The new BlackBerry Z10 is great, but the battery life isn’t. Early adopters have reported the phone running out of juice within 8-10 hours, which means you won’t get through the day without a top-up charge somewhere along the way.
A recent software update has addressed battery life problems, but we’ve got some tips to make your Z10 last even longer. Follow our simple battery saving tips and you should see your phone last from morning to bed time without the need for charging in between.
Don’t skimp on charging
Sure, most smartphones will tell you that they’re fully charged within an hour or two. However, the more often you charge your phone for shorter durations, the more likely your battery life is to start gradually dropping, until you’re forced to replace it.
We recommend using the charger that came with your phone or a BlackBerry charger at least, and overnight. If you follow our tips you should be able to charge your phone nightly, use it all day and only come to charge it at bedtime – this is the best way to get the best battery life daily and in the long run.
Don’t let your screen suck all the battery life
With modern smartphones the screen is the biggest cause of battery drain. These large, bright, HD displays require lots of power, and the longer they’re on and the brighter they are, the less your battery will last. Manually set your brightness – the lower the better – like this;
Open Settings > Display > Swipe the Brightness slider to the left
It’s also a good idea once in this settings page to alter the Screen Lock Timeout setting. This tells the phone when to shut off the screen when you’re not using it – the lower the value the better. An alternative way of making sure the screen is always off when you’ve finished using the phone is to put it into an official BlackBerry holster case. Alternatively, just click that top power button before putting the phone back in your pocket or bag!
Turn off unnecessary connections
Having the latest smartphone is great – you’re connected in every way. Unfortunately all of these wireless connections need battery, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth being the biggest offenders. We recommend turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you’re not using them. You can toggle these settings on and off by following;
Open Settings > Network Connections > Swipe On switches across to turn off.
You can also turn off Mobile Hotspot, Internet Tethering and NFC when not in use to save battery.
Only use Location when necessary
Location settings require your phone to link up with a satellite via GPS, and it’s surprising how many apps do this. If you don’t often use maps or navigation apps then turning off location settings is a good idea, and one that can save you a lot of battery. These settings can be toggled on and off by following;
Open Settings > Location Services > Turn off Location Services, Traffic Data Collection and Location-based Adverts.
If you feel you need location services for maps, directions and such, turning off just Location based Adverts is a good idea.
Sync less frequently
We know, we know, the BlackBerry is all about being connected. However, the more your Z10 checks for emails, Facebook updates, new Tweets, BBMs and so on, the more your battery suffers. If you feel you don’t need emails from a certain account or Facebook updates, turn them off – they can be turned back on again, don’t worry. If there’s an email account you don’t use, delete it!
To turn off email: Open Settings > Accounts > Tap an email account > turn Sync Email Off
To sync email less frequently: Open Settings > Accounts > Tap an email account > Tap Advanced > Turn Push Off > Change Sync Interval (Manual is ideal as you can check only when you want to)
To turn off Facebook: Open Settings > Accounts > Tap Facebook account > Turn off any of Sync Messages, Sync Events, Find Friends and Enable Notifications
To turn off Twitter: Open Settings > Accounts > Tap Twitter account > Turn off Find Friends, Enable Notifications, Sync Direct Messages
These accounts can also be deleted if you wish by following the steps above and tapping Delete.
Always check for updates
Software updates are designed to fix things, so it’s always good to be on the ball with them. To check for and install the latest updates, follow these simple steps;
Open Settings > Software Updates > Check for Updates
Carry a spare
Failing all of our tips, if your Z10 still doesn’t last long enough for you, or you want two days usage, then carrying a spare battery isn’t a bad idea. You can pick up an official spare battery for around £23, from places like Clove.