With every new iteration of iOS comes a wealth of new ways to save battery life.

Since iOS 5 was released, iPhone and iPad users across the globe have been suffering through some pretty bad battery hiccups--bad enough, in fact, for Apple to directly address it with the 5.0.1 update. Unfortunately, the update didn’t totally fix our battery bothers. While there’s definitely no fix like an official software fix, we figured this was as good a time as ever to revisit some of the tips and tricks that will take your battery from bad to better.

What You’ll Need:

>> An iPhone or iPad
>> iOS 5

Difficulty: Easy

1. Turn Off Location Services

Does the Dictionary app really need to know where you are? How will that affect the definitions?

Perhaps the biggest battery killer since the release of iOS 5 has been Location Services, which has caused some applications to send information like GPS signals back and forth. There’s a league of official Apple apps that do this, ranging from the Camera to the Compass; every time you open them, they chip away at your charge.

To turn them off, simply go to Settings > Location Services and slide the top switch to OFF. This will disable all location services; if you want to hand pick which apps have access to your location, you’ll need to filter through the list below. It’s not a bad idea, and you might be surprised to learn which apps and system services are wasting battery power by constantly tracking your location (we’re looking at you, Compass Calibration and Setting Time Zone).

2. Fetch Battery, Not Data

Setting Fetch to Manually is your best bet—if you don’t mind having to open the Mail app to see new messages.

You might not know it by looking at it, but Mail is a huge battery hog, constantly fetching new data when it’s closed. It’s a luxury afforded to only a few apps, and Mail would be almost worthless without it--but if you’re having problems with excessive battery drain, trimming back Mail’s fetch intervals can seriously help. To set new intervals, go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Fetch New Data. In this panel, you can turn off Push, and adjust the Fetch schedule for your phone from 15 minutes to Manually.

3. Turn Off Wi-Fi and 3G

Turning off Cellular Data will save some battery here and there, but it will also make your iPhone, well, just a regular phone.

Turning off Wi-Fi and 3G can save a lot of battery life, even if you aren’t actively using them. To turn off Wi-Fi, head to Settings > Wi-Fi and slide the Wi-Fi switch to OFF. You can also turn off Ask to Join Networks to save a bit of battery, but it won’t be as substantial. 3G is slightly trickier. In the good ol’ days you could simply turn off 3G, but now you have to turn off all Cellular Data. Not a bad plan if you’re not using it, though. To do so, just tap Settings > General > Network and slide Cellular Data to OFF.
 
But what if you don’t want to use the internet at all? If you desperately need more charge life than you do functionality, you can also switch your phone to Airplane Mode. You won’t be able to use your phone as a phone, but you’ll save a huge amount of battery life for when you’re ready to start making calls or searching the internet.

4. Turn Notifications Off

Push notifications don’t seem like they’d make much of a difference, but they’re one of the few things that can wake your phone from a peaceful slumber.

Head to Settings > Notifications and sort through your apps, turning off Notifications on any apps that you don’t think require it. If you’re a big texter, Messages is definitely an app you should take a look at. By default, Messages displays a preview and an alert. Turning both of these off won’t stop you from receiving new data, but it will stop your iPhone from showing them to you when they come in, which will in turn stop your phone from constantly waking up when someone texts you.

5. Dim the Screen

A little dimming can make a big difference in battery life.

A nice bright screen is a great way to show off your high-resolution display, but it can also be a major power drain (especially if you’re using an iPad). To adjust the brightness, head to Settings > Brightness & Wallpaper. By default, your iOS device has Auto-Brightness enabled. By flipping that switch and moving the slider farther to the left, you can easily extend your battery life.

6 More Tips

Monitor Usage: Check out your usage in General > Usage. Sometimes it can feel like you’re flying through your battery life, when you’re really just using your device all the time. Carefully monitoring the Usage page will give you an idea which is the case.

Keep it Warm: Keep your iPhone or iPad in temperatures that range from 32 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live somewhere cold, be sure to bring it inside overnight (as opposed to leaving it in your car).

Run the Battery Down: No, you didn’t read that wrong. Lithium-based batteries are meant to be run all the way down, at least once a month. Charge your device to 100%, then use it until it turns off to keep its battery operating at peak performance.
Hard Reset. Every once in a while, there’s just something a little off with your battery. When no other diagnoses seem to work, it might be time for a hard reset. Simultaneously hold the Home and Lock buttons until the phone begins to restart. 

Lock your Phone: Sure, it’s an obvious step, but it might make a world of difference. When you’re finished using your iPhone, lock it before putting it in your pocket.

Update: If nothing seems to be helping very much, check to see if your iOS device has an update available. These almost always contain performance enhancements (including better battery performance).