How To Optimally Charge Your Smartphone Battery
There are certain things which
mobile phone users do which gradually decreases the run-time of their battery
resulting in frequent battery drains and self-discharge.
Batteries that Back Our Phones
Consumers demand maximum run-time without wasting much time in
charging their phones. Earlier, nickel cadmium used to be the most suitable
batteries for portable devices. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries were developed
in the early 90s; the energy density in these batteries is almost twice than
the nickel-cadmium ones.
The battery used in the modern gadgets like smartphones or
tablets are Li-ion batteries. These batteries get charged at a much faster pace
than the older nickel batteries.
The cost of manufacturing Li-ion batteries is much higher than
Ni-Cad batteries. The older batteries suffered from ‘memory effect’ which means
that the battery has to be fully discharged to be charged once again. The users
had to discharge the battery and fully charge it which was a hectic process.
Battery Lifecycle
At some point, the battery of every phone dies. According
to Battery University, cycling, elevated temperature and aging decrease the
performance over time. Manufacturers take a conservative approach and specify
the life of Li-ion in most consumer products as being between 300 and 500
discharge/charge cycles.
Most of us didn’t know that Li-ion battery does not need to be
fully charged and charging it partially is recommended for the battery to last
longer. Many of us think that charging our phones several times in a day can
cause damage to battery life but that’s not true with Li-ion batteries. These
batteries are different from the older nickel-cadmium batteries which needed to
be charged from all the way from zero percent.
How Much Should We Charge Our Smartphones?
In fact charging phones all the way to 100 percent shortens the
battery lifespan. For optimally utilizing the battery, charge it to 80 percent
and always maintain the battery level around 55 percent. If the battery level
goes down below 40 percent, charge your device again for maintaining the
optimal battery level.
Don’t let the battery of your phone to fully discharge (zero
percent) as it increases the number of discharge cycles, if possible avoid
getting the battery level to go below 25 percent.
What If The Phone Is Overcharged?
Li-ion batteries don’t absorb overcharge but once it is fully
charged, the current should be cut off as the trickle charge would compromise
safety. Thanks to the smart technology through which IC (integrated circuitry)
in the smartphone automatically cuts-off the extra charge.
So if you left your phone plugged in last night then it is not
the end of the world, charging the phones overnight does not harm the battery
life though some experts recommend that charging the Li-ion battery for a
longer period may lead to overheating.
Smartphone manufacturers recommend not using the devices while
charging it and also to remove the case to avoid overheating.
Suitable Environment/ Temperature
Charge the battery at a moderate temperature, charging in the
limit of 15 to 35 degree Celsius is recommended. Keeping the device in hot
environment can damage the battery so avoid keeping your phones in direct
sunlight or hot cars which can decrease the battery’s lifespan. Also charging
the device in freezing temperature also harms the battery life.
Storing the Phone
While storing a smartphone should be charged partially as the
batteries have 5 percent discharge rate per month. If you store the
device without charging it then the battery will probably die as it won’t be
capable to hold any charge. Also the battery should be stored at lower
temperatures.
http://businessworld.in/article/How-To-Optimally-Charge-Your-Smartphone-Battery/23-06-2017-120741/?utm_source=Gadget%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Gadget%20-%20Sep%2020%20-%20Week%203
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