Battery Debate Rages On

The debate raging about preserving battery life in devices can become a hotly contested topic among many. Even with our folks at Elite Storage Units in Lafayette, CO, we don’t all agree. Some swear by dark mode, and others report that all is needed is mindful charging practices.  

Do you use dark mode on your devices to save battery life? If you are like a growing percentage of people, you have switched to using dark mode to help preserve battery life. As the demand for the dark mode option in apps increases, developers are expected to follow suit as they add its functionality to apps. Did you know, though, that despite making sense that a darker display results in lower battery consumption that only some phones will benefit in their battery use with dark mode.  

Why doesn’t dark mode save battery on all devices? 

First off, we need to examine the types of displays and why dark mode can save battery life. If you have a device with an OLED or AMOLED screen, you’re in luck! These devices will benefit from dark mode to conserve battery life. For these devices, black pixels are not lit, so anything that is black on an OLED or AMOLED will not be lit, and thusly, save battery life.  

I have an LED screen on my device. What about me? 

These screens will not benefit from dark mode as all pixels, regardless of color are illuminated. To save battery on these devices, you should adjust the brightness on the display. Dimming your screen will save battery life slightly, but for most people and their average daily use, not significantly. For these folks, it is really a matter of preference; if they like dark mode, use it, if not, don’t. 

What else can save battery on a phone? 

There are many things that are reported anecdotally that improve battery life on devices, from turning a device off while charging to using airplane mode while you phone is on standby. None is more controversial than whether or not a battery has a memory. Even experts can’t agree if lithium ion batteries have a memory, so how are the rest of us supposed to know. Some folks insist that a battery has a certain number of full charges that it can hold, so if you charge the device whilst the battery is partially full that you are essentially wasting that charge. Others say the whole battery memory thing is poppycock. 

Which side are you on for this issue? Come in and see us at Elite Storage in Lafayette, CO and let us know.