4 simple cell phone battery savers

A dead phone battery can be an excuse ("Sorry I didn't call you back—my, er, phone died"); an inconvenience ("How can I pay for this latte without my Starbucks app?"); or a real danger ("My car broke down, my phone's out of juice, and uh-oh, are those bears?"). Use the cell phone battery savers so your phone is available when you need it. 

For more inormation, find out why it's time to buy a new phone, learn how to save money on your cell phone plan, and watch our smart-phone buying guide video, below.

1. Dim the display

A superbright, always-on display can eat up your battery, so put it on a diet. Lower the screen brightness, or set it to Auto so that it will adjust to the lighting conditions. Also set the screen to shut off after the shortest possible period of inactivity.

2. Turn things off

Your handset maintains contact with the carrier's cell tower, and when that link weakens, the phone works harder to try to maintain it. If you're spending extended time in an area with no service at all, turn the phone off or set it to airplane mode. Also close unused apps. Finally, it may help to turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth if you aren't planning to use them for a while. The benefit will be smaller with newer, more efficient phones.

Find for the best phones and services in our buying guide and Ratings.

3. Give it a boost

Even the most stringent conservation practices won't make a battery last forever. Carrying a spare battery is an excellent backup plan. If your phone doesn't have a removable battery to swap out, consider a charging case from companies such as Mophie and PhoneSuit, which can nearly double a phone's battery life, according to our tests. If you don't want to add the bulk of those cases, get a rapid-charge battery pack, which can inject more life into your phone's battery in a few seconds.

4. Buy a battery champ

If you're shopping for a new phone, stack the odds in your favor by choosing one that has demonstrated staying power in our lab tests. Among those with very good or excellent battery life: Samsung's Galaxy S 4, S 5, Notes, and Alpha; LG G phones; Motorola Droid Turbo; and the Apple iPhone 6 Plus. All of them should last for at least a full day under normal conditions. Samsung and LG phones both have a mode that shuts down all but essential functions, potentially stretching battery life for several days.