A recent study suggests the best way to extend cell phone battery life is to be mindful of how much of a charge it holds. While certain types of batteries in the past have needed to run full cycles between being fully charged and fully depleted, current research shows that modern cell phone batteries should be kept above 50% capacity, but below 100%.
InCharged cell phone charging stations give your cell phone the fastest, most safe charge you can find – so if you’re running low, make sure you plug in to charge your battery over 50%. Below, see some more tips for cell phone battery maintenance courtesy of Gizmodo.
- The “memory effect” is when a battery forgets its full capacity, and is counteracted by letting the battery fully charge and fully deplete between chargings so that it will remember how to hold a charge. But this only applies to nickel batteries- not the lithium ones in a cell phone.
- Always try to keep a cell phone battery over 50% – but about once a month, it’s good to calibrate the battery by letting it go from 100% right down to 0%.
- Although the battery should be kept over 50%, it’s not good to leave it plugged in all the time. Lithium batteries can overheat, and if the phone is left plugged in after it is fully charged the battery will lose capacity.
- The best thing to do is simply run a phone between 80% and 40% of its battery whenever possible rather than charging for many short stretches or fewer long ones.
- Heat is really unhealthy for batteries: At 77 degrees Fahrenheit, a lithium battery will lose 20% of its capacity each year. Try to avoid leaving cell phones in sunny areas, cars, or other hot spaces for prolonged periods of time.
Source: Gizmodo
