Modern lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries which are used in smartphones and tablets are longer lasting than their nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) counterparts, but still require some care. Everyone would want to prolong the battery life of their device as long as possible. In this article, I would like to share some lesser known tips to help you prolong the battery life of your mobile devices on a single recharge as well as extend the overall life of the batteries.
Avoid fully discharging the battery
Because lithium-ion batteries have no "memory" effect, they can be charged without waiting for a complete discharge. To increase the life of your lithium-ion battery, charge your phone or tablet more often. The optimal charge time is when the battery indicator shows a value below 10-20 percent. This will increase the number of discharge cycles up to 1000-1100.
Discharge the battery every 3 months
Like the constant full discharge which is unnecessary, keeping the batteries fully charged for a long time is also harmful. Batteries often get charged and discharged in an unstable manner, for example, charging to 50% at work from USB, then discharging while you are traveling home, then charged again. Therefore, it is recommended that you perform a full discharge every 3 months after fully charging them up to 100%. When the battery gets completely discharged, keep the phone charging for 8-12 hours. This helps to relieve upper and lower levels of capacity of your battery.
Store your battery only partially charged
The optimal condition for long-term storage of a lithium-ion battery is a charge level from 30 to 50 percent. If you leave the battery completely charged for the long period of time, the capacity will be significantly reduced! Also, a battery which remains discharged completely for a long time will lose its capacity.
Use the original charger
Very often, the electronic parts of the charger are built directly into modern mobile devices, and the external adapter only lowers the voltage. Some devices "reject" a foreign/non-original charger. If you use some third-party charger, it can reduce the capacity of the battery or even damage the device.
Avoid overheating
Heat is very harmful factor for lithium-ion batteries. Therefore, do not leave your phone or its battery under direct sunlight. Do not leave them near sources of heat such as electric heaters. The temperature range for the battery to perform optimally is usually limited from -40 to +50 degrees Celsius.
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cool tips! thanks so much!
you are welcome
This is all good advice. You should certainly use the original charger that was intended for the battery, you can’t go wrong if you do things this way.
I was actually unaware of the recommendation to fully discharge a battery every now and then. Battery charge is certainly a sensitive and involved thing. I learned something new reading this article. Great stuff!
any updates for latest blog articles?
Coming soon :)