How To Make Your Battery Last Longer On Your Smartphone

Batteries, batteries, batteries, they are very precious in our present age. I remember watching a movie set in the year 2050 where electronic devices don't use batteries anymore, once there is air, it will be powered on and since air is infinite in that time, all electronic devices just work without batteries.

Well, we are not in the year 2050 and of course there is no such technology yet so we are still left with using batteries to power our gadgets, smartphones et al.

As our devices become more sophisticated, the battery power they need to drain also increase and therefore it becomes very important to make sure that one gets the best juice out of the battery in the device. To do that, follow this tips as directed below and you should see some significant change in battery consumption by your devices.

Tip 1: Refrain from charging your smartphone to 100% always. The best thing to do is to charge to 80% and then use to 40%. At this point you can recharge again to 80% before disconnecting.

Tip 2: When indoors or in place of low light, the backlight of the screen display should be dimmed to reduce power consumption. The same applies to using it at night. However, if you are in a highly sunny environment where you hardly see things in the screen, the backlight could be increased.

Tip 3: Leaving Bluetooth and WiFi on sometimes drain the power of batteries. You should endeavour to switch off wireless and Bluetooth when not in use.

Tip 4: 3G or H+ networks are battery drainers. When your network is set to utilise 3G or H+ network permanently, it drains power, also it contributes to a longer charge period. So its better to put the network to EDGE when not surfing the web and when charging the device.

Tip 5: Use recommended chargers to charge up the smartphone. Usage of non recommended adapters could destroy the battery slowly.

Tip 6: Playing heavy games while charging the device, will have a significant impact on the charging duration of the battery. Try to charge first and then play games after charging is complete.

Tip 7: Some apps are notorious for consuming power when in or not in use. In this case, you are to identify such applications and eliminate them when not in use. This will considerably improve how long your battery last.

Tip 8: Automatic sync and updates have a way of killing batteries. You should disable these. Android devices and iOS 7 are known to be particularly guilty of this.

if you would be traveling a lot, a serious internet user or won't be near a power source for a long time, a power bank should be around you. One such power bank is Nomad power bank which you can get here.

More tips for your batteries will be given. However, if you can follow these mentioned tips, you should have a battery that last long.

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Apple iPhone 5S and 5C Hands On Review

iPhone 5C

A number of news sites have been able to go hands-on with Apple's newly announced iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, both of which introduce a number of new features. While the iPhone 5c’s major selling point is its bright and colorful polycarbonate shell, the iPhone 5s boasts processor improvements and a new Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
 
iPhone 5s
In a hands-on post of the iPhone 5s, The Verge notes that the gold color “looks better in person” compared to leaked images, and notes that the "Space Gray" and white colors are very similar to the iPhone 5. The major difference between the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5 is the ring around the home button and the slightly larger flash.

iPhone 5S

Starting with that home button, it's now made of sapphire so that it can act as a reliable fingerprint reader. It's not nearly as concave as previous models — in fact, it's almost flat. Luckily, it still maintains a nice, tactile feel when you click on it and we don't foresee anybody running into any issues. We watched the fingerprint sensor unlock the phone quickly and easily (though we didn't get to try it ourselves).
Everything felt fast and fluid — although the animations in iOS 7 are still a little slow to our tastes — but scrolling in the new Safari was better than before, if only by a tiny amount.

TechCrunch also went hands-on with the iPhone 5s, and was able to experiment with the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, which supports up to five different fingerprints.

Essentially you spend some time letting the sensors in the Home button get used to your fingerprint, moving your finger around slightly, lifting it up just above the surface and putting it back down, with a graphic filling out how near the software is to being able to recognize your fingerprint (you can use thumb or index finger, depending on your preference).
The process took about 30 seconds to a minute overall, and then once it had successfully identified by fingerprint, it worked flawlessly to unlock the device for every subsequent trial. It also readily rejected Greg Kumparak’s attempts, proving that it isn’t just accepting all comers.

iPhone 5c
According to TechCrunch, the iPhone 5c has a “lightness” in the hand thanks to the single-piece case design and “looks fantastic” in its array of bright colors.

