batteries – PSafe Blog

Do You Believe These 3 Myths About Phone Batteries?

PSafe Newsroom — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 16:00:03 +0000

A lot of the battery myths we may believe are not totally false — they are often based on some truth. We hold onto some of these old beliefs because they were once true for preserving certain types of batteries. But smartphone batteries have changed a lot over the years, and what may have been true for nickel-based batteries isn’t true for the lithium-ion smartphone batteries of today.

Myth #1: You can only use the charger that comes with your phone.

There are some benefits to using the name-brand charger that comes with your smartphone. A Samsung charger, for example, will often charge your phone much faster than a third-party charger. However, there are plenty of equally fast and safe third-party chargers on the market. Third-party chargers are often much more affordable than name-brand chargers, and perform just as well. Just make sure that you do your research first and read reviews before purchasing — a cheaper charger may seem great, but it might be more dangerous to use (causing your device to overheat or spark, which could damage your battery), or else charge your phone much more slowly.

Myth #2: You shouldn’t use your phone while it’s charging.

This behavior only becomes risky when you use a poor quality charger, which could electrocute you or start a fire. If you avoid cheap chargers, then it’s completely safe for you to use your phone when it’s charging. Doing so will not cause stress to your phone battery or affect how well your battery charges.

Myth #3: It’s OK to always keep your phone on.

We use our phones for just about everything, which means that we almost never power them off or restart them. Or, maybe we keep them on all of the time because many of us now have our smartphones as our main contact number instead of landlines. What if there’s an emergency call during the night and our phone is off? While landlines could stay on 24/7, smartphones definitely shouldn’t be on 24/7. Keeping your phone on all of the time can greatly shorten your battery’s lifespan.

In order to preserve the life of your smartphone battery — and possibly improve your phone’s performance — you should aim to turn off your phone or restart it at least once a week. This only takes a few minutes to do (or you can leave it off for longer). This rule also applies to all of your other devices, such as laptops and tablets. You don’t have to do this at night or overnight, either, so don’t worry about missing your morning alarm.

How Long Are These Leading Android Devices Built to Last for?

PSafe Newsroom — Sat, 03 Jun 2017 16:00:16 +0000

Ever notice that your phone battery gets depleted faster and faster over time to the point where it’s essentially useless? There are of course ways to prolong the shelf life of your phone battery, like with PSafe’s PowerPRO app, which identifies and removes tasks that consume too much battery with just one touch. Click here to open PowerPro:

According to Recon Analytics, the average lifespan of a smartphone is about 21 months. Gauging the battery life of each phone is tremendously difficult, as companies can very easily manipulate in-house battery testing to produce better results. According to each manufacturer’s website, however, of the phones with Android software, Lenovo smartphones are leading the charge with 78 hours of average talk time, followed by Sonim with 40 hours of talk time, then Google with 29 hours.

So what causes this battery deterioration process? Part of it is just wear and tear. Obviously, something like a broken circuit board makes operating an Android nearly impossible. But then there are less obvious methods of battery draining, like having apps running in the background that consume a lot of energy, even if you aren’t using them. The same goes for widgets and other functions that require GPS, as they take up a deceptively large amount of battery life. Continuing to charge a phone while it’s at 100% can also degrade long-term battery life.

So how can one prolong the shelf life of their phone? Keeping your phone updated with the latest software ensures your phone will run efficiently. If updates are important to you, then Google-made phones are your best bet, as they come with an assured period of 18 months of updates upon purchase. Another way to prolong the shelf life of your phone is keeping it clean. Believe it or not, dust and dirt can make its way inside your phone and impact how well the battery functions.

One of the most proactive ways you could help your battery is by installing the PowerPro app, which identifies apps and tasks with excessive energy consumption and suggests solutions to make your battery last longer. There are also smaller things you can do, like dim your phone screen or choose a stationary phone wallpaper without the bells and whistles that some phones offer. But snuffing out energy suckers on your phone through the PowerPro app is a surefire way to prolong your Android battery life.

