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Our phones cannot hold power forever. We have to charge them. But, how you charge your phones is extremely important, as it determines the life span of the battery and the phone itself. Especially with iPhones, some of our seemingly harmless habits cause slow, silent damage to the precious lithium-ion batteries. Here is a look at some of the charging mistakes.
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1. Charging to 100%: Maintaining a full charge is not the most efficient way to keep your phone battery strong. In fact, experts suggest letting your phone coast through the day between 30 and 80 percent full. That's where it's most comfortable, and will run most efficiently. So stop charging it overnight, and instead go for shorter and more frequent bursts throughout the day.
2. Letting your phone die: Lithium ion batteries become volatile when they drop down to low power, so you should avoid getting that “low battery” warning too often. Every full discharge wears down your battery ever so slightly. Also, Apple and other experts suggest you let it fully run out of power every one to two months to “calibrate” the battery gauge.
3. Overheating Your Battery: This isn't specifically a charging issue. But it's still very important. You may have noticed that your phone is annoyingly sluggish after its been sitting out in the sun. That's because iPhone batteries hate extreme temperatures, and have to work extra hard in high heat or cold. According to Apple, the “comfort zone” for iPhones (as well as iPads, iPods, and Apple Watches) is between 32 and 95 degrees. Your phone should be cooled off at regular intervals
4. Excessive use of wireless charger:Your mophie backup battery case is a godsend when you're out & about and need some extra power to get home. But both your battery and the case itself emit heat during charging, which can do long term damage your device. To avoid overheating, try a portable power source that doesn’t attach to your phone.
5.Leaving your case on while you charge: If your phone feels too hot when it's plugged in, it's possible your fancy schmancy case might be trapping in the heat that's produced while charging. So turn off your phone when charging.
6. Storing your backup phone without a charge: If you’re hanging onto your old phone as a backup for a later time, make sure you stash it in a cool place, roughly half-charged. According to Apple, it you leave the battery completely depleted it will fall into what’s known as a “deep discharge state,” which apart from sounding like a nightmarish medical issue, will render it less capable of holding a charge in the future. Conversely, if you store it fully charged for an extended period, it may lose some capacity as well.
7. Using The Wrong Charger: Your Apple-issued charger is designed to cut power when the battery hits 100%, but those cheap unauthorized third-party USB cords are not, and may do some damage by excessively filling up the battery.
Image: Shutterstock
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1. Charging to 100%: Maintaining a full charge is not the most efficient way to keep your phone battery strong. In fact, experts suggest letting your phone coast through the day between 30 and 80 percent full. That's where it's most comfortable, and will run most efficiently. So stop charging it overnight, and instead go for shorter and more frequent bursts throughout the day.
2. Letting your phone die: Lithium ion batteries become volatile when they drop down to low power, so you should avoid getting that “low battery” warning too often. Every full discharge wears down your battery ever so slightly. Also, Apple and other experts suggest you let it fully run out of power every one to two months to “calibrate” the battery gauge.
3. Overheating Your Battery: This isn't specifically a charging issue. But it's still very important. You may have noticed that your phone is annoyingly sluggish after its been sitting out in the sun. That's because iPhone batteries hate extreme temperatures, and have to work extra hard in high heat or cold. According to Apple, the “comfort zone” for iPhones (as well as iPads, iPods, and Apple Watches) is between 32 and 95 degrees. Your phone should be cooled off at regular intervals
4. Excessive use of wireless charger:Your mophie backup battery case is a godsend when you're out & about and need some extra power to get home. But both your battery and the case itself emit heat during charging, which can do long term damage your device. To avoid overheating, try a portable power source that doesn’t attach to your phone.
5.Leaving your case on while you charge: If your phone feels too hot when it's plugged in, it's possible your fancy schmancy case might be trapping in the heat that's produced while charging. So turn off your phone when charging.
6. Storing your backup phone without a charge: If you’re hanging onto your old phone as a backup for a later time, make sure you stash it in a cool place, roughly half-charged. According to Apple, it you leave the battery completely depleted it will fall into what’s known as a “deep discharge state,” which apart from sounding like a nightmarish medical issue, will render it less capable of holding a charge in the future. Conversely, if you store it fully charged for an extended period, it may lose some capacity as well.
7. Using The Wrong Charger: Your Apple-issued charger is designed to cut power when the battery hits 100%, but those cheap unauthorized third-party USB cords are not, and may do some damage by excessively filling up the battery.
Image: Shutterstock