All of that is made more impressive by the fact that the iPhone performs terrifically, and looks fantastic. The colors really pop, and the case fits solidly in the hand and thanks to a slightly rubberized feel it should be easier to hold onto than any previous iPhone as well. The color-match wallpapers add to the charm of the overall package, and that’s likely to appeal to customers who just want a device that looks great out of the box and doesn’t require any laborious customization.

Engadget thought that the iPhone 5c had a very "solid" polycarbonate build that will hold up to scuffs and drops.

There is absolutely nothing about this setup that makes us believe it's not capable of handling a full share of wear and tear, and the reinforced steel frame convinces us that it's even going to survive falls without a problem.
Speaking of which, the 5c has a glossy finish, but we were quite happy to find that it's not the fingerprint magnet that we've come to expect on other devices. It sufficiently handled the greasy fingerprints of a couple hundred journalists, so we doubt there will be any reason to be concerned about this phone looking dirty. In fact, it has a subtle shine to it that serves to complement the color selection.

The Verge was also impressed with the feel of the plastic iPhone 5c, though noted that it did not compare to the high-end feel of the iPhone 5s.

The 5c is almost like a toy, a rugged, comfortable device that doesn’t feel much heavier than the iPhone 5 despite being noticeably larger. According to Apple, the device has a larger battery than the iPhone 5, which along with its plastic shell goes a way to explaining its bulk.
This is how you make a plastic phone, though: from the cohesive shell to the smooth and glossy back (which did pick up a fair number of fingerprints) the device feels far better than Samsung’s or LG’s plastic options. Even the rubbery cases look nice, their open-circle backs fitting in nicely with the color palette.

Both the iPhone 5c and the iPhone 5s will be available for customers on September 20. Apple will begin accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 5c on September 13, but does not plan to take pre-orders for the iPhone 5s. The 16GB iPhone 5c will be priced at $99 while the 16GB iPhone 5s will be priced at $199, both with a 2-year contract. 

Source: Macrumors and Engadget

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition Specs & Features

Samsung is giving its latest Galaxy Note series a stylish and hardware specs makeover with soft, leather-like back. It feels like you're holding a fancy leather-bound journal. 

The 2014 edition Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is a hell of a tablet. It runs Android 4.3 on a Snapdragon 800 chipset with four 2.3GHz Krait 400 cores and 3GB of RAM with Adreno 330 CPU. There’s literally nothing you can throw at it that will make it slow down.

Samsung also didn't slack in increasing the display specs; 2560 x 1600 pixels for a pixel density of 299 ppi.

That is not all, 8 MP 3264×2448 pixels auto-focus camera, face detection, HDR mode, panorama, geo-tagging; Full HD (1080p) video recording at 60fps back camera and 2MP
1080p@30fps front camera.

Like that is not enough, the Korean company dropped in Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth v4.0 LE with A2DP, NFC and  Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE Quad-band UMTS/HSPA Hexa-band LTE Network suppor.

Finally, the "Note"  signature which is the S Pen with pressure sensitive touchscreen unlocking other various functions in the tablet and all powered by a Li-Ion 8,220 mAh battery

Galaxy Note 10.1, which is basically an extra-large version of the Galaxy phone, but without the mobile connectivity was unveiled on Wednesday, has the same features of the Note 3 phone, just with a bigger, 10in (26cm) screen. Like the phone, it has the leather-like backing and grooves on the side.

The tablet has a few extra bells and whistles. One of the big perks is the tablet's file organisation system, which is similar to that of a traditional personal computer. It lets you create folders and sub-folders for documents, providing easy access. Also like a PC, the tablet lets you create up to eight profiles, so you can let your children, spouse or guests use the tablet without fear that they will read your email, delete your photos or access apps you don't want them to.

The tablet also comes with a host of freebies that the phone doesn't have, including free trial subscriptions to the New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek and other news sources, along with extra space with online storage service Dropbox.

The tablet's display is bright and clear, good for watching TV or viewing photos. It also has stereo speakers and cameras on both its front and back sides.

Samsung said the phone and tablet will ship worldwide in most countries on 25 September, but it will come "later" in the US – Samsung didn't say when, other than some time before Christmas. The company also didn't say how much the devices will cost.