The Best Battery Packs to Use on the Move

PSafe Newsroom — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 18:18:09 +0000

If you’re a habitual user of your cell phone, you may have to charge your phone multiple times a day. Having a dead cell phone in an unknown area can lead to dangerous situations. Luckily, there are battery packs that can keep your phone juiced up while you’re on the go. Here are a few that you should consider:

Flux Portable Charger
At only $30, this portable charger is extremely pocket friendly. It’s only 7.8mm thick, with 108 x 62.8mm dimensions. It only takes about 3 to 4 hours to fully charge this device. Additionally, the device contains enough power to recharge your phone once, and maybe even twice if you’re efficient. There is a button on the side that you can push to see the battery power of the portable charger. However, one of the glaring cons is that this device takes over 2 hours to completely charge the battery of the Samsung Galaxy S7.

RAVPower Portable External Battery Charger
While this charger contains more USBs than the Flux Charger, it is much bulkier. While it is certainly possible to take on the go, it could burden your pocket. Despite its bulky size, it offers a very efficient charge. This charger also contains three output ports, so you can charge multiple devices at the same time. Your laptop and tablet can also be charged by the powerful charger. At $60, it isn’t as economical as the Flux.

ZeroLemon ToughJuice Rugged Portable Charger
If you’re going on a hike in the middle of nowhere and you need a powerful device to charge all of your electronic devices, then look no further. With a 30,000 mAh capacity, this charger can keep your devices going for days. The Galaxy S6 can be charged up to seven times on this device. Although the ZeroLemon weighs 14.1oz, you can’t expect a device of such high power to be light. It can also take up to 24 hours to fully charge this product. At $75, this device should only be sought by those who absolutely need their electronics on the road when they’re off the grid.

Braven BRV-BANK Rugged Portable Battery
If you need a portable battery that can survive being mauled by a bear in the wilderness, then this charger is right up your alley. It is water resistant and successfully met the military drop test. This means it can withstand hard falls with ease. It costs $100, but it’s well worth the price considering its durability and 6,000 mAh battery.

To ensure that your phone runs for as long as possible before you break out your portable chargers, download PSafe’s PowerPro.

Best Mobile Batteries for Your Cell Phone

PSafe Newsroom — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 20:36:00 +0000

It’s your worst nightmare, you have two hours left on your morning commute and your phone died. You’re stuck on a train or bus with no music, no apps, no message, and no phone calls. We’ve found the best android phone batteries to make sure this scenario never becomes a reality.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

The S7 Edge battery is an easy sell. The battery is fully charged in one and a half hours. That’s as three episodes on Netflix fast. Don’t have time for a binge? By charging your phone for just ten minutes, you can get four hours of cell phone use. If you use your phone at a normal usage during the day you should still have 25 to 35 percent battery life at the end of the day. It’s known for it’s exceptional battery saving during standby time so you rightfully don’t get penalized for not using your phone.

Xiaomi Mi 5

This battery is a bargain for your buck, and it’s clear why this phone is dominating the Chinese markets. This battery will last you all day, and has been able to last for 8 hours and 55 minutes straight. The phone will charge super fast for those times you only have fifteen minutes before making the next train.

OnePlus One

Are you one of those people who are addicted to your phone? Never fear, the OnePlus One is the phone for you. This amazing battery will last you thirteen hours of heavy use, constant internet, phone call and video viewing. For those of us who sadly have to be away from our android during parts of the day, this phone battery will easily last you a day and a half.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Some may say that the best parts of the Note 5 are the amazing camera, huge screen, and stylus features. But their missing one. The battery life. Again, those heavy phone users will have no fear. At the end of busy cell phone day, you’ll still have around thirty percent of your battery life left.

With these phones you’ll never have to worry about a dead battery again. Want even more battery life? Download PowerPro by PSafe to add on to the amazing battery saving powers of the normal Android Phones.