The iPhone is a remarkable device — until the battery goes dead. When the battery runs out of power, your expensive and impressive iPhone becomes a useless brick. This article provides some practical tips iPhone owners can use to extend their battery life and get more out of their devices.

A new Apple iPhone costs hundreds of dollars — a steep price for making phone calls and taking pictures. What makes the device worth the money is all the other great things it can do, from surfing the web to reading your email to finding the closest Asian fusion restaurant.

All of those great features go away, however, when the battery dies. In the end, even the fanciest smartphone is only as good as its battery. Whether you just got done standing in line for the latest model or are still using an older phone, these tips will help you get the most out of your battery.

#1 — Switch to Airplane Mode

Airplane mode is a hidden gem when it comes to conserving battery life. Switching to airplane mode disables a number of features that drain battery life, and that can conserve your power and help you get more done.

Get into the habit of checking your battery life each day, then switch to airplane mode if the remaining power looks questionable. You can squeeze extra hours out of your phone without sacrificing its usefulness.

#2 — Turn Off Automatic Updates

Having your apps updated automatically can be very useful, but it also drains the battery pretty quickly. Switching your apps to manual update mode can preserve your battery and make it last longer.

You can always update your apps at night when you plug the phone into the charger. Switching the apps to automatic and back to manual takes only a few minutes — a small price to pay for greater battery life.

#3 — Turn Down the Brightness

The brightness of the iPhone screen is great for outdoor use, but there is no reason to keep it that way when you go inside. Turning down the brightness will preserve your battery and reduce the amount of time the device spends on the charger.

Better yet, use the auto-brightness feature to adjust the settings for you. With auto-brightness turned on, the iPhone will detect the available light and change its setting accordingly.

#4 — Turn Off Bluetooth

Bluetooth can be very useful for iPhone users, but there is no reason to keep it turned on when you do not need it. The Bluetooth feature sucks a lot of power from the battery, so turning it off will preserve that power and ensure the phone is available when you do need it.

#5 — Turn Off Location Services

Location services can be useful when you are traveling or meeting up with friends, but keeping it on all the time can drain your battery in no time. Switch off location features when you will not need them; it only takes a minute to turn them back on.