Chances are you’re probably charging your smartphone wrong and doing more damage to your battery than you know.
Many of us know the struggle of having our phones die on us half way through the day. Even when we charge it to 100% capacity overnight, it fails after a few hours of usage. Well, the key to prolonging the life of your battery lies in the way you charge your phone.
Cadex, a battery company with a site called Battery University, goes into detail about how the lithium-ion batteries in our smartphones actually work and how it affects the way we should charge our phones.
If you’re like most people, you probably plug your phone in overnight so that it’s fully charged by the time you wake up in the morning. However, Battery University says charging your phone this way may ruin your battery in the long term.
Lithium-ion batteries are sensitive to stress, which can deteriorate the chemistry of your battery. When your phone reaches 100%, “trickle charges” keeps the battery in a state of high-stress and tension when it is left plugged in. Give your battery a break!
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Battery University advises:
“When fully charged, remove the battery” from its charging device. “This is like relaxing the muscles after strenuous exercise.”
We typically aim to charge our phones to the maximum 100%. However, continually charging your phone throughout the day lessens the wear on your battery. Battery University explained:
“Li-ion does not need to be fully charged, nor is it desirable to do so. In fact, it is better not to fully charge, because a high voltage stresses the battery.”
Ideally, you should charge your phone whenever it loses 10% of its battery. Though it may be a hassle to constantly plug your phone in, it will keep your smartphone battery performing optimally for longer.
Lastly, keep your smartphone in a cool place since the batteries are sensitive to heat. That means don’t leave it in the sun or bring it into your hot yoga class with you. In fact, Apple even suggests users remove certain phone cases before charging their iPhones as some cases are known to insulate heat. If you notice any hardware issues with your iPhone, it’s best to have it inspected by a technician specializing in iphone repairs.
Your smartphones do a lot of work for you so do it a favor and charge it properly.
