The battery is a very important part of the smartphone. With each charge, the lifespan decreases slightly further, so it is important to get the most out of it. How do you best charge the device, and how do you get the most out of the battery? The facts and fables!
A modern smartphone needs to be charged more often than earlier models
Fact
How come the batteries of the past lasted a whole week and now they don’t last a day? This is because old phones generally had far fewer features than today’s smartphones. In particular, the internet access and the larger screen have ensured that the battery runs out much faster these days. On the go, an external battery can come in handy.
Your phone will charge faster if you put it on airplane mode.
Fact
With this you go offline, because functions such as WiFi and mobile internet are then turned off. Your phone will then charge faster, because it consumes less energy. Also turn off all possible apps, because then the processor and the working memory have to do less work. On an iPhone, you do this by pressing the button below the screen twice. You will then see all open apps. Swipe these all up to disable them.
For an Android smartphone, go to the settings menu and open the apps section there. Under ‘active apps’, press the open apps one by one. In the window that appears, close the apps.
Turning your phone off completely is of course the best way to charge it quickly!
When using a phone for the first time, charge it to 100%
fable
Where does this fable come from? Cell phones used to have a nickel-cadmium battery. The longer the battery was charged the first time, the better your battery lasted. But that hasn’t been the case for a long time. Smartphones today have lithium-ion batteries. You can just turn the device on and use it immediately without having to charge it for a long time.
The original charger is always the best charger!
Fact
The charger that comes with the device is completely tailored to the battery in your smartphone. It has exactly the right voltage and the right charging speed. You can certainly use other chargers, but in the long run these are less battery-friendly than the original charger.
Short charging is bad for the battery
fable
It’s the exact opposite: short charging is actually usually better for the battery. The newest batteries charge in cycles. One cycle has passed when you have used 100% of your battery. It does not matter whether it is in one go or, for example, 5 times 20%. In short, charging your battery from 70% to 80% is no problem at all. The lifespan remains the same. Regular short charges are actually better for your battery than 1 long, continuous charge. Your battery will retain its capacity the longest if you don’t drain it completely to 0%, and if you regularly charge it for a short time instead of 1 very long time, to 100%.
Do not leave the phone on the charger overnight.
Depends on the charger
Some chargers stop charging when the battery reaches 100%. But not all. It is not good to keep charging when the battery is already full: it can become overloaded. It is often not known which chargers do and which do not stop at 100%. So for the sake of business, stop charging before the phone reaches 100%. If you choose to charge your battery overnight, which means that it will be at 100% for a longer period of time, remove the device from the case when it is in there, and provide a cool environment. This increases the lifespan and is also safer, because overheated batteries can cause a fire.
It’s bad to use your phone while it’s charging.
fable
This is really bullshit. Can I use my smartphone while charging? It won’t hurt your battery at all to use your smartphone while it’s in the charger. Watch out for possible heating of your battery.
