Any Good Tricks To Keep Phone Battery Powerful Around Thailand?

[MrGaoMungGawn]

My smartphone loses power pretty fast if I use it for anything but simple sending and receiving for phone calls.

I use one of those battery managers (the one with the "easy talk killer plugin"), but my battery is soon depleted if I use it for WiFi with maps, or surfing web for info, or any of a number of things I need to do with the phone and the web.

I am using a small smartphone, not one of those giant bricks.

It is just a cheap Acer Z130,

But it is pretty nice for the money.

My question is:

What can I do to take my phone out where I go, and use it from dawn to dusk, surfing the web when I need to, using Line calls or Skype when i need to, and still having enough juice at the end of the day.

I would like to be able to use this phone for 8 hours, but I don't think this is possible if I want to use WiFi, or use 3G for web work.

1. Would it be best to just carry a few extra batteries? But I don't like the nail breaking work of changing batteries, although not so bad as changing diapers.

Extra batteries are not that expensive, I guess, so this would be a solution.

2. What about buying a larger battery that I could carry with me. I would not mind carrying a 250 gram battery around with me, which is only a fraction of the weight of a good text book.

How can you find something like this? If I had a car battery, I know how to connect the phone to that.

But are there any fairly light batteries with a plug that hook up to your phone and let you use it with abandon for a whole day of heavy use? I think this would be the best solution.

3. Are there any really fast chargers with a plug so that when I have an extra 5 minutes at the train station, the airport, or the Seven, I can just plug in and get a 90% charge in a couple of minutes? I think you can do this with some type of technology that may be available.

4. What are the other options?

Tks.

Mr. Gao.

[anon8]

Disabe data, disable gps, disable wifi, set the display brightness to lowest, and set turn off displey in 5 seconds. Turn on data and or wifi only when needed. But its the display that drains around 80 perc of battery.

Edited January 12, 2014 by valgehiir

[speedtripler]

Turn if off

[cooked]

Both my old iphone and my Samsung have apps called something like 'Battery Doctor'. They tell you what apps are running in the background like Bluetooth, messengers and so on. Using 3G is a big drain as is navigation.

[casualbiker]

Look at TV ads. Lazada they have MANY ext battery options

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[lomatopo]

That model looks to have a very small battery: 1,500 mAh, so I might not expect too much, unless you turn it off.

Not sure if you can find an integrated battery case for it?

Or just get a battery pack? I see these Yoobao battery packs everywhere here.

[Tywais]

You can get power packs. Invadeit.com shows them and their prices.

[MrGaoMungGawn]

You can get power packs. Invadeit.com shows them and their prices.

Thang You!

That is exactly what I had envisioned. (most of the specs on this particular website don't list the weight. for portable models? weird http://store.moshimonde.com/portable-battery-charger-ion-bank-10k.html)

There is one weighing 135 grams

Approx 1650 Baht.

5200mAh

Just perfect.

But why not make one oneself?

I wonder

[Jasun]

If you're not aware, smartphones charge twice as fast in airplane mode.

[MrGaoMungGawn]

If you're not aware, smartphones charge twice as fast in airplane mode.

No!

I did not know that.

[kkerry]

You will find this design marketed under different brand names e.g. MD Tech, Powerbank etc. and sold in many, many IT mall shops for 590 baht, 6000 mAh, 117g, takes a minimum 6 hours to charge from empty but when full will recharge the average Android phone three times over. I just bought the Powerbank version for my wife the other day. Takes about an hour to charge her phone from empty. If you want something to charge to 90% in a few minutes then if there is such a product I suspect it won't be cheap.

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/1402871781/6000mAh_Small_Portable_Bright_Colors_Manufactory.html?s=p or

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=514811955252356&set=a.514811881919030.1073741825.366393226760897&type=1&theater

Next size up is 790 baht,8400mAh, 190g maybe, takes 10 hours to charge from empty.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=514811925252359&set=a.514811881919030.1073741825.366393226760897&type=1&theater

[malathione]

I used double sided tape and stuck a small powerbank (2200 mAh, I think) on the back of my now deceased Nexus 4. Not elegant but did the job.

[kkerry]

I was walking around an IT mall the other day and if you have the time to look there always seems to be someone clearing out old models. I saw a few places selling 5600 mAh Powerbank style batteries for 300 baht and got myself a very simple (no flashing lights) 2600 mAh model for 190 baht (reduced from 309 baht). Light and easy to slip in the pocket, just enough power to get you out of a jam.

[OMGImInPattaya]

If you're not aware, smartphones charge twice as fast in airplane mode.

No!

I did not know that.

Also, if you use a higher amperage wall wart charger, 2.5 instead of 1 amp, it will charge much faster.

[NBD]

Answered your own question twice really - either spare batteries or a powerbank. I bought a powerbank for about 500 THB and it does the job very well.

Also get in the habit of switching off bluetooth, GPS etc when they're not needed, and plugging the phone in for a few minutes whenever you get in the car or near a charger. Even 10-15 minutes will help keep the power up.

