How often to recharge your phone? Is it dangerous to leave it plugged in all night? Do I have to wait to be at 0% before charging the battery?
While smartphones are ubiquitous in our lives, one of its main components remains poorly known: the battery.
We have to admit, on a daily basis, we only worry about it when she threatens to flinch and we forgot her charger. However, the way you recharge your battery can have a real impact on your device's lifetime.
What is the average lifespan of a battery?
The life of a battery varies from 3 to 5 years. After that, it loses its storage capacity, which causes a loss of autonomy for your devices.
In other words, your mobile phone turns into a landline since it must be plugged in all the time to work!
The memory effect of a battery does not concern smartphones
The memory effect is a phenomenon that prevents some batteries from working properly.
It develops gradually, when these are not regularly loaded and discharged to the maximum of their capacities.
For example, if a battery is still supported while only 80% of its energy was used, it gradually loses its storage capacity. Somehow, the battery remembers that it only needs 80% between each charge and that's all it will store. Hence the name effect memory.
Fortunately, this phenomenon only affects old batteries using nickel (NiMH and NiCd). The Lithium ones used in our smartphones and computers are therefore not impacted by this memory effect.
Avoid switching from 0 to 100% battery
The lithium batteries of our smartphones do not like extremes. To preserve them, it is better to be measured. Thus, on a daily basis, try to maintain a load level between 40% and 80%.
Note that even though it sounds counterintuitive, several small refills in one day are better than leaving your laptop plugged in all night.
Once a month, do a complete cycle
To recalibrate your battery without exhausting it, experts recommend to do a complete cycle of recharging (i.e. switch from 0% to 100% of battery) once a month.