If you own an iPhone then you already know the disadvantage of not having a swappable battery; and if you're like us, then you probably go for hours on end without being able to charge it. Over the past couple months of iPhone ownership, a few of our My Cellular Source team members have come up with eight simple battery saving tips to get a charge to last longer.

1. Turn off 3G.
   Settings Icon > General > Network > Enable 3G > “Switch to OFF”
   Unless you're always surfing the internet, sending and receiving large emails, or constantly sending MMS messages, then you don't need the extra power consumption. You can always turn it back on later.
2. Turn off WiFi.
   Settings Icon > Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi > “Switch to OFF”
   If you have a data plan with your iPhone and live in a relatively large city, then it isn't very often that you'd need to even utilize WiFi. Turning off WiFi will yield a significant gain, especially if you're on the go and the phone keeps looking for open access points. Unfortunately, if you don't get great 3G or Edge coverage, then you can't utilize this battery saving tip.
3. Lower the brightness
   Settings Icon > Brightness > “Slide the Slider down”
   This tip is great if you don't frequently use your iPhone outdoors in the sun. Chances are most of your usage is under fluorescent lighting or in the shade, and a lower brightness setting is still clearly visible under these conditions. However, if you like to sunbathe, then you're out of luck and might even need to crank up the brightness.
4. Disable Push and fetch data less frequently
   Settings Icon > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Fetch New Data > Push > “Switch to OFF”, then select “Hourly” or even “Manually”
   This one only applies if you have your iPhone set up to check your email. If it's checking your email on a frequent interval, then you're using precious battery power. Instead, have it check manually; you'll also feel liberated from not being glued to your e-mail!
5. Turn off Bluetooth
   Settings Icon > General > Bluetooth > Bluetooth > “Switch to OFF”
   Unless you're one of those people who wear a Bluetooth headset 24/7 or do a lot of driving, turn off Bluetooth, it will make a huge impact. Even if you do wear a Bluetooth headset all the time, consider turning off Bluetooth when you're not on the phone, you'll be amazed how much power it consumes.
6. Turn off Notifications
   Settings Icon > Notifications > “Switch to OFF”
   Okay, this one might be nit-picky, but if you're constantly getting text messages or have a thousand apps running, each time you receive a notification it zaps some juice.
7. Enable Airplane Mode
   Settings Icon > Airplane Mode > “Switch to ON”
   Airplane Mode is great if you just want to enjoy some distraction-free music time, if you don't want to be bothered while watching a video, or if you're trying to beat your highest score on Super Monkey Balls. Also, enable airplane mode if you're in an area where you have little or no reception. When the phone is constantly trying to pick up reception your battery will drain quicker.
8. Turn off EQ
   Settings Icon > iPod (You have to scroll down a bit) > EQ > “Choose OFF”
   If you listen to music a lot on your iPhone, turning off the EQ will give you a nice little bump in battery life. Of course if you're an audiophile or you're rocking some Beats by Dr. Dre then you might want to leave EQ on.

There you have it, 8 simple steps to making your battery last a couple hours longer. You might be mumbling under your breath, "Why would I want to disable all these neat features?" If you're anything like us, then the majority of your iPhone usage is for text messages and making phone calls throughout the day; these services don't require WiFi or 3G speeds. When you do need to surf the internet and throw on your Bluetooth headset, it only takes a couple of taps to enable all the features again.

The iPhone has a rated battery life of 400 full charge cycles, stretching your charge throughout the day can potentially add up to months worth of time before you need head to The Apple Store for a battery replacement.