Smartphone with addicted battery? know what to do

The expression “bad battery” comes from the time of nickel cadmium batteries (NiCd) of the 80s and 90s, which, when not discharged to the lower voltage limit, seemed to lose part of their capacities in subsequent charges. As if they were addicted to supplying less and less energy. Users were advised to let the battery run down and charge it all at once to maintain its original capabilities. In current batteries we know that this should not be done.

Currently, all smartphones have lithium-ion batteries, which have much greater energy storage capacity and do not seem to have this memory effect.

Such a battery is designed for a lifetime of between 300 and 500 complete charging cycles (from 0% to 100% charge) – which gives it an average durability of 3 years , in moderate use. However, near the end of its life, it will only be able to offer 80% of its original capacity.

If you change your phone every two years, you’ll probably never know if you own a smartphone with a dead battery. But if you’re one of those people who likes to keep their equipment for more years or, even if you change it frequently, you want it to work at its best for as long as possible, we’ll tell you what to do.

SMARTPHONE WITH A DEAD BATTERY: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

The worst is the extreme temperature

A lithium-ion battery is made up of electrically charged chemicals. Given its increasingly smaller size, the positive and negative poles are millimetrically separated – hence its industrial production requires careful air filtration to prevent dust from entering that could cause future short circuits.

But there’s no need to be scared. Despite the case of explosive Samsung batteries, which all indicate that they originated from an error in the manufacturing process, these types of batteries have undergone many years of safety tests to reach the hands of users.

Knowing that the chemical reactions that charge batteries generate a lot of heat, all manufacturers have found a way to stop, in one way or another, this overheating – but the user can also help, as heat is the biggest enemy of the longevity of your battery .

The reference temperatures for normal use are between 0 ^o C and 35 ^o C. If you need to use a smartphone outside in more extreme conditions, know that you can choose “all-terrain” models prepared for severe thermal shocks. If it is with your normal smartphone , it may run out of battery.

Too much cold and too much heat causes corrosion and greatly reduces battery capacity and usage time. Therefore, it is important to take this into account when it comes to avoiding having a  smartphone with a dead battery. Ambient temperature is especially important during charging, when heating can build up even more.

Best practices for battery heating control

1. Do not charge inside boxes or on/under materials that increase temperature (blankets, electrical appliances, heated surfaces);

2. Never leave it exposed to direct or indirect sunlight (do not leave it in the car in the sun);

3. If you notice the phone is very hot , turn it off and check if the battery is swollen or physically deformed. If so, do not charge or use it again without going to a repair centre;

4. If you notice that it heats up every time you charge it, try another charger. Never use chargers of a lower quality than those indicated by the manufacturer. It can reduce battery life and risk overheating.

How and for how long to charge

To optimize the fixed life cycles of lithium-ion batteries, manufacturers are unanimous in saying that you should avoid letting them discharge to 0% or charging to 100%. Both situations stress the chemical reactions necessary for the battery to function, ultimately reducing its performance.

And what about those who leave their cell phone charging all night ? Even worse than letting it get to full load is the risk of overheating that can happen.

When the battery has already been charged, even if it is connected to the mains, both iPhones and Androids have a chip to prevent the electric current from reaching the battery. But if you continue with the charger connected to the electrical current, your smartphone is subject to current peaks and also to overheating of the plastic and metal materials that surround the battery. It is best to choose not to leave it on all night.

Best practices for charging the battery

1. Make optimal use of your smartphone with a battery between 30% and 80%. If it drops below 10%, turn off the device and charge it a little. Ideally, do several short load periods;

2. Charging from mains is better than USB. It heats up the battery less, which is not subject to voltages and peaks from using the laptop;

3. Avoid charging and using at the same time. So it doesn’t delay the charging time and avoids the extra heating that the operation of certain applications can bring;

4. Wireless and fast charging chargers also heat up the battery. It is yet to be effectively tested whether they reduce the lifespan of the batteries – so, if you are suspicious, always invest in a normal charger to be able to use the others in a more moderate way;

5. If charging in the car, be careful when using the GPS and if the device is in the sun, so as not to overheat. If your charger is lighter, control the temperature. It can heat up more than with the new charging systems, which are more efficient;

6. If you don’t use your phone for a while, store it turned off in a cool, dry place. The ideal is to leave the battery at 50%. If it is fully discharged, it may lose its capabilities and lower its lifetime. Check it every 6 months;

7. Cleaning the battery and charger, especially in the contact areas, is also a good idea to avoid a smartphone with a dead battery. You don’t need to do this more than two or three times in a year.

