The Nokia Lumia 800 is the perfect smartphone for the busiest of lifestyles. Whether it’s social networking, browsing the web, or playing music on Nokia Mix Radio, it makes doing everyday things fun. All this play puts demand on the battery, so here is our guide to getting the perfect battery life on your Nokia Lumia 800.
The Nokia Lumia 800 is an amazing Windows Phone that marries some pretty amazing hardware with a powerful but user-friendly operating system. We've discovered 12 ways you can get even more from the battery life of your Nokia Lumia 800.
Nokia Lumia 800: Top 10 things we love!
Make sure you have the latest software
Every update brings new features and improvements to battery life so make sure you’re not missing out. Plug into Zune to check if you’re up to date or see here.
Always use the correct power charger
All chargers will work, but only the official Nokia Lumia 800 charger or the Nokia AC-10X will ensure your battery is fully charged every single time you charge. Also, wait until you see the ‘Battery Full or ‘Unplug Charger From Power Supply’ message before disconnecting from the mains.
Activate Battery Saver tool
The Nokia Lumia 800 has a neat little battery saver tool that kicks in when you’re running out of juice, meaning only the basics run in the background and your battery lasts longer. To activate the Battery Saver tool, open the main System Settings and then scroll down the list and tap on Battery Saver. You can then either set the Battery Saver to activate when power is low, or you can start it immediately.
Use the Dark background
This might sound like a tiny change, but it does make a difference. To switch to the dark background, open the System Settings and then tap in the option labelled Theme. From there you can tap on Background and then switch to using the Dark background in seconds.
Switch Bluetooth off
Bluetooth on the Nokia Lumia 800 is great for connecting to other devices but isn’t needed all the time. The easiest way to toggle your Bluetooth is to download ConnectivityShortcuts from the Windows Phone Marketplace. This will allow you to pin the Bluetooth tile to your start screen. You will see a switch, which you can swipe to change the connection’s status anytime you need.
Tweak email synchronisation times
You can reduce the frequency your Nokia Lumia 800 connects and checks for new email to 15 minutes or more, which will stop your phone constantly searching for them and make a big difference.
Open the System Settings page and this time tap on Email+Accounts. Select your email account and you will find an option labelled Download New Content, which you can tweak to extend the amount of time between email downloads.
Switch Xbox LIVE connection off
The Nokia Lumia 800 is ideal for gamers, letting you connect to your Xbox LIVE account for viewing your profile on the move. Disabling this feature when not in use, however, can save battery power.
To switch off the Xbox LIVE connection, open the System Settings page and then swipe left to access Application Settings. Now tap on Games and you can swipe the Connect with Xbox LIVE switch to toggle it on or off as needed.
Preload Map data
Navigating your way around the world is easy using the Nokia Lumia 800’s free Maps feature, but if your phone is constantly updating your maps as you travel, it can use battery power that you might want to save for later.
Just make sure you always preload your maps into the Nokia Windows Phone before you leave the house. You can then use them in Offline Mode to save energy.
Reduce screen brightness
The 3.7-inch AMOLED screen of the Nokia Lumia 800 is one of its best features and looks fantastic at full brightness, but by dimming the display you can save battery power while still enjoying stunning image quality.
To reduce the brightness of the display, browse to the Nokia Lumia 800’s System Settings, then scroll down and tap on Brightness. You can then disable the Automatically Adjust feature and lower the brightness.
Switch 3G off
The Nokia Lumia 800 has great connectivity but you don’t need to use your 3G connection when you’re not browsing the web, so you can switch it off to save power.
To toggle 3G On and Off, open the main System Settings and scroll down to tap on the Cellular option. Here you'll find a switch called 3G Connection, which you can swipe to turn 3G on and off as necessary.
Switch Vibrate off
The Nokia Lumia 800 comes with a powerful vibrating ringtone and haptic feedback to keep you notified, even when the volume is switched off. To save battery power, though, these features can be disabled.
To disable the vibrating ringtone, open System Settings, then tap on the Ringtones+Sounds option and swipe to switch Vibrate off. To disable haptic feedback, then scroll down and uncheck Play a Sound For Key Press.
Little extras
There are a host of Nokia Lumia 800 apps on the Marketplace that allow you to fine tune your Windows Phone settings. Apps such as WP Shortcut Tiles and Toggle, for example, are free and let you add quick-access Tiles to the Start screen, allowing you to toggle your connections on and off.
10 more reasons to love the Nokia Lumia 800
By using these easy tips, you can easily maximise the battery life on your Nokia Lumia 800. Have you got any more handy battery saving tips you’d like to share with us? Why not let us know in the Comments below?