i_am_zews/Shutterstock
The average consumer will replace a smartphone 2.6 years after purchasing it (via Statista). According to Tech Guided, if you have a laptop, you can expect it to last at least 4 to 7 years before you need an upgrade. However, the lifespan of smartphones, laptops and even electric cars depends on the health of the battery. In fact, very few people are inclined to upgrade their smartphones if there is an option to replace the battery — something Apple discovered after losing revenue. Of course, batteries are not meant to last forever, but You can prolong their use by avoiding bad charging habits that can speed up the degradation process. Most charging habits are propagated through myths we tell ourselves—at first, they may seem harmless, but they gradually shorten the lifespan of a battery or device. Let’s dig in and debunk the myths about charging technology that you should stop believing.
DAMRONG RATTANAPONG/Shutterstock
On top of that, research shows that letting your battery drain to 0% may Do more harm than good. “It is possible to extend battery life through incomplete charging and incomplete discharging,” Hans de Vries, a senior scientist at Signify, told The New York Times. So, what is the ideal charge you should be aiming for? Best practice is to plug a device with a Li-Ion battery (smartphone, laptop, or EV) into the charger after the charge drops to 20%, then unplug it at 80%.
Have a nice day Photo/Shutterstock
Contrary to what some people think, charging a smartphone, laptop or electric car overnight will not overload the battery. This is because most modern devices that use lithium-ion batteries are designed with smart chips that automatically cut power (time-through) 100% of the time. However, once the device stops charging, the battery may drop slightly after a few minutes, prompting the charger to recover and return to 100%. This small power gain is called “trickle charging,” and it can shorten the life of the battery.
To prevent trickle charging effects, the latest iPhone and Android smartphones have optimized battery charging function. For example, if you activate optimized battery charging on your iPhone, it will stop power at 80% and accelerate to 100% (via 9To5Mac) minutes before you wake up. In other words, the battery doesn’t trickle charge, and if you want to unplug the battery to extend its life, you can easily predict when the battery will reach 80%.
Still, according to Huawei, you should be careful to avoid charging your smartphone Play video games and stream HD videos. Doing so may cause the battery to overheat, shortening its lifespan. However, if you’re accessing apps that don’t consume a lot of power, using your smartphone while plugged in should be fine. If you find your device is too hot, you should unplug it from the charger.
In addition, the ideal ambient temperature for charging Li-ion batteries should be within 50 degrees between and 86 degrees Fahrenheit (via Battery University). However, different manufacturers have different recommendations. For example, Tesla recommends that you plug your vehicle into the charger whenever possible in winter to keep the battery warm.
Imagenet/Shutterstock
With the advancement of technology, many smartphones are now , laptops and electric cars can all be charged from 0% to 80% in just a few minutes. For example, the Vivo iQOO 7 can be charged from 0% to full in about 18 minutes – making it one of the fastest charging smartphones ever. Additionally, the EV’s Level 3 fast charger can provide up to 120 miles of range in 20 minutes or less. Of course, it’s not uncommon for the idea of ​​a battery to degrade at such blazingly fast charging speeds.
But the truth is, fast charging won’t damage your battery. If you have a fast charging device, you will notice that the charging speed will slow down after 50% or 80%. According to Belkin, the supply voltage is reduced after the first stage, typically by 50% or 80%, to prevent the battery from overheating. That means fast charging a smartphone, laptop or electric car should be safe unless there is a hardware or software flaw that doesn’t drop the voltage to regulate the temperature. It’s also important to choose the right fast charger for your device.
