Tech experts warn that the way most of us treat our smartphones is hastening the inevitable decay of their lifespan. We rely on our phones all day long for taking pictures, listening to music, texting and emailing, accessing the web, GPS, and yes, on rare occasions, even talking to people.
Leaving your phone plugged in over night
Therefore, most of us plug it in over night in order to start off each day with a full charge. This despite the fact that it usually only takes a couple of hours to charge a battery. Unfortunately, leaving your cell phone connected to the charger for the full six to ten hours over night is causing it to wear out faster than it normally would.
Batteries are smart enough not to over-charge, so they’ll stop at 100 per cent. However, because they are plugged in, they will try to remain at a full charge. So, it will constantly be replacing the incremental power your phone just naturally loses. This results in your battery power dropping below 100 per cent then being topped back up again over and over all night long.
Batteries only have a certain amount of charges in their lifespan, so this constant power-loss and recharging cuts into its longevity. This also causes the battery to heat up over night, which similarly reduces its lifespan and can in rare occasions actually be a fire hazard. Experts suggest removing the phone’s cover when charging it in order to keep it cooler.
Waiting until the battery is drained before charging your phone
In an attempt to increase the life of their phone battery, many people try to use the phone until it is has nearly zero per cent battery life left before plugging it in. The theory is that this will ‘exercise’ the battery by making it last as long as possible, and also result in fewer charges overall.
Apparently, that theory is false. Wearing your battery down to 0 per cent before charging it also diminishes its capacity. Full battery charges wear out the battery sooner than do partial charges. Tech expert John Bradshaw told Time Magazine that you should wait until your phone gets down to around a 35% or 40% battery power left and then plug it in. That is apparently the optimal way to maintain the capacity of the battery.
Sleep experts recommend taking a few hours off from screen time before closing your eyes at night in order to get the most rest. Consider plugging in your phone for those couple of hours before hitting the hay, and then unplugging it before you turn out the lights. You’ll both start the next day feeling fully recharged – and your battery will last longer.
