Tired of Your Smartphone Dying? 7 Quick Fixes

Two months ago, I finally gave-in and purchased a Smartphone. Given how long I'd avoided taking this step, I was determined to feel ambivalent about my new tool. Instead, my Droid and I have been getting along swimmingly. Except for one thing: it keeps dying on me!

I'll bet this happens to most of you, too. And I imagine it's inconvenient when you're using your Smartphone as a business tool. If you're on the phone with clients, managing your social media accounts, and checking your email, a dead battery can be disastrous.

So I got together with RE Technology's resident tech genius, Chris, and our seasoned iPhone-user, Melissa (we suspect her iPhone is physically attached to her hand). They shared with me these 7 tried-and-true ways to extend battery life.

1. Stop apps from running in the background. If you're less technologically inclined (let's say, for example, a copywriter), you may not realize that certain apps continue to run on your phone, even if you aren't actively using them. These apps use a great deal of your battery's "juice" to keep running, even when they aren't useful to you.

I wasn't confident about my own ability to manage my apps, so I nabbed a free "app killer." This little guy ends apps automatically for me at regular intervals. Of course the app killer is, in fact, an app and is, unfortunately, running in the background and draining your battery. But he's definitely the lesser of two evils, in my experience. I've probably added a few hours of battery life to my Droid with my app killer.

2. Keep a spare. True, the iPhone does not have a removable battery (this is one of the reasons I chose my Droid). However, there are alternative tools out there that can accomplish much the same thing. Whether it's an extra battery for your Android or Blackberry, or ancillary battery power for your iPhone, try to keep a back-up in your purse, in your desk, and your car.

3. If you have an iPhone 3, invest in an iPhone 4. "There's much more battery life on my new iPhone 4," says Melissa. "It's a huge improvement and definitely worth the money."

4. Fine-tune your display. Your screen is generally the biggest drain on your battery. In your Smartphone settings, you can adjust the timer on your backlight, brightness, and other factors that could be guzzling power.

5. Turn off Wi-Fi if you know it won't be available. Going for a long ride in the car? Headed into a movie theater? There are some places where Wi-Fi just isn't going to happen. Chris explains, "If you're going to be stuck in a Wi-Fi dry zone for an extended period of time, turn of the Wi-Fi on your phone. If you don't, your phone will keep scanning for a network, and using your battery power to do it."

6. Turn off GPS whenever possible. I love using my Smartphone for driving  directions. (I get lost more than I care to admit.) However, I've found that GPS really drains my battery. That's why I've become very diligent about turnin g off GPS as soon as I'm finished with it. It's a habit you should get into too.

7. Turn off Bluetooth. Turning off Bluetooth gives your phone one less signal to search for.

If you have specific questions, or have tips of your own to share, please comment here.