[DavidMavec]

Could be the battery is old too. Did it work better before?

The power bank/external battery works very well for me.

[LookChang]

I use a 12,000 mah powerbank on my Galaxy Note 2:

http://www.lazada.co.th/you-are-spy-12000-mah-145856.html?boosting=3

Never have battery problem anymore.

[Rorri]

Don't use it so bloody much, my Samsung S4 still has close to 68% charge when I plug it into power, usually around 10pm, what are you expecting form a "computer" that can make calls. In most cases it's the screen that uses most of the power. Having software that tells you what apps are running, simply means you have another app running, after a short time you do not look at it in order to turn some apps off. Get a life, get off the phone. "Smart" phones, dumb people.

[Rorri]

If you're not aware, smartphones charge twice as fast in airplane mode.

No!

I did not know that.

Also, if you use a higher amperage wall wart charger, 2.5 instead of 1 amp, it will charge much faster.

Bullshit, the phones charging circuit only charges at its rate not at the power packs rating. The only reason they would charge faster in airplane mode is that you have turned OFF some features, so there is less power being used while putting power in, so, turning the phone OFF it will then charge even quicker, but in reality who wants to remember to turn things off... then remember to turn things on... eg, if you turn airplane mode on... then you MUST remember to turn it off...stupid idea.

[thhMan]

Turn it off when you are not using it...

Also... just in case you didnt know... during the day/evening/night, you need to breath in and out to avoid suffocation.

Edited January 28, 2014 by thhMan

[rotary]

If you leave data on put it on 2G only. 3G takes more power they tell me.

[expatoz]

have spare batteries or turn the bloody thing off so much crap here

[AdamRich]

As expatoz said, no special tricks needed. I keep 2 spare batteries for mine.

[IsaanUSA]

Also, if you use a higher amperage wall wart charger, 2.5 instead of 1 amp, it will charge much faster.

Very true!!! My Nexus 7 charger charges my phone very quickly.

Good read about chargers and cables here. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1823377

[FNQ]

Close any apps running in the background. (Iphone hold button down 2sec, s to see whats running / HTC hold arrow down)

[stedyedy]

If you're not aware, smartphones charge twice as fast in airplane mode.

No!

I did not know that.

Also, if you use a higher amperage wall wart charger, 2.5 instead of 1 amp, it will charge much faster.

Bullshit, the phones charging circuit only charges at its rate not at the power packs rating. The only reason they would charge faster in airplane mode is that you have turned OFF some features, so there is less power being used while putting power in, so, turning the phone OFF it will then charge even quicker, but in reality who wants to remember to turn things off... then remember to turn things on... eg, if you turn airplane mode on... then you MUST remember to turn it off...stupid idea.

Unless you pull the battery out and charge it manually like rc car batts which would hold as much mah you want if you run batteries wired in parallel and same volts/mah,brand.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[slipperylobster]

Sell that and get a cheap Nokia for 1000 baht to handle your calls. Lasts 2 days.

Then get an eeepc.....for your traveling computer needs. Has a proper keyboard and a good enough screen...longer battery life and light enough to put in a small tote bag. costs is only 7ooo baht..

People look ridiculous trying use those small phones as computers...squinting at a tiny screen and tapping out keys with a toothpick.

[Andre0720]

If you're not aware, smartphones charge twice as fast in airplane mode.

No!

I did not know that.

Also, if you use a higher amperage wall wart charger, 2.5 instead of 1 amp, it will charge much faster.

My daughter was telling me that the IPad was taking very long to charge.

So I went to ask telephone shops.

They proposed a double charger, one for 2.5 amps I believe, and the other one for 1 amp. They told me to use the 2.5 amps for the IPad.

I asked if I could use the 2,5 amps for my IPhone. The answer was 'no'.

Of course they might be wrong. But then that is the business they are in. So I follow the advice...

[OMGImInPattaya]

If you're not aware, smartphones charge twice as fast in airplane mode.

No!

I did not know that.

Also, if you use a higher amperage wall wart charger, 2.5 instead of 1 amp, it will charge much faster.

Bullshit, the phones charging circuit only charges at its rate not at the power packs rating. The only reason they would charge faster in airplane mode is that you have turned OFF some features, so there is less power being used while putting power in, so, turning the phone OFF it will then charge even quicker, but in reality who wants to remember to turn things off... then remember to turn things on... eg, if you turn airplane mode on... then you MUST remember to turn it off...stupid idea.

Maybe up to a maximum and no more. I know when I use my standard 1 amp phone chargers it takes longer to charge my phone than when I use the 2.5 amp iPad/tablet charger. There is probably some protective circuitry so if one of used too high an amperage it wouldn't work Amy faster but at least on my Google N4 this works.

[Shurup]

OP, without more info on how you use your phone, it's hard to suggest anything except maybe carrying a spare battery or a power bank, but that won't reduce your power consumption.

Post some screenshots from your battery status, something like this: