Batteries are one of tech’s worst subjects ...
While most of us live
in fear of a fading phone battery when we’re out , we don’t worry too much
about battery’s lifespan.
But here are some ways to keep your battery in top shape for
a long and powerful life. (between 3-5 years).
Your phone uses a lithium ion battery, and differs from the
nickel cadmium batteries that you’re fond of, you know, the ones in R/C cars
and kitchen appliances? Why? Because they’re small, lightweight and powerful.
In nickel cadmium batteries, charging and discharging batteries is a chemical
reaction, but with lithium ion batteries, it’s different. Scientists claim that
the energy is actually an ion movement between anode and cathode, but this not
so perfect movement can become obstructed and the effects of aging/corrosion
are why the battery life gets worse and worse as time goes on. Let’s face it,
batteries don’t last very long (or you’re on Twitter/Facebook too much), and we
need to charge our phones several times a day. Yeah there’s ton of options out there
– external battery packs, cell phone cases with batteries in them and even
portable chargers. Batteries are one of tech’s most boring subjects … until
your phone, tablet or laptop dies, that is. While most of us live in fear of a
fading phone battery when we’re out and about, we don’t worry too much about
that battery’s eventual lifespan, but there are ways to keep your battery in
tip-top shape for a long and fruitful life. (probably between three and five
years). Most smartphone manufacturers says their devices rate their batteries
at 300-500 cycles.
So here’s some tips to extend your battery’s lifespan
The big questions about how to recharge a battery is
whether you should let it run to zero before re-charging to 100%.
One reason why people are unsure is something they’ve heard
of called the battery “memory effect”.
What is battery memory effect? Battery memory effect is
about batteries remembering remaining charge if you didn’t let them go all the
way to zero too often. So a battery frequently charged from 20% to 80% might
‘forget’ about the 40% that’s left uncharged (0-20% and 80-100%). Sounds crazy
but that’s sort of true – but only for older nickel-based (NiMH and NiCd)
batteries, not the lithium-ion batteries in your phone.
Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries don’t suffer the memory
effect so you almost need to do the opposite – charge them often but not all
the way throughout the day, and don’t let them drop to zero. Don’t often charge battery from zero to 100%
The rule with Li-ion batteries is to keep them 50% or more
most of the time. When it drops below 50% top it up if you can. But don’t
charge it all the way to 100%. It won’t be fatal to your battery if you do a
full recharge – most of us are forced to do this every now and again in
emergencies. But constantly doing a full recharge will shorten the battery’s
lifespan.
So a good range to aim for when charging a Li-ion battery is
from about 40% to 80% in one go. Try not to let the battery drop below 20%.
When I should do a full battery charge
Experts recommend that you do a full zero to 100% battery
recharge (a "charge cycle") maybe once a month only. This
recalibrates the battery – a bit like restarting your computer, or, for humans,
going on holiday! The same goes for laptops, by the way.
Should I charge my phone overnight?
Most modern smartphones are clever enough to stop charging
when full, so there isn'y a great risk in leaving your phone charging
overnight. But some experts recommend you remove the phone from a case if
charging for a long time, as a case could lead to over heating – which
Lithium-ion batteries do not like .
Should I use fast battery charging?
Many Android phones have a feature that allows for fast
charging. In most cases fast charging can
and will heat up Li-ion battery and cause
it increased wear and tear.
For the same reason, don’t leave your phone in a hot car, on
the beach or next to the oven. A hot battery will suffer long-term effects on
its lifespan. And so will a super-cold one, so don’t leave your device in the
freezer or out in the snow!
So, if you can, switch off fast charging on your Android
phone.
Can I use any charger?
Where possible use the charger that came with your phone, as
it is sure to have the correct rating. Or make sure that a third-party charger
is approved by your phone's manufacturer. Cheap alternatives from Amazon or
eBay may harm your phone and even burn it!
Storing battery tips
Don’t leave a Li-ion battery lying around too long at 0%.
Try to leave it at around 40-50%. These batteries drain at about 5-10% a month
when not in use. If you let the battery discharge completely and leave it
uncharged for a long period of time it may eventually become incapable of
holding a charge at all (that’s properly dead). Try to keep them at least half
charged.
