iPod Nano - How to Extend Battery Life

November 22nd, 2008 by admin

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iPod nano accessories run the gamut from just plain fun to the purely practical. The iPod is hands down the most popular mp3 player on the market today, and you might already be one of the many satisfied owners that enjoy it regularly. But one of the most important iPod nano accessories is its battery, so maybe you’re also experimenting with how you can extend the battery lifespan on your iPod.

The first thing you should note is that keeping your iPod nano’s firmware up to date is important. The power management features are continually improving with each new upgrade. While this may not work any miracles, you want to do everything you can to increase your iPod’s battery life.

Here are 5 tips to help you increase the battery lifespan on your iPod nano:

1. Charging the battery
Avoid frequent full discharges to keep the iPod nano’s battery from being strained. You don’t have to wait until the battery is completely dead before recharging it. To help prevent the battery from draining quickly, you should also put it in sleep mode instead of waiting for it to turn itself off.

2. Brightness Control
Reducing the brightness on your iPod nano will guarantee a longer battery life. You can modify the brightness control on Apple iPod firmware versions 1.2 and higher. To do this, go to your iPod’s main menu and choose ‘Settings’, and then select ‘Brighness.’ If you’re not going to be using your iPod to watch any videos, you can easily reduce the brightness to 40%. If you mainly use it to listen to mp3s, you definitely want to change this setting.

3. Backlight Settings
Another important adjustment you should make is to the backlight timer. Set it to the minimum amount of time, which is 3 seconds. Doing this will automatically turn off the backlight when your iPod nano is inactive for just 3 seconds, and will have a significant impact on battery life. And if you’re usually in a brightly lit area, you might be able to get away with turning off the backlight completely.

4. Avoid Changing Tracks Frequently
All mp3 players, including the Apple iPod nano, use the same technology as computers. Which means that every time you change tracks on your iPod it needs to access the internal hard disk. So the player has to work harder if you’re continuously accessing the hard disk, which shortens the battery’s lifespan. To avoid having to changes tracks, take the time to set up personal playlists of your favorite songs in iTunes.

5. Keep the Battery at the Right Temperature
One of the most common reasons why the lifespan of iPod nano batteries is shortened is high temperatures. Keep it out of the sun for long periods, and when you’re at home don’t store it near heating sources. If it does become too hot, you should avoid using your iPod until it cools down. Always keep the battery cool and at a reasonable room temperature.

These 5 tips are proven ways to prolong the battery life on your iPod nano. Give them a try starting today, and you should notice some definite improvements. That way you’ll be able to save your money for iPod nano accessories that fall into the ‘fun’ category.