Why do the Batteries of Smartphones degrade over time?

Why do the Batteries of Smartphones degrade over time?

By 

Sana Hassan

Gone are the days of hardcore Nokia phones with a long lasting battery time of several days. The phones are getting smarter and batteries are having a hard time keeping up. The common complaint associated with the smartphones is the rapidly discharging battery that degrades with time. To minimize the effects, many ideas and myths exist that will increase the battery’s life. Here is why the battery is lost with time.

Lithium-Ion Battery

The batteries that are used in cell phones and related gadgets these days are Lithium Ion Batteries. These batteries have a specific life span after which it seems like they don’t take up the charge. This span is defined by ‘cycle’. One cycle means one complete charge from 0-100 or the complete drain from 100-0. These batteries usually have 400 of such cycles, after which the process is not efficient. Thus, the overall life span of these batteries is 2-3 years.

What goes down inside the battery?

During the process of charging and discharging there is the constant flow of electron between the
negative and positive terminals of the battery. This flow provides the electricity to power up the
gadget. Over time, this cross of electrons does not remain effective. They start to stay at the
single terminal without flowing. Thus, their participation in powering up is absent. The number
of these non-participating electrons increases and the battery life decrease. The phenomenon
where battery discharges rapidly while usage starts to happen.

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What can be done to increase the battery life?

All batteries have the expiration date and they all wear out eventually. 400 cycles are completed
and the battery starts to die out. Following are some of the hacks that can help you increase the
battery life

1. Turn off Wi-Fi, data, Bluetooth when not in use. They rapidly deplete the battery.

2. Don’t use a cell phone at full brightness. It also puts a strain on the battery.

3. Charge the phone overnight and wake up with a full battery to get your day started. (Don’t forget to turn on the switch)

4. Don’t let the battery drain completely, put it on the charge when the cell phone starts to show the low battery message.

5. Avoid exposing battery to extreme temperatures (too hot or too cold) it also affects the battery life. Room temperature is optimum for cell phone usage.

Keep these little things in mind. Happy charging!