1) Don’t use the backlight. This isn’t always an option, like in all models, but using the backlight will eat up a fair amount of battery life. Save it for when you really need it.
2) Ease back on wireless stuff. I know it’s cool to surf the web and chat from your Berry. But programs that use the wireless capabilities of the device, like the browser, put additional drain on the battery. Go easy when your battery gets low.
3) Turn off wireless when coverage is poor. Being in a fringe or no coverage area means that your BlackBerry may have to transmit many times before the packets make it through. This will eat up the battery faster than normal.
4) For that matter, turn off wireless completely. Gasp! There, I said it. I know, that’s really no fun at all. But if you’re far from a charger and low on battery, you gotta do what you gotta do.
5) Turn off bluetooth when you aren’t using it.
6) Recharge often. Don’t try to fully discharge the battery packs too frequently. Several partial discharges with frequent recharges are better for lithium-ion batteries than one total discharge. Lithium-ion batteries don’t have a “memory”, so recharging a partially charged battery doesn’t cause any harm.
7) If battery life continues to be a problem, consider buying a spare. For around $30 you buy some peace of mind that you’ll always have power. Because everything on the BlackBerry is written to Flash ROM, your data is safe while you pop out the old battery and replace it. Buy Spare Batteries Here.
From the home screen, click the menu key (left of the trackball), then click the Options button (wrench), then select Screen/Keyboard. You can choose the backlight brightness, which I turned down to 20. There are other choices in this screen also. Remember to save your settings when exiting the screen. Your battery life is going to be greatly affected by the signal that you receive. If your Tour is constantly searching for signal, your battery will drain quickly. Good luck.
