Battery Life in Pet GPS Trackers: What Actually Affects It

Battery life is always a trade-off

Battery life in a GPS tracker is always a balance between functionality and power consumption. The device must:

• Calculate its position using satellite systems
• Communicate with a smartphone or mobile network
• Run sensors, processors, and software

The more often these processes occur, the higher the power consumption becomes.

1. Update frequency

How often the tracker checks and sends location data is one of the most important factors affecting battery life.

In practice, users can influence this themselves:

• Frequent updates provide more detailed tracking
• Less frequent updates significantly reduce power usage

The less often the GPS module activates and transmits data, the less energy is consumed. For this reason, users can typically adjust the update frequency to balance location detail against battery life according to their needs.

2. Connection type

The way a tracker connects to the outside world has a major impact on power consumption.

• Bluetooth: very energy-efficient at short range
• Mobile IoT (NB-IoT / LTE-M): higher power consumption, but required for long-range tracking

Lildog uses Bluetooth when the pet and tracker are within range of the owner’s smartphone. In open environments, Bluetooth range can reach approximately 100 meters, enabling fast and power-efficient communication during everyday use.

When Bluetooth is available, it is used instead of mobile networks, which significantly reduces battery drain.

3. Network coverage and signal strength

Mobile network coverage directly affects battery life. When signal strength is poor:

• The tracker must use more energy to establish a connection
• Data transmissions may need to be repeated
• The radio system remains active for longer periods

As a result, the same tracker may experience shorter battery life in areas with weak coverage compared to locations with stable mobile networks.

4. Movement and activity level

Activity affects battery consumption in several ways:

• Movement can trigger more frequent location updates
• Sensors and processors remain active more often
• Live tracking is typically used when the pet is moving

Highly active pets will therefore generally consume more power than pets with calmer daily routines.

5. Power-saving modes and rest periods

Modern GPS trackers can reduce power consumption when a pet is resting.

In the Lildog app, users can enable a power-saving mode that allows the tracker to enter a sleep state when the pet has not been moving for a certain period of time.

When movement is detected again, the device automatically wakes up. This type of intelligent sleep behavior can significantly extend battery life during periods of low activity.

6. Temperature and environment

Batteries are affected by temperature, particularly cold conditions.

In low temperatures:

• Available battery capacity is reduced
• Internal resistance increases
• Voltage may drop more quickly

This is normal battery chemistry and not an indication of a fault with the device.

7. Hardware and software efficiency

Efficient hardware design and optimized software play a crucial role in battery life.

• Low-power IoT components reduce overall consumption
• Sleep and idle modes limit unnecessary activity
• Software updates can improve efficiency over time

Battery life is therefore the result of the entire system design—not just battery size alone.

Common misconceptions about battery life

• “Long battery life always means a better tracker”
• “GPS trackers should last as long as Bluetooth-only trackers”
• “Battery life is the same regardless of usage”

In reality, battery life must always be evaluated in the context of functionality and actual usage patterns.

Summary

Battery life in pet GPS trackers is influenced by update frequency, connection type, network coverage, activity level, temperature, and overall system design.

By combining Bluetooth at short range, mobile IoT when needed, adjustable update intervals, and intelligent power-saving modes, users can balance battery life and tracking performance according to their individual needs.