The battery of our smartphone is getting bigger and bigger and, as a general rule, its autonomy is gradually improving. However, we still make many mistakes that not only degrade the life of the mobile, but end up perpetrating some myths and prejudices such as "battery addiction". Want to know how to correct some of the mistakes we make when charging our smartphones?
Mistakes when charging smartphones, cell phones and laptops
Although we can recharge our smartphone, tablet, computer and virtually any mobile device with lithium-ion battery at any time, certain mistakes, certain prejudices stubbornly persist.
1. Cable and/or charger
First and foremost, the charger must be compatible so that it can charge at the maximum supported speed while maintaining the integrity of the battery and the charger itself.
It is no coincidence that manufacturers include an original charger and cable to accompany the device. Both are designed and manufactured to operate at a certain power rating appropriate to the characteristics of the product. However, sometimes the cable breaks, or we lose the charger and there is no shortage of alternatives, often cheaper, in physical and online stores.
Unofficial chargers and cables are usually cheaper and many of them fulfill their function. However, they are not the most suitable for the perfect functioning of your smartphone and its battery. I always advise you to avoid using unofficial accessories as much as possible. As far as possible, always use official accessories or those recommended by the brand.
2. Discharge the battery completely
One of the myths that still persists is the habit of letting the battery discharge completely before recharging your smartphone or computer. Avoid letting your smartphone/PC/tablet, etc., fall below 15% charge as much as possible. With lithium-ion technology you should not let your device reach very low charge levels.
3. Charge overnight
Although nowadays the vast majority of chargers and smartphones have various safety systems that cut off the power flow when the battery is fully charged, it is still not recommended to leave the device plugged in for long periods of time.
Although I do it too, I leave my smartphone charging at the end of the day and in the morning it is fully charged, according to a study by Battery University (source), this practice is inadvisable. According to this entity, we should charge our devices to a maximum of 90 to 95%, a partial charge, therefore.
The advantages of a partial charge (90 to 95%) consist mainly in increasing the lifetime of the battery and its (limited) charge and discharge cycles. For the same reason that full discharge should be avoided, full charge is also not recommended.
In fact, some manufacturers even limit full battery charging in a particularly clever way. The smartphone displays the full charge warning (100%), but this is an artificial value, always leaving a small margin that the battery is not, in fact, fully charged.
You can Read: How To Connect Your Phone To A Non-Smart TV In 5 Different Ways
4. Heat or cold affects the battery
Both extreme heat and excessive cold are two of the main threats to the batteries of our smartphone, PC, tablet and the like. Even in normal operating situations, our smartphones have a tendency to heat up. That said, avoid charging your smartphone while gaming or using it to the point where it gets too hot.
Also avoid leaving your smartphone, tablet or any other battery-using mobile device in the sun during the day. This happens, for example, in the car or at the desk when we forget our gadgets. Temperature (extreme heat or cold) significantly affects battery life.
It is also worth noting the sometimes detrimental role of protective cases. Yes, I know it seems counterintuitive, but I'm sure you've noticed that when you're charging your smartphone, or using it with a case, it tends to get much hotter. You are insulating the smartphone, preventing or limiting its ability to dissipate heat. Again, the temperature will degrade performance and battery life. In short, if you're charging, let it breathe.
5. Charge the battery once a day
Contrary to common sense, charging the battery fully once a day is not a smart practice. According to Battery University, the ideal is to charge it sporadically and intermittently throughout the day. That is, whenever you have between 5 and 10 minutes to charge your smartphone.
In short, we should avoid full and prolonged charges. The battery of our equipment will last longer (useful life) if we charge it several times a day, without worrying much more than to avoid a complete charge or discharge of it. This is because lithium-ion batteries are susceptible to saturation.
What is mAh (milliampere-hour)?
When we talk about battery capacity, the concept "milliampere-hour" or mAh immediately comes to mind. But what does this concept mean?
The milliampere-hour or mAh (abbreviation) is used as a standard for the milliampere-hour, a sub-unit of measurement used to identify the transfer of electrical charge through a constant electrical current of one ampere over the course of one hour. This metric, dear reader, does not directly measure energy, the potential energy stored in the battery itself. For that we would have to use joules or watt-hours. Instead, mAh tells us how long the batteries last.
In summary, and to try to clarify this concept. The higher the milliampere-hour value, the greater the autonomy of your smartphone. The longer you can go without having the equipment plugged in.
Types of batteries
There are several types (technologies) of batteries and, as you can probably guess, not all of them have the same characteristics and qualities. Currently we use lithium-ion or (Li-Ion) batteries but the effects and "vices" that previous technologies left in the minds of consumers are still noticeable today.
Let us now look at the main types of batteries used in mobile devices:
- (NiCd) - Nickel-cadmium: nickel batteries were the first to allow recharging and the first to be used on a large scale. Compared to lithium-ion batteries (today's dominant technology), these batteries were much larger and heavier. Their main problem was "memory". That is, if the full charge of the battery was not used before recharging it, it would go bad. This gave rise to the term "addictive battery".
- (Ni-MH) - Nickel Metal Hydride: As technology advanced, nickel-cadmium was replaced by nickel metal hydride. This change created sleeker, lighter and higher capacity (mAh) batteries. Above all, the "memory effect" was considerably reduced. This technology involved some periodic discharges before a new charge, but not on every charge as with the previous technology.
- (Li-Ion) Lithium Ion: This is the technology used today and came about thanks to the choice of an even lighter metal. As a result, batteries have become even lighter and thinner. The biggest advantage of (Li-Ion) batteries is that they can be recharged at any time and are not subject to the "memory effect". In other words, they are not addictive and can be recharged at any time.
- (Li-Polymer) Lithium-Polymer: With all the similarities to lithium-ion batteries, this technology has not yet become popular, but it has the advantage of being cheaper to produce.
This is not the first time I try to demystify some truths, talk about mistakes and eliminate some myths about the battery of our equipment. I hope that some of these tips will be useful to you and that I have clarified some concepts.
Leave a Reply
You can also Read: