Busting myths and helpful tips for saving phone battery
Is your phone battery draining faster than you can say 'charge'?
The ongoing debate between iOS and Android appears to be without end.
Both sides are constantly trying to prove why their phone is superior.
One of the main points of conflict is battery life.
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Android adopters claim that their battery lasts longer than anything on the planet, and iOS users have been known to complain about theirs going from 100% to zero real quick.
But what is the science behind all of this, and is there anything you can do to extend your battery life?
First thing to know is what battery your phone uses.
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Most companies, Apple, Google, Samsung and Huawei, use lithium-ion batteries.
If you are unsure, you can confirm this by visiting the manufacturer's website or checking your phone's specifications.
According to experts, lithium-ion batteries charge faster, last longer, and have a higher power density for more battery life in a lighter package compared to older generation batteries.
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The rechargeable lithium-ion technology currently provides the best for your device.
If you genuinely want the best out of your device, these tips can help you extend its lifespan even further.
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1. Avoid extreme temperatures
- The acceptable temperature range for lithium-ion batteries is typically −20°C to +60 °C.
- Extreme temperatures can lead to performance degradation and irreversible damage, including lithium plating and thermal runaway.
2. Update to the latest software
- Apple recommends using the latest version of iOS on your device at all times.
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3. Don't charge your phone overnight
- Most smartphones, laptops, and accessories are smart enough to stop charging momentarily once the device is fully charged.
- This ensures your device will not be overcharged.
- Still, not recommended to leave the battery charging overnight because the lithium-ion battery capacity diminishes after a certain number of charging cycles.
- By keeping your phone charged overnight, you’re increasing the amount of time your device spends on the charger, thereby degrading its capacity much sooner.
4. Optimise your settings
- There are two simple ways to conserve battery life, regardless of how you use your device: adjust your screen brightness and use Wi-Fi.
- Dim the screen or enable Auto-Brightness to conserve battery life.
- When you use your device to access data, a Wi‑Fi connection uses less power than a cellular network.
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5. Enable low power mode
- Low Power mode/Battery Saver mode is a convenient way to extend your phone's battery life when it starts to run low.
- The phone alerts you when your battery level drops below a certain percentage. It also allows you to turn on these battery-saving modes with a single tap.
- This setting reduces display brightness, optimises device performance, and minimises system animations.
- Apps will not download content in the background, and features like AirDrop and cloud storage will be disabled.
- You can still use key functions, such as making and receiving phone calls, sending and receiving emails, and accessing the Internet, among others.
- Media playback performance may degrade slightly, so please keep this in mind when watching videos or listening to music.
6. View your battery usage to see how much your apps are using.
7. Make sure your computer is on when using it to charge your phone.
- If your computer is off or in sleep mode, it could drain your phone battery.
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Battery myths
Battery expert Kent Griffith, an assistant professor specialising in energy storage at the University of California, San Diego, shares the truth behind some of the most common battery myths.
1. Charging your phone past 100% will damage your battery – true
Once a phone has reached 100% charge, a "trickle charge" mechanism cuts off the charger and only tops up the battery once it drops.
If you tend to charge your phone overnight, it can significantly affect the battery. Keeping the battery at 100% puts it under some strain.
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2. Charging on airplane mode charges faster – kind of true
A common tip is that charging a phone in airplane mode goes faster. This is only kind of true. Putting your phone into airplane mode means all radio frequencies are turned off.
Theoretically, your phone is doing less work so the battery should charge faster. While there is a difference in charging speed, it is only slightly.
According to Wired, a 2014 trial by CNET found that the charging time was only shortened by four minutes.
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3. Using an unofficial charger damages your battery – true
Unfortunately, not all chargers are created equal, and those extra few Rands you save by buying an unofficial charger could cost you in other ways.
Chargers have controls that limit the current delivered and stop the phone from charging when the battery is full.
Off-brand chargers don't necessarily have the same safety settings. Too much current could accelerate battery degradation.
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4. Charging a phone through a computer or laptop damages the battery – false
Griffith says that a slower charge could be beneficial for phone batteries. The slower you charge your battery, the less strain it is under and the less potential for damage.
5. Turning your phone off helps preserve battery life – false
While this is a myth, it's not completely unfounded. Before our lithium-ion batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries were the go-to. It is impossible to get an accurate battery charge level reading on those without fully discharging and then recharging the battery.
Kent Griffith: "If they were half discharged and recharged, you’d lose where you were. So you’d have to fully discharge to keep track."Modern batteries can read their state no matter their charge level and when your device is not in use, the strain level is almost exactly the same.
Thus, turning off your phone doesn't give it much of a break.
6. The battery should be at 0% before recharging – false
Batteries are under the most strain when fully charged or completely empty. The ideal charge is 50%, meaning half of the moveable lithium ions are in the lithium cobalt oxide layer and the other half in the graphite layer.
This puts the least strain on the battery. If you want to keep your battery alive for as long as possible, you should ideally keep it charged between 20% and 80%.
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