Common mistakes when charging batteries

Charging the battery properly helps prolong the life and stability of the battery. On the contrary, it will cause the battery to fall into an unstable state, causing discomfort to the user, even very harmful if they need to handle urgent work.

Many people use laptops and smartphones, but few know how to properly charge their devices - Photo: Inhabitat

Below are the mistakes that users often make when charging their mobile devices.

Charge continuously for 8 hours; only stop when fully charged 100%...

When buying a mobile device, you are often told by the salesperson: "When you get home, plug it in and charge it continuously for 8 hours. Charge it like that for the first 3-5 times so that the battery 'remembers' and stores the maximum amount of electricity."

Even well-trained staff at large retail chains still advise customers on this way of charging, without updating it even though battery technology has changed a lot in recent years.

This is good advice but it is not up to date so it is only completely true for…10 years ago. The above charging method based on memory effect is only true for nickel batteries.

In simple terms, the memory effect is when the battery is discharged to its full capacity and then charged to its maximum capacity. The battery's memory will record the maximum charge level to store the charge for subsequent charges.

Nowadays, nickel batteries are used less and less. New generation mobile devices, especially mid-range and high-end models, use two new generation batteries: lithium batteries such as lithium-ion and lithium-polymer.

Lithium batteries are charged in a completely different way than nickel batteries and are not affected by the memory effect. In addition, new batteries and chargers are equipped with automatic charging circuits when fully charged, so charging continuously for 8 hours has no effect at all.

With lithium batteries, the correct way to charge is to charge when the battery drops to about 40% and stop charging when the battery reaches more than 90%, no need to charge to 100%.

To maintain the capacity of a lithium battery, you just need to let the device run down its battery once a month, called “calibration” of the battery (usually a laptop battery). The specific method should follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Charging the battery properly helps prolong battery life and stability - Photo: Apple

Do not remove the case or leather case while charging.

Cases and leather covers beautify the device but also hinder heat dissipation when charging the battery. The more the battery capacity is reduced, the more heat is emitted when charging, especially when using a charger with fast charging feature or a wireless charger.

If the heat emitted when charging is blocked by the case, the battery will heat up more than usual and its lifespan will be reduced if this situation repeats itself frequently.

Even though the case is designed to be removable when charging, it's best to remove the case to keep the device cooler.

Do not charge or charge to 100% when not using the device for a long time

When not using the device for a long time and leaving it in a power-off state (commonly called “hibernation”), you should charge the battery to 50% and periodically turn it on to recharge to maintain this power level. If the device is left in a state of 0% battery depletion for a long time, the battery may be damaged and cannot be recharged.

Charging the battery to 100% continuously while the device is off will also reduce the battery life. In addition, it is also important to note that when "waking up" the device after a long period of "hibernation", it is recommended to charge it for about 30 minutes before using it.

This charging method also applies when you buy a new mobile device in sealed condition straight from the warehouse.

According to TTO