Month: December 2022

The expert also gave me this tip to preserve battery life. It is best not to let the phone discharge too much: never below 20%. Likewise, never fully charge it. Guess the reason? Quite simply, because the connection time is too long for the electrodes. By the way, have you noticed that the charging time between 88 and 100% is much longer? Quite simply, because “it pulls” a lot more on the battery to fill it up…and that’s where it damages it. So, do not hesitate to connect the smartphone regularly. The ideal is that the autonomy is around 50%. And if you wonder why, read the following:

Why is a 50% charge optimal?

Finally, when does the battery perform at its best? Well, according to all phone manufacturers, the battery tops out around 40%. To give a slightly wider range: between 30 and 60%. This is where it discharges the slowest. Besides, when you buy a new phone and turn it on for the first time, the charge is around 40%. It is not a coincidence.

I’m sure you’ve asked yourself this question before. Especially when you are used to plugging in the laptop several times a day. Does it damage the battery? Well, no…contrary to what one might think. It would actually be the opposite. Small partial charges would even have a benefit on the battery itself. This is what I am explaining to you now.

Charging the phone in multiple times is actually beneficial

The mobile phone expert who sold me mine explained this technique to me. This involves charging the phone for short periods several times during the day. The idea is to earn between 10 and 30% each time. But why ? Because a long charging period makes the electrodes work continuously. And even more if you use a fast charger. This is not a good thing, because it forces the battery ions to move from one electrode to another for too long. Which can tend to damage it.

This is a mistake I tend to make regularly. As soon as I see that my battery is low, hop I recharge it quickly. To my credit, I’ve always heard that you shouldn’t wait until the battery is empty to plug in your phone. But actually it depends on the model. This is not necessarily a good idea for all smartphones. For example, for the iPhone battery, it is recommended to let them fully discharge once a month. It’s Apple who says so, as we explain to you here.

How to avoid this error?

It’s easy. Once a month, allow the iPhone battery to discharge completely. When it is completely empty, reload it. It’s a simple way to preserve it longer and save money.

Some chargers are of very poor quality… Others are downright incompatible with your device. In this case, your battery can be damaged more quickly and see its lifespan decrease. In the worst case, the device may even catch fire.

How to avoid this error?

It is therefore best to use a charger of the same brand as your smartphone. We are thus almost sure that the two are compatible. And this allows efficient and fast charging. If you want to take a charger from another brand, no problem. But you just have to make sure that it is of good quality and compatible, by consulting the technical sheets and opinions for example. You can also inquire with smartphone vendors.

We talk about the cold because it’s the season… But the heat in summer isn’t much better! Having tested it last summer, I can tell you that it is not ideal for these delicate little devices. Especially during a heat wave… When you charge your device, it tends to heat up. So if you do it in direct sunlight, it overheats. And it’s not ideal for device components.

How to avoid this error?

Never charge your phone leaving it in direct sunlight. In general, do not expose it to direct sunlight or heat. This is why it is not recommended to leave it in the car or in your pocket, especially in summer, during heat waves. And it’s not a good idea to put it under the pillow either.

Charge your phone when it’s too cold

With the cold weather right now, that’s the kind of mistake we can all make. With low or even negative temperatures, your smartphone can be very cold. We just have to spend a little time outside, or forget it in the car. And hop, it turns into an ice cube. These little gems of technology are not made to withstand extreme temperatures. When it is very cold, the battery may discharge faster. But that’s not all. The operation of the screen may be damaged. The cold can even turn your phone off. But the worst is if you recharge it while it’s still cold. For example, you come home, your laptop is frozen. And you put it in charge right away. Well, know that it is very bad for the battery.

How to avoid this error?

When it’s very cold, it’s better to keep your phone safe, in a pocket, in a bag or in a thermal pouch. If that’s not possible, and your phone is really cold, just wait 5-10 mins. Let it warm to room temperature slowly. No need to put it in front of a heat source (stove, radiator, hair dryer…). This may damage it! You just have to be a little patient and wait.

