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| Learn how to charge your phone properly. |
There are those who may think that talking about batteries is not interesting. However, it is very useful to know some tricks that will allow you to make your mobile battery last longer.
In fact, most of us are concerned that the battery will last all day, until we get home, but few think about the total life of the battery, which is usually around three or five years.
Although the batteries do not last forever and smartphone manufacturers often promise a capacity of 300-500 cycles, there are several things you can do to prevent it from lasting less than this on any model you have, be it Android or iOS.
When should I charge the mobile?
The general rule for lithium ion batteries, or Li-Ion batteries, is that they must always be charged at least 50%. When you drop this percentage, charge it up a bit so that it is over half the battery.
Now, don't charge it up to 100% battery. It is true that this will not negatively impact your battery if you do it once, but doing it constantly will undoubtedly shorten the total life of the device.
Ultimately, we recommend charging a lithium ion battery up to 40% or 80% each time we do it, and never let the battery drop below 20%. You may have to charge the battery from time to time during the day.
Should I charge a mobile phone up to 100% battery?
Experts recommend that you charge the battery up to 100% perhaps only once a month. This helps recalibrate the battery in the same way that it does when you do a reset on a computer, or when you go on vacation and break the routine.
Should I charge the phone overnight?
Most smartphones today stop charging when they reach 100% recharged power, so it is not a risk to leave a mobile phone plugged into the power overnight.
Of course, experts recommend removing the cover if we plan to let them charge for many hours, as this would avoid overheating, something harmful especially in lithium ion batteries.
Should I use fast charging?
Many Android smartphones include a feature that enables fast charging, a concept that is often referred to as Qualcomm Quick Charge or, in the case of Samsung, Adaptive Fast Charging.
This type of mobile phone has a special code on its chip known as the English name of Power Management Integrated Circuit, that is, an integrated circuit for managing power supply.
The PMIC is the one that communicates with the charger you are using to request permission to send power at a high voltage. The iPhone 6 may not have fast charging, but its Qualcomm PMIC makes it recognize if you are using a higher voltage charger.
In this way, the mobile will prevent its lithium ion battery from overheating. A battery that is too hot or too cold will definitely shorten its life, so we recommend not leaving your phone near, for example, an oven or a freezer.
Can I use any mobile charger?
It is advisable to use the charger that came with the mobile phone whenever possible, since in this case there will be no doubt that it is the one that best suits the characteristics of your smartphone.
That doesn't mean you can't use a third-party charger. You must make sure that the manufacturer of your mobile has approved its use. Cheap alternatives will end up harming the health of your phone.
What is the memory effect of a battery?
The memory effect is the concept that is used to refer to the capacity of the batteries to forget that percentage of battery that you never finish discharging or that never gets to be complete. That only happens in nickel batteries, not in the most modern Li-Ion.
For example, if you usually charge your phone from 20% to 80%, in the long run your mobile will forget that 40% (from 0 to 20 and from 80 to 100) that is always charged or is always incomplete. That will reduce the capacity of your battery.
Lithium ion batteries, therefore, do not suffer these consequences. In fact, it is even recommended to do the opposite: charge them often during the day but not to their full capacity. It is also not good to let them download up to 0%.
Tips for storing a battery
It is not recommended to leave a fully discharged lithium ion battery for a long time, so if you want to store them for a period of time, we advise you to do so with the battery charged at 40% or 50%.
These types of batteries discharge between 5% and 10% each month when not in use. If you let it download completely and don't load it for a long period of time, you may find that you can't load it again.
It is unlikely that you will not use your smartphone for so long, but it may be that you keep a laptop, an external battery or extra batteries in a closet and leave them unused. Do it but always with the battery charged at least halfway.