CIO — Since the first BlackBerry smartphone was released nearly a decade ago, BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion (RIM) (RIM) has prided itself on each device's stellar battery life. Yet today, speedy 3G networks, resource-intensive mobile applications, media-related streaming-services, and other recent technological advances all demand hefty amounts of portable power--if you want to use them for more than a few minutes at a time. So it has never been more important for smartphone users to help themselves by maximizing their mobile devices' battery life.

BlackBerry Bold Batteries

I've penned a variety of basic BlackBerry battery tips stories over the past few years, aimed at beginner users, long-time BlackBerry owners and CrackBerry addicts with specific devices, like the Torch 9800--you may wish to read over them before moving on, since some of the following tips build on advice I've provided in past articles. Or pop on over to the CIO.com BlackBerry Bible page for a complete listing of all my past BlackBerry tips.

What follows is a detailed list of "new" BlackBerry battery tips and tricks I've collected over the past year or so, through fiddling with my own BlackBerry's settings, perusing RIM's various online support documents and speaking with advanced BlackBerry users, or "power users."

BlackBerry Charging Tips

It sounds like a "no-brainer," but the best possible way to ensure that your BlackBerry smartphone always has enough juice is to charge it constantly. Even if it's almost full. And even if it'll only be charging for a few minutes before you're on the move once again.

"To optimize the energy and cycle life of the battery, it is best to charge the battery as often as possible," according to RIM.

CIO — Since the first BlackBerry smartphone was released nearly a decade ago, BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion (RIM) (RIM) has prided itself on each device's stellar battery life. Yet today, speedy 3G networks, resource-intensive mobile applications, media-related streaming-services, and other recent technological advances all demand hefty amounts of portable power--if you want to use them for more than a few minutes at a time. So it has never been more important for smartphone users to help themselves by maximizing their mobile devices' battery life.

BlackBerry Bold Batteries

I've penned a variety of basic BlackBerry battery tips stories over the past few years, aimed at beginner users, long-time BlackBerry owners and CrackBerry addicts with specific devices, like the Torch 9800--you may wish to read over them before moving on, since some of the following tips build on advice I've provided in past articles. Or pop on over to the CIO.com BlackBerry Bible page for a complete listing of all my past BlackBerry tips.

What follows is a detailed list of "new" BlackBerry battery tips and tricks I've collected over the past year or so, through fiddling with my own BlackBerry's settings, perusing RIM's various online support documents and speaking with advanced BlackBerry users, or "power users."

BlackBerry Charging Tips

It sounds like a "no-brainer," but the best possible way to ensure that your BlackBerry smartphone always has enough juice is to charge it constantly. Even if it's almost full. And even if it'll only be charging for a few minutes before you're on the move once again.

"To optimize the energy and cycle life of the battery, it is best to charge the battery as often as possible," according to RIM.

Whenever possible, you should also use the "official" BlackBerry charger that shipped along with your smartphone or one that was marketed and sold by RIM as an official charger for your specific device for best results, according to the BlackBerry maker. All BlackBerry batteries are marked with some kind of letter designation, such as "C", to help you determine the appropriate charging accessories, according to RIM. In other words, you should only charge C-Series BlackBerry batteries with C-Series chargers. (Note: Newer BlackBerrys no longer come with a travel charger, only a charging adapter that can be used on the end of a microUSB sync cable. This cable/adapter combination can presumably be used to charge any BlackBerry with a microUSB port.)

I can say from personal experience using third-party batteries and charging accessories that they don't always perform as well as official BlackBerry products. For example, I've used the kwikSync Dual Charger for years, and though I've never had any issue syncing data via the cable, I've noticed on multiple occasions that my BlackBerry does not maintain the same charge after powering up via the kwikSync and wall power outlet as it does after using an official BlackBerry charger.