want to synchronize your smartphone with your PC.

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Cold kills your device's battery and can affect its display

Staff — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 21:02:26 +0000

A winter warning: If you're working outside, don't leave your Windows Mobile device sitting on a bench for any length of time. If you drive around a lot, don't store it in your glove compartment. Cold decreases the power output of batteries. If the battery freezes, you can damage it and have to replace it. If the battery voltage goes low enough, pre-WM5 devices may lose data stored in RAM memory. Depending on how long the batteries have been out in the cold, their power level may come back as they warm up. Let them warm up before you recharge them.

Get a spare or optional extended battery

Staff — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 21:02:20 +0000

If you often find your battery level too low or notice that you're constantly recharging your device, you may want to consider purchasing an extended battery. These batteries are custom made for each Pocket PC or smartphone series and fit onto the back of your device. Despite the disadvantage of added bulk, extended batteries often double the amount of battery charge available with your original battery.

Extended batteries can be purchased directly from your device manufacturer or from independent online vendors, including MobilePlanet.com, PDAMods.com, and PDASmart.com.

Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine - Battery

Turn off the screen during calls

Turn down volume level to save power

Using the â€œUSB Chargingâ€ option in HP iPAQs

Conserve battery powerâ€”turn off backlighting

Save power while playing music: Turn off the screen

Battery life expectancy

How to check your device's available battery power

How to get started with a new touch screen or non-touch screen smartphone device

Cold kills your device's battery and can affect its display

Get a spare or optional extended battery

Using the â€œUSB Chargingâ€ option in HP iPAQs