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Source: Guardian

Moto X vs Sony Xperia Z1 vs Samsung Galaxy S4: The Clash of the Titans

Imagine putting a high school boy that loves pretty ladies in a pool or better still jacuzzi filled with the likes of Beyonce, Kim, Kelly Rowland, Tyra Banks and all in bikinis. This young boy would be thrilled but would find it difficult to choose one to bond with. This is the situation smartphone and gadget lovers find themselves considering the barrage of smartphones with outstanding specs being unveiled on a weekly basis.

Sony Xperia Z1

In the latest unveiling of smartphone, Sony decided to go gaga with the new Sony Xperia Z1 which is going to try and rival and steal customers from Samsung Galaxy S4 and Moto X.

Moto X

Samsung Galaxy S4

Well, to give you and insight on how to make the best decision for you if you are confused on which device to drop your cool money, consider the information below in a straight forward manner

Display and Weight

Xperia Z1 has the larges display 5.1in while Moto X has the lowest display 4.7in and Samsung Galaxy S4 has display of 5.0in. This means that Sony has a bigger display than the trio. On the other hand, Sony Xperia Z1 is the heaviest in terms of weight (170g) while S4 and Moto X are of the same weight (130g).

Display Clarity

Sony Xperia Z1 has the best clarity of all three. First its 1080p with advanced Triluminous and X-reality display technology. Samsung Galaxy S4 is also 1080p display quality but the technology used is PenTile which makes mahes look fuzzy at times. Moto X is 720p display quality and not so great.

Processor

Sony Xperia Z1 is the king in this department. It has a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 with each core running 2.2GHz . Galaxy S4 is quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 chip and running 1.9GHz. Moto X is dual core X8 Snapdragon S4 pro chip running 1.7GHz. Consequently, Sony Xperia Z1 beats the remaining two hands down.

RAM & Internal Storage

All the three smartphones have 2GB RAM so there is a tie here. However, because of the the fster processing power of both Galaxy S4 and Xperia Z1, Moto may perform a little slower when put under the same conditions. Internal memory is 16GB for Sony Xperia Z1, 16GB/32GB for Galaxy S4 and Moto X. Only Sony Xperia Z1 and Galaxy S4 can be expanded with the aid of a MicroSD card to 32GB.

Camera

Whew! Sony Xperia Z1 is 20.7 mega pixel, Samsung Galaxy S4 is 13 mega pixel and Moto X is 10 mega pixel. Well its easy to say that Xperia Z1 is the best but lets not judge based on the mega pixel rating alone. The technology used by the camera is also a factor, but considering how long Sony had been in the camera business, the 20.7 mega pixel would blow away the remaining two devices.

Battery Power

Battery power is very important for consumers these days. Sony Xperia Z1 is 3000mAh, Galaxy S4 is 2600mAh and Moto X is 2200mAh. Of course, from the values, it is seen that the Xperia Z1 would have the best battery life compared to the remaining two devices.

Operating System & Software

All three devices runs on latest Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2. they all have great software that are embedded to give a more unique feel.

Durability

From the build of all three devices, Sony Xperia Z1 could be seen as being more durable. First, Xperia Z1 is dust and water proof compared to the S4 and Moto X. Both, one could purchase a dust proof casing for S4 and Moto X if its important for the user.

Price

You can be sure that the Sony Xperia Z1 would be expensive than S4 and Moto X when its finally available for purchase.

Considering everything stated above, it should be easier to make that decision on which device to spend your hard earned money on. While it seemed like Sony Xperia Z1 outshines the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Moto X it should be noted that the Xperia Z1 is not avialble for purchase yet until in October.

Also, just like the  Samsung S4 and Moto X, the Xperia Z1 would feature Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, standard microUSB port with MHL and USB host, GPS receiver with A-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, NFC.

Check in another post a review of the Samsung Galaxy Gear, which is the first Samsung smartwatch.

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Tecno Phantom N9 Video Review

Tecno Phantom N9 Pad is the first and only tablet released by TECNO Mobile. Its being in the market for about 2 months or more now and it has been greeted with good success partly because of its price (N35,000) and also because of the build and specifications.

In case you want to buy this pad but not sure and you need a video review to convince you, please find the link below and you would be the video review of this device. Perhaps, that would give you an insight to how the device looks like in operation and help you make your decision.

Tecno Phantom N9 Video Review Link: Tecno Phantom N9

One of the news that has filtered to my hear of recent is that Tecno devices would be scarce for a while due to on going issues that needs to be settled with the Nigerian Communications Commission.

