Saving smartphone battery: Simple but little-known secret
In an age where smartphone notifications can appear hundreds of times a day, a seemingly small action like turning your device face down on a table can save a significant amount of battery.
Many people don't notice, but every time the phone receives a notification and the screen lights up, it consumes energy. For smartphone users who regularly participate in group chats, turn on notifications from many social networking applications, email or messaging, this can happen dozens, even hundreds of times a day.
According to a 2023 study, some teens can receive up to hundreds of notifications a day. And while a single notification might not be a big deal, the cumulative effect of hundreds of screen-on alerts can quickly drain your phone's battery.
CNET points out that something as small as placing your phone face down on a table can be the deciding factor in whether your device will last until the end of the day. When the device is placed face down, the screen won't light up when you receive new notifications, thanks to a combination of the proximity sensor and the built-in ambient light sensor.
These sensors work very similarly to the mechanism that turns off your phone screen when you hold it up to your ear to take a call. When it detects an object nearby (in this case, a tabletop), the proximity sensor will tell the screen to turn off to save power and avoid unwanted touch activation.
This is especially useful in a work environment or during a family meal, when you don't want to be distracted by a bright screen or constant notification sounds. Even if the phone still vibrates or makes a sound, not turning on the screen saves a significant amount of battery, especially for devices with large, high-brightness screens.
Aside from the battery benefits, this little trick also indirectly helps you increase your concentration. In the digital age where notifications are a constant source of distraction, placing your phone face down on the table is also a way to temporarily “turn off” the digital world so you can work more efficiently or enjoy offline time.
Some technology experts even recommend that users should proactively turn off unnecessary notifications, combined with turning the phone face down when needing to concentrate or rest to extend battery life and improve mental health.
In short, with just a simple action like placing your phone face down on the table, you can minimize unnecessary screen light, help save battery and limit distractions during the day.
In a world of technology where everything moves fast and is constantly connected, small changes in your device usage habits can make a big difference, both to your phone battery and your quality of life./.
