“Low battery, remaining 20%.”
For those who often hold their phones, this scenario is nothing new. Press the “activate low battery mode” button and continue surfing the internet. After all, 20% of battery can still last a long time…
Hurry up and charge your phone!
Low battery notifications are not just reminders for you; they’re also calls from your phone! Almost all phone manufacturers include similar reminders in their user manuals: don’t wait until the battery is below 20% (or 10%) to charge.
Taking a closer look at the manufacturer’s guidelines, there are many considerations when it comes to charging.
TL;DR Version:
- The most worry-free charging method: keep your phone’s battery between 20% and 80% and charge it whenever necessary.
- Avoid high (or low) temperatures while charging. Remove the phone case if it gets hot and avoid excessive use.
- Use the original charger.
How many pitfalls are there in charging?
Charging a phone has always been a “technical activity.” From the early days of needing to “use until automatic shutdown before charging” to now automatically stopping charging when the battery reaches 80%. Various charging techniques can be a bit confusing.
To make everyone more anxious about understanding the phone’s situation, manufacturers have gradually introduced “battery health” features. Now, not only do you have to worry about your phone running out of battery every day, but you also have to worry about the battery capacity decreasing. Even when charging, you have to worry about whether the charging method will harm the battery.
We’ve compiled common doubts colleagues often encounter when charging, helping everyone overcome “charging anxiety.”
Is it bad for the battery to wait until the phone is almost dead before charging?
Yes, it is.
Most smartphones on the market now use lithium-ion batteries. If there’s any “fatal flaw” with these batteries, it’s definitely excessive charging and discharging.
During use, lithium-ion batteries charge and discharge by moving lithium ions between the positive and negative electrodes. During discharge, lithium ions move from the negative electrode material to the positive electrode material, and the process reverses during charging. Although lithium ions move back and forth, they eventually combine with the positive and negative electrode structures. Excessive discharge damages the stability of the negative electrode material. During excessive charging, lithium ions become “trapped” in the negative electrode material and cannot be released again. This structural change leads to a decrease in battery “capacity,” and this change is irreversible.
You don’t have to worry too much! Manufacturers also take this into account and provide relevant protection mechanisms to avoid overcharging and over-discharging. Although you don’t need to fear extreme charging and discharging, if you want to keep the battery in optimal condition, you still need to be careful: a low battery state accelerates battery damage.
Manufacturers generally advise in the charging manual: don’t wait until the phone is almost dead before charging. Some use 10% as the standard for “almost dead,” while others use 20%. In general, you should charge your phone promptly and try not to let the remaining battery drop below 20%.
Occasional low battery levels are also not a big problem; just don’t torture your phone like that all the time.
Why can’t I continue charging after reaching 80%?
It’s the manufacturer “protecting” the phone battery.
Just like with discharging, phone manufacturers also consider overcharging when designing. However, for battery health, keeping the phone at full charge all the time is not optimal. So many manufacturers use algorithms to let the phone learn users’ daily charging habits. For example, if you’re used to charging overnight, the system will stop charging at around 80% and calculate the time to gradually reach full charge before you wake up.
What should I do if my phone doesn’t fully charge when I need it urgently? You can disable the “optimized charging” option in your phone’s battery settings.
In summary, charge promptly, but don’t overcharge.
Can I use my phone while it’s charging?
Yes, but don’t hold onto it all the time.
Temperature is also one of the “enemies” of phone batteries. The internal temperature of lithium-ion batteries rises during charging. If you keep running large software that causes the overall temperature of the phone to be too high, affecting heat dissipation, it may damage the active material in the lithium-ion battery, affecting battery capacity.
The working temperature range of mainstream phones is between 0-35 degrees Celsius, which is also the suitable temperature range for lithium-ion batteries to work. When the temperature is too low or too high, internal protection settings will slow down or even stop charging. If you continue to use large software during charging, or even trigger the system’s high-temperature protection, not only will charging stop, but you may not be able to continue using the phone.
If there’s nothing urgent, it’s better to charge the phone earlier and save yourself from being limited by the charging cable.
No more charging heads, can I mix and match chargers?
Yes, you can. Stick to products from reputable vendors, but charging speed may be slower.
Nowadays, phone manufacturers have become accessory vendors. Not only do they not include charging heads when you buy a phone, but they also sell “original chargers” at exorbitant prices. The official stance in the user documentation is quite ambiguous: third-party chargers? Possible, but not recommended.
Fast charging has become a major selling point for phone manufacturers today, and the implementation of this feature depends on chargers that support fast charging. This involves compatibility issues. Different manufacturers use different fast charging protocols. If users use a fast charger that does not support the same protocol, the result is “slow charging.”
However, you don’t need to worry about using an iPad charger to charge an iPhone causing it to “explode” because the battery management chip inside the phone adjusts the input voltage and current. For details, you can refer to this article: “Will using an iPad charger to charge an iPhone cause problems?”
From a convenience perspective, buying the official configuration is the most convenient. If you want to use third-party accessories, just stick to reputable manufacturers. If you want to experience fast charging, ask the seller if they support specific protocols for certain phone models.
Can I charge my phone using the USB port on a computer?
Yes, you can, but it’s slow.
USB ports are designed to supply power to external devices, not for charging. Therefore, traditional USB ports on computers typically output only 5 volts and 100 milliamps, which is less than the traditional 5 volts and 1 amp of an iPhone.
If you forget to bring a charger and only have a computer and a cable, you can also check the symbols next to different USB ports. Some computers have a USB port with a lightning symbol, which can continue to
provide power even when the computer is turned off. Although it’s slower, using a laptop as a large charger is not a bad idea.
Finally, it’s time to remind everyone that “a phone is just a tool, don’t worry too much.” But considering my own wallet, it’s still worth avoiding some avoidable “pitfalls.”
In conclusion, I wish everyone good health and healthy batteries!