The battery is an essential component of a smartphone, determining its usage time. However, many people still charge their smartphone batteries the traditional way, unaware that it can shorten the battery’s lifespan.
What are the consequences of improper battery charging?
First, overcharging or leaving your phone plugged in overnight can cause the battery to degrade faster. This is because, at high temperatures, the chemical reactions inside the battery are more pronounced, leading to a quicker depletion of the battery’s lifespan.
Second, incorrect charging practices can lead to device explosions. Prolonged charging at high temperatures can cause the battery to become electrically overloaded, resulting in short circuits. This is extremely dangerous as it may lead to fires.
Third, using low-quality charging cables can also impact the battery. These cables fail to provide a stable electric current and balanced charging voltage, which takes a toll on the battery.
Fourth, leaving your phone charging overnight keeps the battery in a fully charged state for an extended period, reducing its lifespan. To maintain its health, a battery needs to be completely discharged from time to time.
To protect their batteries, users need to learn the correct way to charge their phones, avoiding the above mistakes. By doing so, they can prolong the battery’s lifespan and ensure the safety of their devices.
Charging methods to increase the durability of smartphones
When you buy a new phone, properly charging its battery from day one can help extend its lifespan and reduce the risk of degradation.
Methods to increase the durability of smartphones. (Illustration)
Here are some useful tips to safely and effectively charge your new phone:
Remember the golden rule of battery charging
– Always maintain your battery level between 30% and 90%.
– Recharge when the battery drops below 50%.
– Unplug the charger as soon as it reaches 100%.
You can also use the Shortcuts app to set notifications for when your battery reaches a certain percentage.
Avoid charging your phone to 100%
While it may seem counterintuitive, charging your phone to 100% is not ideal. Smartphone batteries are made of Lithium-ion, and each full charge is considered a ‘cycle’ that should occur once a month to recalibrate the battery, similar to restarting your computer. The battery’s lifespan will decrease after xx cycles. It’s best to unplug the charger as soon as it reaches 100% and avoid overcharging to prolong the battery’s lifespan.
Don’t charge your phone overnight
As convenient as it is to wake up to a fully charged phone, it’s best to avoid the habit of charging your phone overnight. When you leave your phone plugged in all night, it constantly toggles between a fully charged state and a slightly lower charge—99% to 100%. This process takes longer than necessary and can also heat up your phone, damaging the battery. There’s also the risk of explosions and fires while you sleep. So, it’s always better to charge during the day than overnight.
Stop using your phone while it’s charging
Using your phone while it’s charging can impact the battery’s lifespan due to unstable electric currents. Moreover, it can affect the hardware and increase the risk of explosions and fires, which can be dangerous to the user.
Therefore, it’s best to avoid using your phone while it’s charging, and ensure you always use the original charger and cable to prevent unfortunate incidents.
Use official and high-quality chargers
Just like how good engine oil helps a motorcycle engine run more efficiently, a high-quality charger will enhance your precious device’s performance. Ensure that the charging cable you’re using is official and suitable for your phone to achieve the most effective charging.
Keep your phone in a cool place while charging
– Avoid placing it on fabric or high-temperature surfaces as the phone generates heat while charging. Such placement can further increase the phone’s temperature, affecting the battery.
– It’s best to place your phone on a flat, hard surface to allow heat to dissipate easily.
– Keep it in a cool place, away from direct sunlight, to prevent overheating during charging.
Encourage multiple charges throughout the day
Many people believe that a single full charge is enough to last until the battery is completely drained. However, this is not true, as it’s not the best practice for battery health. Lithium-ion batteries prefer being charged for short periods. So, if you plan to use your phone multiple times a day, charge it whenever you can, instead of waiting for it to drain completely.
Don’t worry about using fast charging
In reality, fast charging does not affect your battery’s lifespan. Regular charging cables have an electric current output of around 5W to 10W, while fast-charging cables can provide up to eight times that amount. Unless your battery or charging cable has a technical issue, fast charging will not harm your phone.
Turn on Airplane Mode to charge your phone faster
When you enable Airplane Mode on your phone, all unnecessary connections and applications are automatically turned off, allowing your phone to charge faster.
Battery storage tips
You might think that storing a battery at 100% charge is ideal when not in use. However, this is not the case. Doing so can actually reduce its lifespan!
Letting the battery remain depleted for too long can kill it permanently. On the other hand, storing it at a full 100% charge will reduce its capacity and lifespan. Therefore, it’s best to store your phone with a charge of around 50% when not in use for extended periods.
Proper charging not only increases the durability of smartphones but also enhances performance and saves maintenance costs in the long run. By following these simple guidelines, you can protect and maintain the efficiency of your mobile device. Always use official accessories and adhere to the basics to achieve the best results.
According to VTC News