Most of the time, we only care about our phone batteries when we’re out during the day. We don’t worry too much about its battery life in the long run. Although we can recharge batteries when they run out, their lifetime is not eternal.
Smartphone manufacturers rate their devices to have a lifetime of 300 to 500 charge cycles. Apple claims that their laptop batteries reach 80% of its original capacity by 1,000 charges. At this point, your battery will run out quickly.
However, there are things you can do to extend your device’s battery life. The main thing you can do is to learn how to properly charge your phone.
The rule with Li-on batteries, which is most batteries, is to keep it charged at least 50%. You can do this by charging your phone several times throughout the day. Constantly doing a full charge can easily shorten a battery’s lifespan. Try keeping the charge between 40% and 80%, and not let it drop to lower than 20%.
Experts recommend doing a full charge only once a month (from 0% to 100%), for both smartphones and laptops. Charging your phone overnight may cause overheating, but most smartphones these days are smart enough to stop charging when the battery is full.
Smart charging phones are built with a special chip known as the Power Management IC that communicates with the charger you are using to send power at a higher voltage. This allows your phone to not overheat despite using this feature. Overheating a battery can shorten its life in the long run, and the same can also happen in super cold environments.
Finally, as much as possible, use the right charger for your phone. If you can’t find an original, brand-manufactured charger, at least make sure that your new one has the correct rating. Cheap alternatives have a potential to harm your phone and there have been reports of cheap chargers catching on fire.
Charging your phone properly will have benefits for you and your phone in the long run. You can save money and stay safe by keeping these tips in mind. If you’re looking for a new smartphone, we can help you choose a new one at the EMCOR website or visit your local EMCOR store!