If you remember a time when a phone’s battery would last anywhere between 2 and 3 days (even up to 5 days for some), you probably belong to the earliest wave of millennials (or an older generation that still enjoys this phase). Phones were simple and were used for either making calls or sending out text messages.
Over time, with screens getting larger, we’ve grown to accept that getting a day out of a regular charge cycle is the most we could get out of it. While this is mostly true, battery technology has changed so much that their durability and efficiency to hold charge have gone up a great deal over their older counterparts.
While I’m not going to dull you with the boring details, here are a few things you could do to help prolong the useful life of your phone.
Do not let the battery percentage fall too low
While this was considered safe practice with the earliest phones, what people considered the “memory effect” does not apply to present battery technology. If you’re still doing this to your phone, you’re probably causing more damage in the long-run.
However, note that this applies only to cell phone batteries and a few others. If you use rechargeable batteries (NiCd or NiMH) with other appliances, you might still want to completely discharge them before you put them on the charger again. Ideally, don’t let it fall below 50% before it needs to be charged again.
Charge up whenever you find a wall socket you can plug into
The best thing you could do for your phone’s battery is plug into the wall whenever you find a socket. The biggest enemy of any kind of battery is heat. Charging from 0-100% is going to put a lot more stress on your battery than if you went from 80-100%.
As an experiment, try both of these from a cold start and see which scenario generates more heat. Keeping your phone plugged in when not in use is essential for battery upkeep. It will also help in prolonging your phone’s usable life.
Do not plug and play
Unless you’re using a sufficiently high-powered adaptor and you’re in a cold environment, do not plug your phone to the wall and use the darn thing! When using low powered adaptors, you’re using more power than the current that is being supplied to it. This inadvertently, damages the battery in the long-run.
As mentioned earlier, heat is the biggest enemy of any battery. Using your phone while it’s plugged in will only cause more stress to the battery and make it overheat! (Insert gory image of a phone that burst on someone’s face; not! ?)
And lastly…
Do not keep your phone plugged in after it is fully charged!
Well for 99% of us who keep it plugged in overnight, we’ve raked in a dirty habit. Modern phones won’t complain, but trickle charging could lead to ED. Err, Early Damage y’know!
Imagine working out with weights. Would you still hold the weights in your hand for hours after you’re done lifting? Same principle applies here. Constantly putting the battery under stress will wear it down.
Consider using an app like DU Battery Saver (Android) to keep track of your battery’s health.
If you follow these simple suggestions, you’re sure to have a very satisfying phone experience; both long and strong! Leave your comments below so we could continue this conversation. Let’s learn together!
