All my iPhones have had a hammering. They are in use constantly as a mini computer although they seldom handle phone calls. In fact, the phone bit is now largely redundant as far as I am concerned. As I’ve said before, a new generic is needed to replace smartphone.
All this activity plays havoc with battery life. My new iPhone 5 is no exception. Already, after three months’ use I am having to recharge as early as 3 pm on a busy day. This is not a reflection on the device itself—Apple does a great jib in balancing size, performance and battery life—but more a consequence of my type of usage. The trouble is, I think my usage is pretty typical these days.
I was delighted, therefore, to discover an easy way of boosting my iPhone’s battery life by at least 50%: I bought an iPad mini.
The mini has become my constant companion after only a few days. I take it everywhere, unlike the bigger iPad which I seldom wanted to carry around. Now I pull out the mini in Starbucks or wherever and I have a better browsing experience and am more productive than with the iPhone. It is now my book reader of choice, having supplanted the iPhone in that role.
The happy consequence of this change is that I am using the iPhone less and less. So the battery lasts longer. Simple, really.
by Mike Evans, 10 December 2012
