Don’t we all wish our phone batteries would last forever? No, not just in terms of days between charges, but also before we need a new one. If the design allows it we could replace the battery at a cost. Today we share tips for achieving longer battery life. We built this article around what lithium batteries love best. Although much of it applies to other battery types too.
A Longer Battery Life for a Battery Care Giver
That’s right! You are the custodian of your phone, and of its battery. Treat them right, and they should keep going longer, better. However, nothing unfortunately lasts forever. Everything starts aging the moment it enters on life’s stage.
All electrochemical batteries for storing electricity work the same way. They move their energy between their terminals in the form of millions of subatomic ions. This process should in theory last forever. However, in practice these three factors run counter to this:
- The stock of ions gradually runs down with recharging.
- High ambient temperatures affect chemical performance.
- The physical electrodes slowly deteriorate over time.
Practical Things Phone Owners Can Do
Battery manufacturers cite the number of discharging / recharging recycles their products should tolerate. They can’t be exact, because circumstances vary. Besides, did you ever hear of anybody actually checking what they claim?
Managing what happens during discharging and recharging, is a proven way to promote a longer battery life for your phone. Here are things you can do as a caring battery owner:
- Use your phone for voice, web, and data only. Hammering the keys endlessly for games eats up your battery life, and you will need a new one sooner.
- Do not expose your phone to high temperatures by leaving it in sunlight. As a general rule of thumb, it is comfortable in temperatures humans prefer.
Avoid deep discharging, and deep recharging your phone’s lithium-ion battery. Keeping your phone battery between 50% and 80% capacity encourages longer battery life.
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