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As you probably know, one of my biggest pet peeves about the iPhone is the lack of a replacement battery. Now, its true you can go ahead and buy an emergency battery for the iPhone… But it’s not the same. I’m talking pop-out, pop-in battery goodness here. Pack an extra battery for when you need it, just in case… Not an external emergency battery that sticks out of the device and takes up a lot of space.

European Union guidelines that are currently in development could force Apple to change to a more user and environmentally friendly approach to their battery setup. The EU is in the process of drafting a ‘New Batteries Directive’ that would expand on the current set of guidelines they already have. It would make it easier to remove, dispose and recycle old batteries. New guidelines on the table indicate that companies must make it easy to remove batteries from electronics. That sure doesn’t seem to be the case for the iPhone, unless you’re an expert at removing the housing on the device.

If the new guidelines pass in 2009, I’d have to expect Apple to adapt their design to include an easily removable and interchangeable battery. In my opinion this would be a smart move for not only Apple, but for the consumer and the environment as well.

[ Source ]

When the first generation iPhone launched in June of last year, Jose Trujillo filed suit against Apple because the iPhone had a non-user removable battery. Trujillo filed suit against Apple in July of 2007 in Illinois state court. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly said:

“Apple disclosed on the outside of the iPhone package that the [battery has] limited recharge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced by [an] Apple service provider. Under the circumstances, no reasonable jury could find that deception occurred.”

Nice try Jose… Or… should I say…. ‘No way, Jose!’

Apple has posted some very useful tips for conserving and extending the life if your iPhone’s battery. I’ve included some of the points for your reading pleasure below.

Update to the Latest Software: Always make sure your iPhone has the latest software from Apple, as engineers may find new ways to optimize battery performance. Using iTunes 7.7 or later, you can update your iPhone with the latest software. Connect your iPhone to your computer, then select iPhone in the Source List. In the Summary panel, click “Check for Updates” to see if there’s a new version of the iPhone software available. Click Update to install the latest version.

Turn off 3G: Using 3G cellular networks loads data faster, but may also decrease battery life, especially in areas with limited 3G coverage. To disable 3G, from the Home screen choose Settings > General > Network and set Enable 3G to Off. You will still be able to make and receive calls and access cellular data networks via EDGE or GPRS where available.

Minimize use of location services: Applications that actively use location services such as Maps may reduce battery life. To disable location services, go to Settings > General > Location Services or use location services only when needed.

Auto-check fewer email accounts: You can save power by checking fewer email accounts. This can be accomplished by turning off an email account or by deleting it. To turn off an account, go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars, choose an email account, and set Account to Off. To remove an account, go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars, choose an email account, and tap Delete Account.

Turn off Wi-Fi: If you rarely use Wi-Fi, you can turn it off to save power. Go to Settings > Wi-Fi and set Wi-Fi to Off. Note that if you frequently use your iPhone to browse the web, battery life may be improved by using Wi-Fi instead of cellular data networks.

Adjust brightness: Dimming the screen is another way to extend battery life. Go to Settings > Brightness and drag the slider to the left to lower the default screen brightness. In addition, turning on Auto-Brightness allows the screen to adjust its brightness based on current lighting conditions. Go to Settings > Brightness and set Auto-Brightness to On.

Lock Your iPhone: It may seem obvious, but you should lock your iPhone when you aren’t using it. You will be able to receive calls and text messages while it is locked, but nothing happens if you touch the screen. To lock iPhone, press the Sleep/Wake button. You can also set the Auto-Lock interval so your iPhone will turn off more quickly after a period of inactivity. To set Auto-Lock, go to Settings > General > Auto-Lock and set the interval to a short time, such as 1 minute.

Read the full document from Apple, here.

According to numerous reports around the web, the iPhone 3G’s battery life outpaces all other competing devices. PC World took a look at several 3G smartphone handsets, and proved that the iPhone 3G beats the Instinct, HTC Touch Dual and the LG EnV with 5 hours and 38 minutes of talk time. Only 3 other devices in the test achieved over 5 hours of talk time.

The same test also featured results from the AT&T Tilt, Motorola Q9 Global, Palm Centro, Pantech Dueo and Palm Treo 750. The worst of the lot was indeed the Palm Treo 750, checking in at just under 4 hours of talk time.

3G phones will use up a battery charge faster because 3G networks are more complex, giving voice calls an enhanced voice quality. Thankfully for iPhone 3G users, you can disable 3G connectivity to enhance battery life.

I’m pleased to read about these tests, as the one complaint I have about my 2G iPhone is… ever-decreasing battery life.

[via electronista]