Charging your smartphone

Discussion in Computers, Electronics & Gadgets started by Strykstar • Oct 10, 2014.

  1. Strykstar

    StrykstarActive Member

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2014
    Threads:
    140
    Messages:
    721
    Likes Received:
    7
    At what battery % do you guys charge your phone? I usually plug it in when it's around 20% so I don't run the risk of it running out, but I've been told that you should let it go as low as possible.
    Does it really cause any problems or make any difference?
     
  2. lrd913

    lrd913Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2014
    Threads:
    30
    Messages:
    232
    Likes Received:
    5
    I usually let my phones battery drop to 1%-5%. Most of the time I don't mean to do it, I just never seem to have a charger available when I need it. I've also read that once a month we should let the battery lose all of it's charge. You let it drop to 0% and then recharge it from there. It is supposed to make the battery last longer. I'm not sure how true that it but it was interesting to think about.

    I don't think letting the battery drop down causes any problems. I've let my phone battery die plenty of times and my phone works fine, just as good as when I bought it.
     
  3. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2012
    Threads:
    110
    Messages:
    5,621
    Likes Received:
    378
    I charge my battery when it dies as I'm using it, so that it's really drained when I charge it. There is a myth that you must not let your phone reach 0% and you have to charge it when it still has power, but I don't subscribe to that idea.
     
  4. troutski

    troutskiWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2014
    Threads:
    139
    Messages:
    1,366
    Likes Received:
    115
    Huge mistake to let a lithium ion battery discharged to 0%. You're basically destroying the battery by doing that, and it's no myth. It's proven in testing that discharging a battery repeatedly to zero cuts its overall usage life by hundreds of hours. A lithium ion battery lasts around 1,000 charges on average, so one to three years, depending on usage. This applies to smartphone batteries, tablet batteries, and even laptop batteries.

    You should charge the device when it dips below 20 to 40 percent and then you can take it off charging when it's above 90% in order to prolong its life. Don't keep it on the charger for too long, even if the device cuts power usage when it's done charging. Avoid wireless charging because the wasted heat isn't good for the battery. Also, the more heated a battery gets, the faster it loses a charge and actually degrades.
     
  5. pennylane

    pennylaneActive Member

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2014
    Threads:
    30
    Messages:
    456
    Likes Received:
    3
    Wow I had no idea letting it die or charge completely could be harmful. I will try to keep an eye on it now. Short battery life drives me nuts. If I'm out and about all day I don't want to tote around a charger in case my phone dies.
     
  6. chiofthenorns

    chiofthenornsActive Member

    Joined:
    Sep 1, 2014
    Threads:
    171
    Messages:
    834
    Likes Received:
    25
    I plug my phone in when it's at 20%. For some reason, my phone drains very quickly. I think that this is one of the downsides of having an Android phone. On the other hand, I only charge my tab when the battery is already at 15% or less. I don't really use it often, so I don't charge it frequently.
     
  7. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2012
    Threads:
    740
    Messages:
    4,313
    Likes Received:
    315
    I don't think batteries nowadays are as picky anymore. I remember back then, the advised practice was to let it run completely out, but nowadays I think you could just plug and unplug it as you please and if ever it did have an effect on your batteries, I'm assuming it would be minimal. I've been doing this for my phone and tablet for a year and both still have great battery performance.
     
  8. koko07

    koko07New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2014
    Threads:
    0
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    i usually plug my phones battery when it's around 10% . but i think i should let the battery lose all of it's charge i think it's the better case . i am not sure of it but my riend told me that :D
    by the way my smart phone is samsung galaxy note 2 and Recently i have problem with the speakers if anybody can help me please go ahead .
     
  9. troutski

    troutskiWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2014
    Threads:
    139
    Messages:
    1,366
    Likes Received:
    115
    It's fine to do every once in awhile, but you're hurting your battery if you make a habit out of it. The range you want to keep your battery charged at is anywhere from 30 to 95 percent for optimal results. Obviously, you can't always stop it from going lower or higher, and that's okay. Just avoid unnecessary complete discharges to preserve the battery for as long as possible.
     
  10. enell

    enellMember

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2014
    Threads:
    4
    Messages:
    28
    Likes Received:
    0
    As far as I know and experienced, in order to extend your battery life with you, you need to let it hit the lowest % as possible! and it won't hurt the phone, for there's settings related to battery usage in every phone both (smart and old). Most of people didn't know that letting their phone battery go as low as possible, or even just let it hit 0%, would extend their battery life time, so instead of buying another battery every 2 or 3 weeks, you would have to buy one after 3 to 4 months from using the old one!
     