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Job Opportunity

Smartphones are great but just like any other gadgets, they get damaged and needs repairing. There is no super  phone. They all get damaged with time and need fixing.

Do you have a skill in troubleshooting and repairing smartphones and mobile devices? Do you enjoy repairing phones but haven't used that hobby to make money? Well here is an opportunity which I happen to find out and sharing with Phonegist readers.

A new smartphone store located in Lagos are in need of mobile engineers good with troubleshooting and repairing smartphones and mobile devices etc. Find out the job details below.

Position:

• Mobile Hardware Engineering and Troubleshooting

Responsibilities:

• Troubleshoot phones

• Fix broken mobile devices

• Work with software to help cause of broken devices

Qualification requirements:

• A minimum of OND certificate: People that are really good but have School Cert. can apply also.

• Ability to use computers 

• Good workmanship skills

Location: 

Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos

Interested candidates should send Cvs to the manager: edwinoneluv@yahoo.com on or before August 6th 2013

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How To Never Run Out of Battery Power On Your Smartphone or Gadgets Again

There is a way to never lose power on your smartphone, making sure your smartphone battery never runs dry. What if I told you that I only plug my devices to mains power about once in 3 days even when I heavily use them?

Everyone knows that even as technology is advancing at a super-fast rate, one area that has not really advanced to the level it should have is Battery. Phones have gotten slicker and better over the years, screens, memory, hardware and operating system have gotten better as time progresses, however, battery used in powering these devices haven't gotten any big upgrade.

Batteries are very important in our age. Well, one way to make sure that your device is usable and doesn't die on you is to have the battery charged and have a way of recharging when you are not close to electricity. Enter Power Banks.

A lot of power banks these days are inferior and can even damage battery or device. Some are not capable of charging some devices like iPad 4 or iPad mini that consume high current to charge them.

However, NOMAD chargers, which I have had the privilege of using for some weeks now are able to charge any device, be it iPads, smartphones, Handheld game consoles, speakers to name a few. Am so loving my Nomad chargers! The good part, even you reading this would get it with a discount. check below for discount code.

Why am I writing about this now? Well, a lot of people actually need this but are not sure of what power bank to buy, one that would serve them efficiently without creating problems. Also, someone's Blackberry device was badly fried due to substandard Power Bank connected to the device.

A fully charged NOMAD Power Storing Charger can charge your smartphone battery full 3 times over, charge your tablets 3 times full and even your handheld console 3 times full.

This means that, when you use your device and it runs down, you can charge it up with the NOMAD charger. If you drain the smart device again, you can still charge up your device battery again without worrying about charging your NOMAD charger before it can charge you device battery. A discount code for my readers is provided below.

One beautiful thing about the NOMAD charger is that it’s of several types. There is one that has 5 ports to charge up to5 devices at the same time. This has a power rating of a whooping 11000mAh high capacity battery for long term backup!. Furthermore, it has 4 different output rating for phones and tablets and it comes with self-charging powered USB port or from DC to charger.

The Single port NOMAD charger comes with 5200mAh high capacity battery. In fact, this was what sold me. Most power banks are around 2100mAh and can last 3hrs before they give up. But, NOMAD chargers would last you 12hrs before needing a recharge.

Just like the 5 ports NOMAD charger, the single port NOMAD charger comes with self-charging powered USB port or from DC to charger.

One more plus for these NOMAD chargers: It supports all Smartphone types; Blackberry, NOKIA, Samsung, Motorola, Apple etc and comes with pins.

For those that are learned in the technical area of battery specifications, the following may interest you.

NOMAD 5200mAh has the following Specifications:

• Battery Type: Li-Ion
• Capacity: 5200mAh
• Input: Micro USB 5V/1000mA
• Output: Micro USB 5V/1000mA
• More than 800 life cycles
• Can retain 80% of battery life even when stored for 3 months

NOMAD 11000mAh has the following Specifications:

• Battery Type: Li-Polymer
• Battery Capacity: 11,000mAh
• Input 1: Micro USB 5V/1A
• Input 2: 9-12V/1A DC charger
• Output 5x USB 5V/2A (USB 1: 5V/1.3A, USB 2: 5V/2.1A, USB 3/4: 5V/1A, USB 5: 5V/0.5A

Why go out of battery power ever again? If you are like me that travels a lot and never wants his phones to die out, a NOMAD charger is what you need.

