How to Charge Your Phone Properly
From the how to do something series
All mobile phones have a battery. This can work for several years without changing its characteristics and the battery can outlive such a phone. However, the reality is different, as Apple, for example, states that batteries are mere consumables that wear out with normal use.
You may find yourself standing at the service counter after two years demanding a battery replacement if you use the battery a lot. How should you treat your battery and charge your mobile phone properly to make it last as long as possible? That’s what we’ll cover in this article.
Genuine accessories
It would be best if you charged all mobile phones with genuine accessories for maximum battery life. For iPhone, stick to MFi (Made For iPhone) certified accessories. This applies to both cables and adapters.
If you are under the impression that the non-genuine cables and adapters (without MFi certification) you buy on every corner are of the same quality as the original ones, you are mistaken.
Non-original accessories can damage the battery inside your phone or at the very least, reduce its lifespan. At first glance, non-genuine accessories may look very similar to the original, but the biggest differences are found in the “guts”.
Genuine adapters have complex circuit boards that can also protect the adapter from overheating or other failures. The same is true for cables. The choice of cables is more important than the adapter itself.
The cable must agree with the adapter what voltage and current will be supplied to the battery. If they get the agreement wrong, there’s fire on the roof — and in some cases, literally. So again, when using cables, use certified or original ones.
Several unpleasant scenarios can occur immediately if you use a non-genuine cable, from a non-functioning charging connector to a simple cable break. It’s worth paying a few hundred more than buying a fake that can easily kill off an expensive device.
Ideal temperature
Equally important is the temperature at which you charge your device. Too high, but also too low a temperature can cause big problems. Since charging heats up the battery and the whole phone, it’s not advisable to charge your device in the sun or anywhere else where the temperature is high, for example.
At the very least, you should take your phone out of the cover in high temperatures to allow it to “breathe”. In low temperatures, water droplets can start to precipitate as the device warms up, which can cause future corrosion or destruction of your device.
For example, Apple states on its website that the optimal heat zone for the iPhone is between 0–35 degrees Celsius, which can also be applied to other phones.
Operating system updates
Keeping your device up-to-date is essential for keeping your battery life as long as possible. Smartphone manufacturers often address excessive battery drain issues through new updates. You can only wait to update when a brand-new operating system with a new serial number comes out.
However, if we’re talking about “after the dot” updates (i.e. 13.3, etc.), you should do them almost as soon as possible. To update your iPhone, go to Settings → General → Software Update. For Android, the update procedure is similar. Find the Update section in the menu.
Myths about charging
There are often rumours and myths about charging on all sorts of forums. The most common term is “overcharging” your phone, for example, when charging overnight. But the truth is that you can’t overcharge a new mobile phone.
Electricity and voltage are never forcibly “pushed” into the battery. In other words, the adapter and the cable definitely do not force current and voltage to get in at any cost. If your device is charged, it only takes as much power as it needs to maintain its charge or shuts off charging altogether.
Another myth is that constantly plugging and unplugging phones and their battery from the charging source is harmful. Perhaps the only person you’re harming is the charging connector.
Of course, it’s not ideal to go to your mobile phone and start plugging and unplugging it every second when you have a spare moment — but who would do that? Batteries in modern smartphones work in charge cycles.
One full charge cycle occurs when you discharge 100% of the battery’s capacity — but not necessarily on a single charge. So you can use 60% of the battery’s capacity in one day and fully recharge it overnight. On the second day, if you use 40% of the capacity, you’ve discharged 100% — these two days add up to one complete charge cycle.
Another myth involves performing a battery calibration on every new device. This procedure is unnecessary, as nowadays, almost every device battery, not just from Apple, is already calibrated at the factory. Calibration should only be done if the phone's battery starts to go bad.
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