Have you noticed that your iPhone battery is beginning to have a shorter and shorter life each day you use it? What you might not know is that the lithium ion battery that is placed in the 3G and 3GS iPhone is rated to maintain battery life for 250-300 full charges. After that point the battery life has an asymptotic decline. This article will go through the ways to prolong the battery life and decrease the rate of battery life decline.

There are a myriad of ways that an iPhone battery can be unknowingly damaged by its user. The most important of these ways is by leaving the phone, screen side up, in the sun or heat. By leaving your iPhone in the heat you are exposing the battery cell and its ion barrier to intense heat. This heat partially breaks down the barrier and decreases the ability of the battery to maintain a charge.

The next preventative measure is to make sure that all chargers used on the phone are within the guidelines of Apple’s charging recommendations. When an iPhone is “quick charged,” the cell barriers are once again introduced to a greater heat quotient and stress than recommended by the battery manufacturer. This will in turn create a decreased battery life. Products that are known to decrease an iPhone’s battery life are car chargers, and “quick” wall chargers.

Finally, quite possibly the most important factor in increasing long term battery life is to decrease the number of times your phone is being charged. While a lithium ion battery supposedly eliminates “charge memory,” it still carries a limited number of maximum charges. Once this number is reached, the battery begins to lose life.

Should you encounter a broken iPhone screen or a decreased charge, your best bet is to contact an internet repair company for your repair needs. A battery repair will likely run anywhere from $40-60 installed. Apple will likely charge $100 for a similar repair. An iPhone battery is essential to making the device as awesome and handy as it is; and the worst feeling is having your precious device with that is no more than a paper weight due to low phone charge.