There is nothing more annoying than when your phone battery dies when you're at an event.
With Christmas around the corner, and hopefully some family parties (if covid restrictions allow), you may want to make sure you have your phone fully charged so you can escape some awkward dinnertime conversations.
Equally, if you are holding out for one of the latest smartphones to appear under your tree, you may want to know the best way to keep it charged and preserve the health of its battery.
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Because according to one tech website, giving it one big charge overnight might be causing damage.
Battery University, owned by battery company Cadex claim that leaving your phone plugged in after it is fully charged is very bad for the battery.
So that includes when you leave it to charge while you sleep.
Their theory is that leaving it plugged in to a power source creates a high-stress environment for the battery.
The idea behind this is that it is constantly receiving "trickle charges" to keep it at 100%.
This high-tension state can wear down the chemistry within the battery and the only way to combat it is by taking it off charge as soon as it hits 100%.
In fact, the website believes that partial charges are better than one long charge - completely the opposite of what we have all been doing for years.
The site offers these simple guidelines for charging lithium-based batteries to prolong the life of your battery, and ultimately, your phone:
- Turn off the device or disconnect the load on charge when battery is full.
- Charge at a moderate temperature. Do not charge at freezing temperature.
- Lithium-ion does not need to be fully charged; a partial charge is better.
- Not all chargers apply a full topping charge and the battery may not be fully charged when the "ready" signal appears; a 100 percent charge on a fuel gauge may be a lie.
- Discontinue using charger and/or battery if the battery gets excessively warm.
- Apply some charge to an empty battery before storing (40–50 percent SoC is ideal).
And another tech site agrees, uk.pcmag.co.uk, suggests unplugging your phone if you wake up in the night to preserve its lifespan or investing in a smart plug that shuts off the power when you schedule it to.
They also say there are another two key issues to look out for if leaving your phone on charge overnight.
Firstly, if you are using "knock-off" cables that are not certified by the manufacturer of the phone.
And secondly, trickle charging can create heat so never put things on top of your phone while it is charging and never put it under your pillow. While it is very unlikely to spontaneously burst into flames because of the safety measures in modern phones, it can get to a temperature that will damage you battery.
They recommend leaving your phone on a dish or plate or something metal to help dispel the heat.
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