Chargers and battery care/life

[roadie]

I've a new phone on the way, which has a non removable battery. As a result, I'd like to care for the battery as best as I can so as to extend its life. I've been reading some articles that suggest that quick charging can be more harmful to batteries than slower charging. The charger I use at present is a Tronsmart WPTU, which outputs 3A to both the USB A port and also the USB C port. I use this for all charging, whether I am using the phone or whether its charging overnight so it's always getting as much current as it can take.

Would it be worth buying a 1A or 2A charger to use overnight when I don't need quick charging to care for the battery as best as possible?

 

[Rroff]

A lot of phones have an option to enable/disable quick charging in the menu - which will usually limit current draw to around 2amp IIRC regardless of the spec of the charger (if it is higher).

 

[Glaucus]

Heat and fully charged are the two things you really need to avoid. As well as very low charge state.
You can get an app that beeps when it hits the preset charge so you can disconnect it. Normally set to 80% but this really depends how big the battery is and how much you use it, as to if it's practical.

As for chargers, rapid chargers usually heat the battery up to much, as there's no thermal management. So using a slower charger would reduce the heat.

It also depends how long you plan to keep the phone as to if it's worth it, you can also aways go to a repair shop and get them to change a battery as well.

More reading into prolonging lithium ion batteries here.
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

 

[Rroff]

Heat and fully charged are the two things you really need to avoid. As well as very low charge state.

Very low charge state seems to be the bigger issue in my experience (especially if they remain in that state for awhile) - I've never seen any difference in reality between how long li-ion batteries last when charged fully and only to 80% in most consumer devices. Keeping them from bottoming out though can have a huge difference.

Higher voltage/charge rate definitely isn't the best for prolonging Li-ion battery life.

EDIT: I'll have to see if I can dig it out - Anker helpfully published some graphs a few months back showing average battery life expectancy when doing complete cycles, versus shorter cycles, sitting on shelf versus periodic top ups, etc.

 

[Glaucus]

If you look at link it has loads of graphs and charging to 100% is very much a key factor in s hortening the life. This is just how lithium ion works and is not trumped by your non scientific experience.

 

[Rroff]

If you look at link it has loads of graphs and charging to 100% is very much a key factor in s hortening the life. This is just how lithium ion works and is not trumped by your non scientific experience.

Yeah I've seen the graphs - but over 100s of devices (some of which have the option to cut off charging at 80% in the BIOS, etc.) and my own experiments - I've built a lot of devices using li-ion batteries - the real world results don't tend to reflect it so much in my experience - at least in the context of low power/consumer devices - might be different if you are regularly pulling 10amp per battery or something.

 

[roadie]

Thanks for the replies fellas. Realistically, there is nothing I can do about a phone being charged to 100% and trickle charging overnight. However, if I can make it reach that state with less heat then that's probably a good thing.

 

[Haze]

How many years do you keep the same phone? I replace mine every 12 months and could not give a toss about fast charging it

 

[roadie]

All being well with it, I'll keep it as long as I'm able and this may help me do so.

 

[Richy888]

Thanks for the replies fellas. Realistically, there is nothing I can do about a phone being charged to 100% and trickle charging overnight. However, if I can make it reach that state with less heat then that's probably a good thing.

I'd not worry overly much. I've a samsung galaxy s8 and charge it overnight on a none fast charge, charge pad. According to Accubattery it isn't wearing much at all. That app can be set to notify you the battery has reached a preset level, but not ideal if you're charging overnight. End of the day it's not overly expensive to have a new battery fitted if you intend to keep the phone long term. Depends on which phone you have I expect. Samsung claimed their S8 phone battery wouldn't wear very fast and seems to be the case, with mine anyway. I think fast charging wears a battery faster due to heat maybe but I have no actual evidence to support this.

 

[Myshra]

The S8 is an under-charged cell, a 3200 being capped at 3000 IIRC, which is how it's keeping its charge so well. They didn't want another day in the public eye regarding cells catching fire. Rapid charge does have thermal management on all phones (it wouldn't pass network testing without it) and typically most devices rapid charge up to a set point and then tail off to normal speed and then finally trickle/maintanence charging (keeping it between 95% and 100% etc...). There's a ton of tricks in battery management like showing a cell is at 100% even though it's at 95% and keeps trickle charging etc... but in general you have it right - disabling fast charging and charging overnight will be best but do make sure you use it to it's fullest potential - it's not that fragile

 

[Glaucus]

Thermal management to stop fires, not thermal management for battery life. You can tell this by just touching the phone and feeling how warm the battery gets. Two very different things.

 

[this_is_gav]

I had a couple of wireless chargers for my Nexus 5. Got to work and plonked it on the pad. Got home and plonked it on the pad. The only time it wasn't charging was when I was out or using it. Used that for 2 years until I got my Nexus 6P and the battery in the 5 was still holding charge well (certainly much better than my 6P did after 2 years, which didn't get continually charged but I did use the quick charger, usually once a day or overnight).

My Xiaomi Mi A1 I'm going to charge via my monitor (which is certainly a very slow charge) and will see how that progresses.

 

[roadie]

I know it's expensive for what it is, but I want a low profile, low power charger. How about this one?

 

[Rroff]

Nothing wrong with it if its genuine but the one of that I have is quite noisy - makes a slight hum when idle and squeals a bit under load.

 

[roadie]

Yeah would Samsung still be churning out 1A chargers? I'm a little sceptical...

 

[BigDannyO]

I know it's expensive for what it is, but I want a low profile, low power charger. How about this one?

I use an Apple 5W charger under my bed, very low profile and only outputs at 1A.