[GuillaumeB]

Hi all,

So I got my iphone a week and a half ago and i am wondering how to make the most of the battery life.
I have optimized the settings and turn off the wifi when i'm not home and haven't set it too permanently search for wifi spots. However, when I am at work i do set the phone to check my emails on a hourly basis.

Now I have read that if your battery is completely dead you would need to send it to Apple and get another one for...$100. I dont know if this is still true. Also there is this video which explain how to change it yourself.

My battery lasts about 3 to 4 days and i'm honestly quite satisfied with that.

Now how can I get as much battery cycles as I can?

Sometimes I'm like "OK i'm not gonna sync my phone because it will also charge it and it might be more valuable to charge it when the battery is really low". Am I correct to believe that if you keep charging your battery(or plugging your phone) everyday, it will weaken the overall battery life?
I think I heard that to optimize your overall battery like you have to use it in full cycles.
What do you think?

[theDreamer]

I plug mine in every night, all that BS about it running out or whatever is just that, BS. Yes your battery will die over time, but so will every other battery (in cell phones, laptops, etc.). Taking care of your phone, and doing your adjustments will optimize battery life, but personally I feel if I am not using it to its fullest I am not using it properly. I am not saying you are not doing that, but do not be scared to do something, like plug it in everyday(night) if you want.

[Simon]

Why start a thread when Apple's already answered the question?

[GuillaumeB]

does not answer the question at all actually...

[FireWire]

Originally Posted by GuillaumeB 

Sometimes I'm like "OK i'm not gonna sync my phone because it will also charge it and it might be more valuable to charge it when the battery is really low". Am I correct to believe that if you keep charging your battery(or plugging your phone) everyday, it will weaken the overall battery life?
I think I heard that to optimize your overall battery like you have to use it in full cycles.
What do you think?

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I was about to post a similar question, and while searching for the answer, I found an interesting article, which contradicts what we were told.

From Wikipedia:

Guidelines for prolonging Li-ion battery life

Unlike Ni-Cd batteries, lithium-ion batteries should be charged early and often. However, if they are not used for a long time, they should be brought to a charge level of around 40%–60%. Lithium-ion batteries should not be frequently fully discharged and recharged ("deep-cycled") like Ni-Cd batteries, but this is necessary after about every 30th recharge to recalibrate any external electronic "fuel gauge" (e. g. State Of Charge meter). This prevents the fuel gauge from showing an incorrect battery charge.

I'm really surprised by this affirmation. Any expert can elaborate on this? I was wary of syncing my iPhone between charges to prevent it to spoil a charge cycle for nothing.

[imitchellg5]

No, wikipedia's article tells no lies. There is really no need to discharge a Li-ion battery. The only reason to at all is that it resets the battery meter which can sometimes get a little out of it.

[kman42]

Slightly off topic, but I've found that the 2.1 update has VASTLY improved my battery performance. With my 1st gen iPhone I could use my phone for two days if I turned it off at night. With my 3G I've always had to recharge it every night and sometimes late in the afternoon. With the 2.1 update, I can get through two days again without charging at night, although I would say the battery is definitely near the end of its charge by the second night whereas the 1st gen still had 30% or so. This is a huge improvement. I still try to charge my phone every night in case I want to do some serious Pandora radio or something. This, of course, wasn't an option on the 1st gen phone

kman