Bust these energy myths to boost battery life on your Apple gadget by Kim Komando

Your iPhone or iPad is truly an amazing piece of technology. But like so many of our high-tech gadgets these days, it has a weakness that can make it all come screaming to a halt: the battery. The truth is, battery technology has hardly kept up with the leaps and bounds made in processors, memory and super-sharp, crystal-clear screens. But battery life is not just about how long a single charge lasts, it's also about how long the battery lasts before it finally has to be replaced. That's what makes protecting your Apple's battery so important. Phone store employees and tech reporters have been known to offer up some wildly differing advice about what you should be doing with your battery. And hey, as a tech guru myself, I've been asked a ton of questions about batteries, too. Recently, I've noticed that some sources are giving some not-so-perfect advice. Some of the things that I've heard recommended can actually end up hurting your phone or tablet in the long run.

Worst of all, you might keep doing what they told you to do even after you've cut your battery life. Most of these iffy suggestions aren't all that noticeable and can be tough for even the pros to diagnose.

Today's Apple tip debunks a few of these battery-life myths. Fixing some of these misconceptions could save you from having to buy your phone or tablet a new battery sooner than you should have to.

Myth #1: Off-brand charge cables are bad for your device

One of the most expensive mistakes that so-called tech gurus will tell you to make is to only buy charging cables through Apple. Sure, the company does make some quality products, but those branded versions come at a pretty hefty cost.

Having to pay a premium for a cord that keeps your gadget powered up, then, can start to get really expensive if you're always on the go. Off-brand cables aren't dangerous, but they can sometimes require a little extra research.

One of the best things about Apple gadgets is that you always know what you're buying. When it comes to cables, though, all that you really want is for the cable to successfully charge your devices.
Most phones that connect your iPod/iPhone/iPad to a power source are pretty much interchangeable. You can find a wide variety of all-purpose chargers in my shop. Be sure to check out:

• A portable, stand-up wall charger for your iPhone 5 and 5s
• Wall charger for Lightning connectors
• Car chargers for Lightning and non-Lightning Apple gadgets

If you're buying a laptop charger, however, you're going to want to be a little more careful. Different MacBooks require different power outputs. Failure rate is also something to consider, which is when you should look to Amazon reviews and a few well-placed Google searches to make sure that the $20-$60 you're saving on power cables isn't too good to be true.

Myth #2: Turning off your phone is a waste of time

The biggest battery-related mistake that I see on a day-to-day basis is also the easiest one to fix. Let's get one thing straight: Just because your iPhone or iPad is sleeping, doesn't mean that it's actually "resting."

When you and I sleep, we shut everything down for 8 hours. When a computer sleeps, it temporarily suspends all of its running programs to conserve power.

Bonus tip: Should you shut down your smartphone or tablet at night?

Turning your phone off shuts down all of the apps and services that it's powering. I usually tell people to try shutting down their phone whenever it's running slowly or draining battery quicker than it should.

To turn off your phone, press and hold the power button. Then select the "shut down" or "turn off" option that should pop up. You can turn your gadget back on again by holding down the power button.

Myth #3: Your gadget should be on a charge cable if you're near one

Charging your phone is a basic everyday task, but too much of a good thing really can hurt your gadget's battery life. Charging your gadget from empty to full is great, but leaving your battery on charge after it's full can cut a swath through your phone's long-term battery life.

Luckily, most modern cellphone batteries "trickle charge" themselves, which means that once your gadget hits 100% charge, it'll stop charging until it drops to 99%, then bounces back to 100%.

If you leave your phone on your car charger or outside, then that's where things get hairy. As an Arizonan, I can tell you that leaving your phone in your car (even off-charger) can heat up your device.

If you leave your gadget in a hot car with a full charge, then you put yourself at much higher risk for losing your overall battery life.

If you want to know just how risky it is, look no further than Battery University's chart comparing what happens when you store a lithium-ion battery for three months at 40% charge and 100% charge at various temperatures.

The hotter it is, the quicker your gadget's overall battery life starts draining. So, don't worry too much about overcharging your gadget. What you should worry about, though, is turning off your gadget with a full battery and the temperature of the place where you store it.

Bottom line: Heat is the mortal enemy of batteries. Keep your gadget cool and properly powered to conserve its overall battery life.

Myth #4: Wi-Fi and 3G are the biggest drains on your battery

While it's true that Wi-Fi and 3G can drain your battery, I think that it's more important to understand why Internet connectivity can be an energy vampire. Whenever you receive an email update without actually opening your email app and refreshing, something called background app refreshing is happening.

Many apps check in with the Internet frequently to alert you of new messages, emails or new Candy Crush levels. These frequent check-ins can tax your phone's processing power, which boosts its energy usage.

Unlike what some would tell you, though, you can still get notifications from the apps you want while disabling the ones that you don't.

All that you have to do is open up Settings>>General>>Background App Refresh. You should see a list of every app on your phone that uses the Internet while your phone is sleeping.

Posted in: iPhone