  11. TheKid

    TheKidNew Member

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2014
    Threads:
    1
    Messages:
    20
    Likes Received:
    0
    I think the only time to let your battery die completely is when you buy the phone. After you buy it you need to charge it and then let it drain completely before re-charging. I won't to any damage if you let it die it also doesn't really matter at what percentage you charge your phone. I charge mine when I get the change. I have heard that using your phone why it is charging may cause some damage(this is why the chords are so short). Just I myth I've heard, I can't confirm this but it makes sense.
     
  12. valiantx

    valiantxActive Member

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2014
    Threads:
    12
    Messages:
    520
    Likes Received:
    27
    If I'm around my charger or someone with a charger, I'll plug my phone in around 15% if I'm going nowhere for awhile. Or if I really do need to use my phone often, I'll begin charging it at 30%. Sometimes, I will let my phone deplete its battery, so I can get a full charge of it.
     
  13. Sugarhill

    SugarhillActive Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2012
    Threads:
    27
    Messages:
    700
    Likes Received:
    9
    Every so often I let it completely die before I charge it. But, most of the time, I'll charge it whenever I am about to do something that I don't need my phone for in preparation for what I do want to use my phone for and that can range from 14% to 50%. I know I'll be getting another phone before this one becomes unusable, so I'm not too concerned about the long term battery life.
     
  14. Aladar

    AladarWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2012
    Threads:
    274
    Messages:
    1,107
    Likes Received:
    47
    Honestly, whenever I remember. Sometimes I go without recharging for two days or so, sometimes I plug it into the charger right after I finish using it. I don't usem y phone that much, so I don't need to charge it every day. :)
     
  15. MikeyPaine

    MikeyPaineActive Member

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Threads:
    14
    Messages:
    163
    Likes Received:
    8
    My iPhone usually lasts me all day, so I just plug it in before I got to bed. If it's a stay at home kind of day, I usually just leave the phone on the charger for most of the day.
     
  16. troutski

    troutskiWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2014
    Threads:
    139
    Messages:
    1,366
    Likes Received:
    115
    One more note on lithium ion batteries and charging. Each battery has a certain number of charging cycles in it before the battery loses its ability to hold a charge. This is somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 charges when going from at least some charge (>1%) to 90-100%. It takes most people one to three years to reach this point, and the battery's capacity plays a role, too. By letting the phone discharge completely, you're effectively cutting down the battery's overall capacity each and every time ever so slightly. It adds up after a couple dozen times.
     
  17. Servace

    ServaceActive Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2014
    Threads:
    6
    Messages:
    137
    Likes Received:
    3
    I only charge my phone when I go to sleep. If it is a busy day I usually charge it once during the day.
     
  18. ExpertAdvice

    ExpertAdviceActive Member

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2014
    Threads:
    181
    Messages:
    635
    Likes Received:
    46
    Electronic appliances are made to accommodate situations like this. In the same way that over charging a device will do nothing bad to it is the same way that allowing your device to become completely drained will have no consequences, I have several devices; Laptops, phones and Tablets and I've somehow managed to let all of them run right down to the point where they turn themselves off until charge is administered to them, and all of them work well still, so there's no harm in charging your devices, and in particular, your smartphone when you feel like, even if it's below 20%
     
  19. TuRon Davis

    TuRon DavisActive Member

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2014
    Threads:
    26
    Messages:
    207
    Likes Received:
    8
    I really don't have a specified percentage of charging. I play it by ear for the most part. As fast as letting in run all the way down, I don't think that matters. These newer phone have mechanisms built in to prevent over charge. The only factor and risk is letting it die or not. The only requirement nowadays is charging all the way up when your phone is new.
     
  20. TPhoenix

    TPhoenixActive Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2013
    Threads:
    37
    Messages:
    247
    Likes Received:
    3
    It depends. If I charge my phone, use up some of the battery life and then find the battery life at around 56%, I will start charging it again to make sure that if or when I need to step out of the house or even in case of a blackout, my phone won't die out so soon. Sometines I don't get to charge my phone until it reaches around 5% and I hate that. I need to buy a secondary battery come to think of it. It's good to have.