Apple aimed for optimal smartphone experience when it rolled out the iOS 7-powered iPhone 5S and the tech giant was successful on that note but the whole package proved a definitive power-hog.

Most experts were in agreement that iOS 7 on the 5S is a necessary step up but the compromise on energy juice seems a high price to pay for owning a handset that is a sight to behold, inside and out.

Having too little battery life for a day is definitely a kill-joy, no matter how cool and powerful the gadget it powers, given that no fix is coming from Apple anytime soon.

Good thing there are practical ways to keep your iPhone 5S humming a bit longer in a single charge and mostly they constitute taking full control of the iOS 7 and dictate what features you want to run and kill, perhaps permanently.

Below are the top five battery-drain features found on iPhone 5S and Apple's new mobile platforms and the easy routes to keep them from bugging you:

Siri

This iPhone digital assistant first came to life via the iPhone 4S and no doubt she (or he) gained considerable popularity since then. The feature dispenses help to users, that is for sure, but for the most part, and when the novelty starts wearing off, the application seems irrelevant.

And Siri is demanding when it come to power because she/he runs on the background even when not in active use. If you think you can do without this 5S feature, you can actually retire her. Go to Settings > General > Siri then turn the service off.

Wireless signals

Accessing network connections or pairing with other devices minus the wires is one of the best breakthroughs packed with smartphones and tablet computers. Thanks to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, users can enjoy stereo music or surf the web wire-free.

However, these radio signals are surefire ways to push down battery metre real quick when left turned on. When not in use, simply swipe down the 5S screen to summon the Control Centre then tap the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth icons to put them to sleep.

Parallax effect

To achieve wide-screen effect on the 4-inch 5S, Apple thought it wise to throw in Parallax with the iOS 7, which also delivers some form of 3D effects on the handset. This feature is definitely cool but in the usability department, the rating hovers around zero and it makes people sick, according to recent reports.

Hide this effect for good by heading to Settings > General > Accessibility > Reduce motion. Tick off Reduce motion and Parallax will not bother you again.

Auto app update

Keeping applications on the latest iPhone build is maintenance-free. Users simply choose the apps they like, download them and blissfully forget about updating them. The handset and iOS 7 will do that job for them.

But there is a catch, this behind-the-scene function eats up too many battery reserve so it is best to perform the same task manually. To do this, go to Settings > iTunes & App Store > Automatic Downloads then turn off the latter menu option. This action should stop your 5S from going online to update your library of music, movies and apps.

Screen tone and live wallpaper

What a toy the 5S has become when finally Apple added moving backdrops on the handset, beamed lout gloriously in very bright Retina display panel. Note, however, that these two features collaborating will lead to reduced iPhone hours.

When not feeling too aesthetic and the emphasis of the hour is to squeeze the most power juice possible from the 5S, turn down the screen brightness by swiping up the Control Centre and use a still image instead as wallpaper. Doing so should extend the iPhone 5S battery a little longer.