Applications that use GPS and keep the screen on and unlocked for long periods are particularly power-hungry, especially when the screen is constantly on.
Here are a few tips to optimize this :
- Make sure your phone is fully charged before going out
- Reduce the brightness of the phone screen (which consumes the most battery power) or use the automatic brightness adjustment option available on BikeCompanion.
- If you have an OLED screen (recent Smartphone) you can activate the dark mode during a recording (from the cogwheel => “Battery saver”).
- Download the map in “offline” mode beforehand, to consume less energy afterwards while recording the activity.
- Display metrics in full screen rather than the map, which consumes more energy.
- Add an external mini-battery (10/15€) as shown here + a cable bag as shown here
Note that when the phone network is weak (often in the mountains/woods), the smartphone constantly tries to connect, which quickly drains the battery.
Temperature, especially in cold weather, is also a factor that can drain the battery more quickly.
With a recent Smartphone: Iphone 14 PRO, 3 connected sensors (heart rate, cadence/power and Garmin Varia), with the brightness at 50%, I can make 7-8H rides exceeding a hundred kilometers without running out of battery.