Your iPod uses a lithium ion battery. That is not the round kind found in a flashlight. Rather, it is a light, thin battery that is more powerful than conventional batteries. Using your device causes the battery to drain ? simple enough. However, every time you charge your iPod battery, it loses some of its total charge. Over time, it will simply run out of power and you will have to replace the iPod battery with an iPod battery replacement kit.

You are walking along, listening to your favorite tunes when your iPod shuts down. You go home to charge it up, and after a few hours, you are ready to go. You pop in your headphones, turn it on and nothing. Your iPod battery has died.

Now before you shake your fist in anger or frustration, it is good to understand why your iPod mini battery has kicked the bucket. It might not be of much consolation now, but knowing how iPod batteries work is always useful information to have.

Let us say that an iPod mini battery holds enough power to play for one hour. After an hour, it dies out, so you charge it again. It is now full, but instead of an hour, it only plays 59 minutes. Over time and repeated charges, the battery simply cannot hold a charge any more. Once that happens, it is time to change the iPod battery.

Now, you may be asking yourself why your iPod does not use conventional batteries. Here is the answer: find any size battery in your home and try to place it in your iPod. You will soon figure out why lithium ion is the weapon of choice for iPod mini batteries. They are smaller, longer lasting, and have the juice to power today's high-performance devices.

When an iPod battery dies, you can easily purchase an iPod mini battery replacement kit, instead of purchasing an entirely new unit. According to Apple, iPods are designed to last for years to come.

Therefore, the key to long iPod battery life is to only charge it when you have to. And remember, dead iPod batteries are those that won't hold any charge at all. An iPod battery with some charge left can hold some charge can still be useful, but you will still want to consider purchasing an iPod replacement kit.

Also keep in mind that when your iPod mini battery does die, it requires a proper funeral inside a proper container. No, you don't need to buy a casket and a plot, but you do need to adhere to local laws when it comes to battery disposal.