Batteries wear out faster above 80% capacity. It is therefore recommended to avoid charging them overnight: “They would spend too much time at 100% and this would damage them prematurely”, explains Olivier Simon. Especially since some brands are not very cautious:

“While testing the charging of mobiles from different brands, we found that several models send regular surges when the battery is at 100%, to keep it fully charged. It’s bad enough for her. »

As a precaution, it is better to apply the same rule whatever the brand: “Charge your battery in the morning, when you shower, for example”, advises Olivier Simon.

If you want to give more attention and energy to this problem, take a look at the battery settings of your mobile: some models, from Samsung, Apple, Sony and Google, offer a smart setting. At night, to avoid staying at 100% for too long, they monitor the user-programmed alarm, and block the charge at 80% for several hours, then push it to 100% only at the last moment. In most cases, it is up to you to enable this feature.

If you’re willing to put a lot of effort into protecting your battery, you can go one step further: make sure the gauge never goes above 80%. A painful solution, because it reduces the autonomy of the smartphone on a daily basis and forces you to monitor the recharge like fuel on the fire. On Android, you can be assisted by an application that issues an alert when the charge passes the fateful threshold of 80%. On iOS, you can use the Shortcuts app for this.

Some users allow themselves to take the charge up to the 85% threshold, because manufacturers all take a safety margin: “the 100% you see on the screen is never the full capacity of their battery. Some brands, more cautious, set this 100% further from the maximum battery capacity than others, ”explains Olivier Simon.

There is no need to discharge a lithium-ion battery to 0% from time to time, contrary to the practice that prevailed with certain older generation batteries. It is even now not recommended: this type of battery degrades more quickly when it drops below 20% charge, a “danger zone” to be avoided as much as possible. The chemistry of a current smartphone battery perfectly supports frequent charges, it can be recharged often. However, it is not recommended to recharge it as soon as the opportunity arises, because its comfort zone is between 30% and 80% charge. It is also better to wait until the gauge of your smartphone drops to 25 or 30% before plugging it in.

Avoid high temperatures

Modern smartphones are equipped with lithium-ion batteries, designed to be used between approximately 10°C and 30°C. When they are exposed to higher temperatures for a long time, they degrade more quickly. It is better to avoid placing a smartphone in direct sunlight, especially when it is charging. The worst overheating scenario combines sun, recharging, and demanding use: “when using your smartphone as a GPS over a long distance for example”, warns Olivier Simon. Or when you play with your smartphone while recharging it.

Since our skin temperature is high, especially in summer, it is best to avoid carrying a smartphone in tight pants or in the inside pocket of a coat. Conversely, in the heart of winter, when temperatures fall below 0°C, it is advisable to wear your smartphone close to your body to slow down battery wear.

As we have seen, iOS and Android optimize the use and recharging of the battery as well as possible. The fact remains that it is possible to increase its lifespan by respecting a few basic rules.

Preferably recharge the battery when it indicates between 20 and 80%. Do not wait for it to drop below and recharging beyond 80% damages your battery.
Unplug your smartphone when the gauge indicates 100%, or even before.
Avoid using your smartphone when it is charging. Playing games, using a GPS app, making calls or leaving the terminal in the sun increases its temperature while recharging does the same, which damages it.
If you don’t need Bluetooth, wifi or geolocation, turn them off, because the device constantly and automatically checks for updates and launches constant requests that are very energy-consuming to do so.
For the same reasons, prefer a wifi connection to 4G/5G if possible.
Use the original charger provided/sold with your smartphone or recommended by the manufacturer (designed to optimize speed and optimal charging power for the model).
Consider using Android’s dark mode if you have a smartphone with an Oled screen.
Use auto-brightness to adapt the screen backlight to the mood.
Finally, to save your battery, the first instinct is quite logically to activate the energy saving mode on your smartphone. The smartphone will then limit access to data from apps that are not in the foreground and will pause the GPS when the device screen is off.