Are You Charging Batteries The Wrong Way? - Comments Page 1

Battery University is confusing, especially when it says to plug it in when it loses 10% of its charge, but separately says unplugging when fully charged is wrong, so unplug at 95% charged???

Sounds to me like we need inventors to come up with a new battery technology that doesn't require a Battery University. Have the battery do all the work in regulating charging, not the owners.

Bob,
One more thing about Li-ion batteries: From what I've read about automobile Li-ion batteries, you should not discharge them below about 30% because doing so shortens their life.

Thanks Bob, I wish I could forward this important information to all my friends?

EDITOR'S NOTE: of course!

Essentially you are saying: plug your device in after every use, but never let it fully recharge. Clear as mud.

Unfortunately, we are not going to adjust our battery-charging habits. Humans would much rather complain than change a behavior. Plug in and let 'er go!

Thanks Bob, this is a truly useful post. We are unfortunately at the mercy of the power sources for our devices and any information that helps to maintain those sources is very helpful.

Just to add to the confusion... Battery U. says to store Li-Ion batteries at 40% charge to preserve its life on the shelf...seriously? There are so many truly important things to worry about in my world and Battery life isn't one of them... actually the word "anal" comes to mind when thinking about this discussion.

Thank you Bob. That is interesting, even if frustrating. You are correct in assuming most people are not going to have their lives revolve around charging a battery. I remember those days on the road always looking for an outlet to charge my phone or laptop. I resorted to just carrying an extra battery. Today the battery issue is compounded by the increasing drag of too many Apps sucking too much juice (and data usage). I'm trying CM cleaner but it doesn't seem to be enough. Looks like it may be time for a new phone. Sigh.

Bob,

Love this. Pimping it: linked it on my Facebook wall (quite popular for a non-celebrity). Will put on Wordpress (which hardly anyone reads :-( )
Also telling people to send you some love. Do you have a PayPal donation button/link as well as your books? Or Patreon, or GoFundMe, or Kickstarter, or...?

--Phil
Mainframe DBA Geek

I think this boils down to two things of primary importance.

1) don't let the charge fall much below 30%
2) don't overcharge, remove from charger once the 100% charge is attained.

the rest is probably important as well, but as other have written here, we all have a life

ed

I am using an app called DU Battery Saver. Paraphrasing from androidcommunity dot com:

DU Battery Saver controls the amount of power the Android phone uses when charging; the app calls it "Healthy Charging". This system of charging a LI-ion battery is similar to how the Chevy Volt battery is recharged. When charging below 20 percent, the app turns on fast charging and applies full voltage to recharge. Once nearly full, about 80 percent or so, it lowers the voltage and uses impulse current all the way to full. Once full, it switches to Trickle charge, just enough to keep electrons flowing while not overcharging the battery.

It may not be completely smart (how does it keep tabs on maximum capacity of the battery over time, for example), but it does recharge the battery in a way designed to maximize longevity, IMO.

I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 and I love it So much so that I bought a couple of spares. I will not upgrade to a higher version. The S-4 can use a greater Capacity Battery for about $30.00.

you can get one up to 9800mAh it requires a new thicker back cover and the phone is slightly heavier. under normal use it lasts for hours for talking and internet surfing.
Turning off unnecessary aps helps reduce drain. If I am out I can carry a spare battery smaller at 5400mAh. I also keep a power adapter in the car that can be plugged in to charge or extend use time.
My original batteries that came with the phone have all expanded inside their cases just from sitting around.

If there is such a concern about battery life, then it's time for computer hardware manufacturers to build in battery lifesaver circuits which can sense the level of the battery system being charged and adjust the charging circuitry accordingly.

Using a feedback type circuit that monitors the battery usage level, the circuit could be programmed to turn the plugged in charger on or off as needed. To prevent an overcharging of the battery, or the push to 100% which is no longer the normal according to this article, a Zener diode circuit could be put into place, which will prevent the charging voltage from ever reaching the specified amount for the battery.

The problem though is cost. Manufacturers want the cheapest way to maximize profits over the lifetime of their devices, and the unfortunate thing is this extra engineering work costs more money and eats into the bottom line. Perhaps though, this is a thing that could be introduced into higher-end products such as those expensive gaming laptops or other high-end tablet devices where this circuitry could be included as an add-on or option, at an extra cost, when the mobile device is ordered.

Making the battery last as long as possible is important if replacing the battery is not an option - some of these phones do not have replaceable batteries.

The company's that make the phones, should be designing them, so that when the battery is fully charged, it should completely quit charging. That way the battery will last longer and not constantly be drawing power when the phone is charging overnight.

But just like they won't let you change batteries on most phones, most likely they don't care about this either. All they are interested in doing is selling you a new phone every year, so you are caught in a vicious cycle of replacing your phone more often.

Someone should invent a device that sits between your charger and phone, that will monitor and turn off the charging cycle when it senses it is completely charged. If it is reasonably priced and truly makes your battery last longer, it would sell.

I think this is impractical. Even a brand new battery doesn't last that long in these smartphones. I have a Note 4 and the batteries discharge so quickly...that keeping the brightness of the screen down to as low as I can and still easily see the screen. I use Greenify app to 'hibernate' apps that are running in background in order to save battery. I follow all the tips to save battery use. I don't generally play games, except the occasional Word Streak, and I don't watch videos on my phone.

So just normal use during the day and not always having a power source source and cord to keep charging the battery according to the "battery university" is impractical.

I like and agree with Perry's comment:
"...we need inventors to come up with a new battery technology that doesn't require a Battery University."

This seems like a good argument for getting a two-year contract on a phone rather than buying it outright, since the battery, with all the recharging, is likely on its last legs, by then.

Is there no end to the ways I am doing things wrong? :)

Thank you Bob for enlightening me on yet another topic.

The Battery University page made me realize once more how great, and simplified, your articles are.

I refuse to think about charging batteries.
There! I said it, and I'm glad.

And plugging the charger's stupid USB cable into the phone is a giant pain in the seat cushion.

This is not my experience. I find that if I charge my battery to between 80% and 95% and then use it, I get much shorter life than if I leave it on charge overnight. I also find that completely discharging my battery about once a month seems to give it a new lease on life.