There is nothing more frustrating as spending the whole night charging your beloved Android smartphone only for it to die two hours after unplugging it. If there is one thing every smartphone user can relate to is battery life issues which most of us are plagued with at one time or another. That is perhaps why most users are on the look out for the best tips and tricks to maintain the life of their housed batteries and make them last longer. The internet is filled with a bunch of great tips to keep your battery healthier, but how do you separate the no-sense myths from the facts? Here are a few common battery myths, you should stop believing:
Myth 1: Overnight charging is bad for your battery
Overnight charging is usually coupled up with the term 'overcharging'. Given that a night has more than a few hours, overcharging relates to the fact that your phone will hit the 100% charge and still continue charging which as a result, diminishes the battery's capacity.Truth is, this is not exactly true. In the old era, charging lithium ion batteries for too long would often lead to overheating which would negatively impact the battery capacity as well as its performance. Though the origin of this myth are legitimate, it no longer holds water in our modern devices.Modern devices have been built with a smarter way of power management. The only time that leaving your phone plugged in for too long would be bad, is if the case is not designed for heat dissipation but otherwise, charge away. In fact, it gives you the advantage of trickle charging once your battery is full, which unlike a complete discharge, it is actually good for your battery.
Myth 2: You should drain out your battery before recharging it
If you are still living by this myth, then its great if you are bundling nickel-metal hydride or nickel cadmium batteries. However, if yours is a modern lithium-ion integrated device, then its a completely different story.While older nickel-based batteries required a full discharge prior to another recharge, lithium-ion have an efficient way of keeping track of their charges. This means that if 60 percent of your battery life is used, then recharging it won't be considered as a a full charge cycle. What counts as a one charge cycle, is if for instance the next usage drains at least 40 percent of power.Although, every new charge cycle reduces the capacity of lithium-ion batteries, the effect is only a minor one. Many smartphones are able to maintain around 80 percent of their batteries' initial charge capacity, even after years of usage. But still there is an option of swapping out batteries.
Myth 3: Only charge your device using its original charger
In case it wasn't already obvious, this is only a marketing gimmick, for manufacturers to keep you buying their accessories. Any high quality charger would be just as sufficient for charging your device.This however, doesn't mean you go for just any charger with a matching pin or cable, stay clear of especially the super cheap ones. There is also an exception for the USB Type-C cables and a few chargers that don't support fast charging.
Myth 4: Avoid using your device while its charging
This myth is basically hogwash. There is no evidence to back it up, yet its still kept alive. Some claim that using your phone while its plugged into a charger can cause your device to significantly overheat to the extent that it can catch fire, electrocute you and even in worst cases explode.This sounds like a pretty far fetched theory, no real danger exists in exploring your phone as it charges, thus feel free. What are your thoughts on these myths? Have you been a believer? Share with us other untrue battery myths that you know of, in the comments section below.