HOW TO SAVE BATTERY WHILE USING

Since you already know that your battery leaves the factory with a limited life cycle, try to extend its life as much as possible by managing its daily running time in the best way possible. The less you spend, the less you charge. And, of course, you don’t have to stop using your phone – you can use it more efficiently. Well, see:

Best practices for saving energy

• Optimize the settings of Android and iPhone systems and always have the most up-to-date version of the system installed, as it usually offers better options for energy saving modes;
• Set the screen to auto-brightness mode. Let it adapt itself to the lighting conditions to save energy ;
• Turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi if the signal is not strong. It prevents the mobile phone from wasting energy looking for both. But if the signal is strong, it is preferable to use Wi-Fi connection to access data. Requires less energy than mobile phone network;
• Try not to use the device while charging. It takes longer to charge and heats up more with the extra work;
• Turn off your cell phone once a day. Let it rest and cool down;
• Prefer sound ringing to vibration mode, which requires more battery power to function;
• If you don’t have urgent emails to respond to, schedule updates for 15 or 30 minute intervals. Constant updating also consumes power;
• Set power-hungry applications to their Lite versions. Among the apps that consume the most energy are Facebook, Tinder, Google Maps, Snapchat, Youtube and Netflix. Pay special attention to the last two, which are streaming applications , which require constant downloads.  Also be aware of sales sites like Amazon, which are always updating prices, often connecting to your smartphone . The solution is to configure your preferences for maximum savings and not allow these applications to run in the background . Make them fully operational only when they are open.

SMARTPHONE WITH ADDICTED BATTERY: WHAT TO DO?

If you are already in this situation and you know that you have a smartphone with a dead battery, follow these steps:

• Turn off your cell phone and plug it into the socket to recharge it;
• Remove it from the socket when it indicates that it has reached 100%;
• Still without connecting the smartphone , wait a few minutes and charge it again;
• If it stays at 100%, pat yourself on the back – if the full battery message doesn’t appear, that’s a bad sign, as it means the battery is out of calibration;
• Put it back on charge until it reaches 100% again;
• Repeat the process until the cell phone gives the battery full information when you put it back on charge.

If your problem is having a  smartphone  with a dead battery, try our steps. If they solve the problem, great. Otherwise, you already know how to proceed with the next  gadget  you have in hand.

And when there’s nothing left to do?

Sometimes, you have to accept reality – you have a smartphone with an addicted battery – and prepare to say goodbye to your battery once and for all. Battery overheating causes problems in other components of the phone. Well, it’s better to buy a new battery than to buy a new smartphone – right?

It is here that many smartphones gain some advantage over some top of the range that exist on the market. Is that in the first case, the battery is independent of the mobile phone (and, therefore, it is possible to buy it separately). In the case of some  smartphones,  such as the iPhone, the battery is built into the device.

Find out how much new batteries cost before buying your smartphone

If, after all this, you’re obsessed with your battery life, don’t be. Excessive care for the battery cannot detract from the pleasure and usefulness you can derive from your  smartphone .

We just want you to try introducing some of these practices into your daily life to see the results and avoid or solve the problem of a smartphone with an addicted battery. Also because manufacturers – more and more – design smartphones  that, inevitably, take care of their batteries.

If the battery is really an important issue for you, or if you know that it is difficult for you to put these suggestions into practice, it is not a bad idea, when buying a smartphone , to opt for models that facilitate battery replacement and find out about the associated costs. to these services.