Smartphone charging questions, answered. - Hungry Geeks

Until your phone, tablet or even laptop dies, batteries are one of the most boring subjects in the world of technology. While most of us are just charging our batteries when our phone is out our about to die, we don’t care about it’s lifespan and ways to keep it alive in the long run. Here are the top questions about it that we’ll answer.

Should I only charge it if it’s down 5% or if it dies?

NO. Li-ion batteries found in all smartphones nowadays has this thing called Battery Memory Effect. It’s about batteries remembering the remaining charge throughout the day – there’s a possibility that if your phone is running low, they may have forgotten about the extra 40% that’s left unused which they can’t tell you.

So the tip is: Charge but not too often. For best results, wait to charge until the battery is down to near 10 percent then fill it up to 100 without plugging out.

Should I always charge it to full?

You can, but better if you avoid it. Just like in real life, several stop-overs are better than going to the destination immediately. Smartphone batteries appreciate partial charging, it’s better if you go from 30% to 60% or 50% to 80% as this keeps the battery cells close to their natural state longer. Best if you charge it several times a day if you can.

Also, didn’t you notice why batteries of most phones are pre-charged at 40-50 percent when you first use it? It’s because this is the ideal state of the battery because the voltage is neither too high nor too low.

Should I turn it off?

NO. In case you don’t know, your smartphone will use more juice turning it back on than quietly letting it sleep or locked. When you’re home, best thing to do is power cycling the device every 2 days – turning it off, waiting for 15 to 30 seconds, then turning it back on. A power cycle will reboot the device and will shut down any apps or services that may be running in the background and trying to eat away your battery.

Can I leave my phone charging all night?

YES. Leaving your smartphone charging overnight is okay to do, it will not do any harm to your device too. That’s why we call it smartphone, once it is fully charged, it goes to trickle charging where it will just charge little by little keeping it a hundred percent so it won’t overcharge.

Also note that smartphone batteries react poorly if it is experiencing elevated temperatures that could be harmful. If you have to charge it overnight, remove the case if you have one because if it phone is very warm it will cause cell oxidation that will shrink its capacity and shorten your battery lifespan.

Wall outlet or Laptop/Desktop?

EITHER. Although charging through a laptop or desktop is a bit slower because of the standard voltage (some ROM/Software can fast charge). And charging in a wall outlet can differ in speed considering its voltage but still safe provided that you have an authentic cable and plug. But nonetheless, both are okay to use.

My phone has wireless charging! Should I use it?

NO. Wireless charging can be very convenient if your phone has it, but there are also disadvantages with this feature. Do you know why iPhones don’t have these? The docks have a nasty habit of generating a lot of wasted heat. And with this heat, it has the possibility to toast your battery in the process that could be very dangerous. Best if you use the standard plugs to keep your battery in better shape, especially if the room is somewhat warm.

My battery is dead but I won’t use it immediately. What should I do?

Technically, your smartphone battery will be depleted if its voltage falls down to roughly 3.0V/cell. It’s advisable to always make sure that the battery is charged to some extent even if you’re not going to use it. Ideally around 40% that was mentioned earlier.

Also note that smartphone batteries have their own shelf life. You shouldn’t stock up on lithium-ion batteries regardless whether you use them or not because they slowly degrade over time and their maximum capacity will perish.

So those are the frequently asked questions about smartphone charging. Did we miss anything? Ask us in the comments section and we’ll try our best to answer it.