- I recommend OS 5.0.0.979 or 10xx, or BB 6.0.0.576. What OS are you running?
- How many years of active service does your 9700 battery have on it? It may start to lose efficiency noticeably at close to 2 years.
- Has it been laying uncharged in a drawer for a long time? This can damage and shorten the service life of Li-Ion batteries.
Depending on your answers, and your usage habits, how many e-mails, BBMs, web browsing, songs/videos played, etc..., 1 solid workday may be appropriate battery life for you. Between 2 BBM Groups, BBM, web surfing, Socialscope, a few games, Bluetooth, wifi, GPS, and WhatsApp, I am usually close to 40% at the end of a long day. I average between 3.8-5.5% battery drain per hour. Try leaving it on the charger overnight so it is topped off fresh when you get up in the morning.
Do you leave it bridged all day long? Or off and on? I think Bridge will eat a lot of battery life itself.
If it really starts going south, look into a replacement/spare battery, maybe even a Seidio OEM-sized extended battery.