How many of us don’t have the habit of putting our phones on charge overnight before we go to bed? We may set them on a non-flammable surface just in case. However it is great to find a full charge in the morning when we wake. Not so, says Business Insider. Phone charging overnight could be shortening our phone battery’s lifespan.
Lithium-Ion Batteries Dislike Phone Charging Overnight
Lithium-ion batteries don’t like being on full charge for too long. That’s why it is common knowledge it’s best to keep them between 20% and 80% charge. Moreover polite phones advise ‘battery full, disconnect power’.
When we overlook this information and continue with phone charging overnight we could be artificially accelerating aging. As Antonio Villas Boas writes on Business Insider we hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s true. “If you’re going to charge your phone to 100% and keep it at 100% this will have negative influence.” So says Dominik Schulte, managing director of BatterieIngenieure in Germany.
What Happens Inside Lithium-Ion Batteries as They Age
All lithium-ion batteries have a limited lifespan. As they age the chemistry inside changes. We experience this as a progressively shorter battery life between charges. However, we can have a say on how quickly this happens, as is becoming clear.
Antonio Villas Boas found phone makers surprisingly coy when he queried the effect of phone charging overnight. He concluded “the companies that make your phones don’t seem too bothered” so he investigated further.
Dominik Schulte of BatterieIngenieure was more helpful when he confirmed “lithium-ion batteries age most slowly at about 30% to 50%”. Thank heavens we can replace a battery at fraction of the price of a new phone.
We would hate to have to get up at two in the morning to turn the charger on. Or so says Antonio Villas Boas.
Related
How To Properly Charge Your Devices
Towards a Battery Holding a Decent Charge
Preview Image: Charging Peacefully While We Sleep
