Apple's fifth generation iPad made its debut in October, and many would noticed that the new 9.7-inch tablet - aptly named iPad Air - is astoundingly slim and light. It measures just 7.5 mm thickness and weighs just a pound (469 g), 20-percent less compared to its predecessor.
However, with the major design overhaul, Apple has compromised iPad Air's battery capacity to 32.5 watt, 23-percent lesser than iPad 4 (42.5 watt). But thanks to the advanced 64-bit architecture based A7 chipset and co-processor M7, the new iPad is still capable of running 10 hours (web browsing via Wi-Fi) in full charge. Nevertheless, there are few simple tips to further boost the battery life.
Here are some tips to improve Apple iPad Air's battery life:
Software update: Keep your iPad always updated with the latest OS offered. Every OS update brings enhanced battery optimizations features. Make sure you keep a tab on iTunes account for regular notifications from Apple, or you can manually check for updates by going to:
Settings > General> Software Update
Turn-off location services: Maps, Weather and other data-hungry apps which usually track users' locations are always active in the background even when they are not in use; this significantly impacts the device's battery's life. Use these apps only when you need and disable them when not in use. To de-activate these applications, user can go to
Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Set - Off
Turn-off push notifications: Constant fetching and pushing of mails drain battery, hence users are advised to turn-off automatic push feature and manually fetch mails when required.
- Go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Fetch New Data;
- Set Push to Off, then
- Set Fetch - Manually
Turn-off Wi-Fi : It is to be noted that Wi-Fi is one of the most battery abusing features in the iPad. Most of the power is used for constant searching of Wi-Fi networks availability. If area has a weak network reception, the situation worsens. Users can either switch-off Wi-Fi feature or activate Airplane mode to optimise battery usage.
Going to Settings > Wi-Fi > off and go back to
Settings > Airplane mode > slide on
[Note: Bluetooth feature is also known to affect battery in some degree, so activate it only when transferring files between other devices or paired with Bluetooth enabled speakers (or headsets). If not in use, disable it]
Avoid Live (or dynamic) wallpapers: Dynamic wall papers are also notorious for draining battery. Always prefer still images as your screen background.
Brightness Control: We know that iPad Air has huge foot-print, it boasts 9.7 inch display and if brightness is raised to max, battery power depletes in no time. People can avoid this dilemma by activating Auto-Brightness feature when the iPad is used outdoors and later change the brightness to dim under controlled indoor lighting conditions.
Steps to turn on Auto brightness:
Go to Settings> Brightness & Wallpapers > set Auto Brightness to On
To custom change brightness:
Go to Settings> Brightness & Wallpapers > drag the slide to left (dim)
Auto-lock: This tip may look trivial but is certain to conserve the battery life for good. If the user is done using the iPad Air, just turn-off the device by pressing sleep/wake button. Those with forgetful minds can pre-set a time period to turn-off their iPads.
Just go to Settings > General > Auto-Lock
[Note: set the interval to a short time, such as 1, 2, 3 or 5 minute.]
Avoid Outdoor: Too much of Sun's heat certainly has an impact on battery, hence users advised to use iPad indoors. It is designed to work in temperature between 32° F to 95° F (0° C to 35° C), but optimum temperature preferred is 72° F (22° C), says Apple.