They are very affordable, light, easy to carry and very reliable.

You can order one now by visiting www.nomadcharger.com and it would get delivered to you anywhere you are. Oh, and Phonegist readers get a discount.

For our readers, discount code is PGISTRDR1Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook for prompt info.

Tecno Smartphone Naming System

It is not news any longer on how well Tecno phones are faring in the Nigerian market. 

One of the things that have helped in securing a strong footing is the price tag and of course the hard work of the marketing department.

One thing that have come to my notice is the naming system of their devices that Tecno is employing.

As of today, we know that Tecno now has High, Medium and Low end devices and have been clasified in a way that is easily placed by using numbers.

The classes of Tecno devices for now include the 7, 1 & 5, 3, and 9.

Class 7 : High End

This represents high end devices in the smartphone category. This we saw when Tecno N7 and F7 were released earlier this year. These devices were highly successful in market sales and were most expensive, with the N7 selling between 29 - 30,000 Naira, while the newest Tecno Phantom F7 is being sold for 34 - 36,000 Naira.

Class 1 & Class 5: Medium End

This class represents the medium end smartphone category. Even though touch screen is the order of the day now, some people still love their devices to have physical keyboards and I strongly believe that Tecno intends to keep devices in this category to have both physical keyboards and touchscreens. This you would notice in the Q1 and D5 smartphones. Example is in the Q1 smartphone with physical keyboard and Tecno D5 with just touchscreen design. 

Both devices are meant to serve the medium end market to meet both the physical keyboard persons and those that want full touchscreen devices.

Class 3: Low End

This class was the entry level smartphone that Tecno released into the market. It was widely accepted due to its pricing. Of course, its a low end device that is suppose to appeal to those with little budget. Examples are Tecno N3 andP.

Class 9

This is quite new and was debut by the first tablet released last month by Tecno. This tablet was called the Phantom N9 Pad. Its a 8" Pad with quad core processor running inside.

Going by the price of this pad, its around the high end range and there is possibility of another Pad coming out soon maybe to called F9 and would improve on the specs of the N9 Pad.

Whether this naming and categorizing system by Tecno as deduced by me is true or not, future product release would be the deciding factor.

Infinx Race Max Q Is Out With A Competitive Price Tag

A couple weeks ago I made a post (here) stating one of the latest phones to be released by Infinx Mobility. For a while, we didn't hear a thing about this device. It was almost as if they got threatened by the success recorded for Tecno Phantom A manufactured by their close rival; Tecno - Mobile.

This absence of a new smartphone after the success of the Infinix Race or Bolt have made a lot of Infinix device lovers to ask a lot of questions including when the French company would be releasing a smartphone that can compete with the Tecno Phantom A on the same ground.

Well, I am glad to let you know that the wait is finally over and Infinix have presented their newest and latest smartphone for their customers to buy and use at the rate of N34,000.

Perhaps, you might have forgotten what specifications this device has due to the long silence, however, a little listing and reminder should jump start your memory . Specifications matters a lot to would be buyers and you can see the specifications of the Infinix Race Max Q after the break.

SPECIFICATIONS

Network:                                       2G/3G

Operating System:                Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean

Processor:                                   Quad Core 1.2GHz

Display:                              5.3 Inch Capacitive Touch Screen with Resolution of 480 * 854

Camera:                                       8MP rear camera and 1.2MP front Camera

Battery:                                        2100mAh

Memory:                                     4GB Internal Memory with 1GB RAM

Connectivity:                          WiFi, WiFi Hotspot, GPS, USB and Bluetooth 4.0

Sensor:                                         G- Sensor, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor

Audio:                                           AMR, MIDI, MP3, WAV etc

Video:                                            3GP, MP4, AVI, etc

Messaging:                                 Gmail, YouTube, Facebook, Yahoo etc

Additional Features:          Google Maps, FM Radio, Flashlight

This device is sold for N34, 000 and its available in selected stores. Also you can contact Martins on 08033555968

Update: it now cost N33,000 on slot. This means its now cheaper than Tecno Phantom A+

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