LISTEN: Why you shouldn't charge your phone to 100%
With so many myths surrounding phone charging, we're here to set the record straight and separate fact from fiction.
Smartphones may no longer be considered new technology, but they still come with plenty of mysteries. Understanding how everything works can be confusing, and with so many unanswered questions, it's easy to fall for common myths.
When it comes to smartphone batteries, misinformation is everywhere – leaving many of us unsure of what to believe.
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Battery expert Kent Griffith, an assistant professor specialising in energy storage at the University of California San Diego, shares the truth behind some of the most common battery myths.
But first, we need to understand the components.
Lithium-ion batteries, commonly found in smartphones and laptops, consist of two main layers: lithium cobalt oxide and graphite.
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When energy is released, lithium ions move from the graphite layer to the lithium cobalt oxide layer. On the flip side, when you charge your battery, these ions travel in the opposite direction – from the lithium cobalt oxide layer back to the graphite.
This is where battery life and charge cycles come in.
If too many lithium ions move out of the lithium cobalt oxide layer, the structure of the layer is compromised, affecting the overall efficiency and longevity of the battery.
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1. Charging your phone past 100% will damage your battery – true
Once a phone has reached 100% charge, a "trickle charge" mechanism cuts off the charger and only tops up the battery once it drops.
If you tend to charge your phone overnight, it can significantly affect the battery. Keeping the battery at 100% puts it under some strain.
It’s not good but the battery manufacturer has set [the battery’s limits] it so it shouldn’t be harmful.
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2. Charging on airplane mode charges faster – kind of true
A common tip is that charging a phone in airplane mode goes faster. This is only kind of true. Putting your phone into airplane mode means all radio frequencies are turned off.
Theoretically, your phone is doing less work so the battery should charge faster. While there is a difference in charging speed, it is only slightly.
According to Wired, a 2014 trial by CNET found that the charging time was only shortened by four minutes.
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3. Using an unofficial charger damages your battery – true
Unfortunately, not all chargers are created equal, and those extra few Rands you save by buying an unofficial charger could cost you in other ways.
Chargers have controls that limit the current delivered and stop the phone from charging when the battery is full.
Off-brand chargers don't necessarily have the same safety settings. Too much current could accelerate battery degradation.
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4. Charging a phone through a computer or laptop damages the battery – false
Griffith says that a slower charge could be beneficial for phone batteries. The slower you charge your battery, the less strain it is under and the less potential for damage.
5. Turning your phone off helps preserve battery life – false
While this is a myth, it's not completely unfounded. Before our lithium-ion batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries were the go-to. It is impossible to get an accurate battery charge level reading on those without fully discharging and then recharging the battery.
If they were half discharged and recharged, you’d lose where you were. So you’d have to fully discharge to keep track.
Modern batteries can read their state no matter their charge level and when your device is not in use, the strain level is almost exactly the same.
Thus, turning off your phone doesn't give it much of a break.
6. The battery should be at 0% before recharging – false
Batteries are under the most strain when fully charged or completely empty. The ideal charge is 50%, meaning half of the moveable lithium ions are in the lithium cobalt oxide layer and the other half in the graphite layer.
This puts the least strain on the battery. If you want to keep your battery alive for as long as possible, you should ideally keep it charged between 20% and 80%.
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