Since the advent of mobile phones, manufacturers have been developing new batteries that hold a charge longer than previous ones. Every year, smartphone batteries became more powerful. But the question arose, how to properly charge a smartphone? After all, improper handling of the battery can quickly damage it.
Types of batteries
What type of battery is in the phone? Nickel-cadmium batteries were the first to be installed in smartphones. Subsequently, all developments were aimed at creating safer batteries, because the alloy used released toxins dangerous to humans. Another problem was the small battery capacity. It was not enough for more powerful devices, which greatly hampered progress.
The type of battery is accustomed to the “memory effect”. Users were forced to charge the smartphone correctly, otherwise it would quickly fail. If nickel-cadmium batteries are filled to less than 100%, this value becomes fixed over time. The battery capacity was decreasing, so owners of mobile smartphones had to systematically discharge them to 0% during the first month of use.
They were replaced by nickel-metal hydride batteries. They were not used for long, because... they had serious shortcomings. The main problem was the reduced number of charging cycles, which were not many in the previous version of the batteries. Therefore, manufacturers quickly began looking for a way to increase the autonomy of smartphones. To achieve this, they began installing lithium-ion batteries in phones. Their capacity is increased and the “memory effect” is completely absent.
Manufacturers install lithium-polymer batteries in new generation smartphones. They improved the main drawback of previous devices. The materials used to create these batteries are not explosive. It was also possible to increase the power of the circuits, but only slightly.
The price of smartphones has not increased, and in some cases even decreased.
Battery life
A smartphone battery that will last up to two days when first used may drop to less than one day within two years. This will depend on the battery that is installed and how you take care of it.
Most smartphone manufacturers say lithium-ion power supplies can last for about 500 cycles without losing capacity. One cycle is the process of fully charging and discharging the battery. When the battery begins to wear out (after 2-3 years), the capacity drops significantly, to 50-20% of the original.
For example, initially the capacity was 2000 mAh, but after 3 years only 1000 mAh or less will really remain.
How to properly charge your phone
If you use the device incorrectly, its service life can be greatly reduced. This applies not only to the smartphone as a whole, but also to its internals. The circuits in the battery have a limited charging cycle. Not everyone knows how to properly charge a Xiaomi smartphone. Because of this, the battery has to be replaced after a year of use.
Charging a new phone
After purchasing a smartphone, you can immediately connect it to the network if the battery is low. Not all users know how to charge their phone correctly for the first time. No special events required. It is enough to use the standard charger that comes with your smartphone. You can charge a new smartphone if it is only partially drained: lithium and polymer batteries prefer to be “well-fed” rather than “hungry.”
Do I need to completely discharge and charge the battery?
The myth that you can't unplug your phone before the battery is 100% full comes from nickel-cadmium devices. Modern smartphones do not require long-term charging. To properly charge your smartphone, you don't have to wait until it uses up all the energy. The new type of battery will last longer if it is constantly charged. Therefore, they need to be connected periodically.
The less often the battery drops below 50%, the more cycles it will work. However, for calibration once a month, manufacturers recommend completely discharging the smartphone.
Then you need to connect it to the charger and do not remove it until the battery is completely replenished.
How to properly charge a lithium polymer battery
Without proper care, the battery will wear out quickly. The battery will quickly run out and will need to be recharged more often. Devices must be protected from hypothermia and too high temperatures.
To properly charge a lithium polymer battery, you need to familiarize yourself with the general recommendations:
- We use only high-quality original smartphone blocks. Each device has its own technical characteristics, so the charger is developed specifically for this model.
- Complete discharge should not be allowed. Extremely low values accelerate the onset of complete wear.
- In order not to load the battery while charging, it is better not to use it.
- You should not leave your gadget charging overnight.
Modern batteries are protected from overdischarge and overcharge. They have special controllers. When the indicator reaches 100%, current stops flowing to the battery.
On a note!
Do not completely discharge or charge the battery. Ideal condition: above 10%, but below 90. The exception is preventive calibration, which is carried out once a year (discharge until turned off, and then wait until 100% is reached).
You can use your smartphone while charging
Many owners, trying to understand how to properly charge a smartphone battery, notice that the gadget heats up when connected to the network. A slight increase in temperature is normal, because... circuits operate in enhanced mode. The situation is aggravated by using the phone while charging. Even an expensive model is not designed for such use. At best, the smartphone system will start to slow down. If exposed to current for a long time, the battery may fail, causing overheating. Then it will need to be replaced. You can avoid this if you charge your smartphone correctly.
How to extend battery life
Xiaomi, like other brands, warns its customers that autonomy is not a permanent measure. As the battery wears out, it starts to drain faster, so it has to be replaced. However, there are several ways to extend the life of your battery. If you charge your Xiaomi smartphone correctly, you won’t have to change the battery until you buy a new one.
Do not charge via computer USB
Manufacturers do not recommend using laptops and PCs for charging. This procedure will not harm the smartphone in one go. However, constant power of this type will reduce the battery capacity, because computers do not provide enough power. Due to the low current, the circuits in the device operate longer than expected, which means the autonomy of the gadget is reduced. If you still have to charge the battery with a computer, instead of a standard charger, you need to choose USB 3.0 connectors, because their power is higher.
Do not leave it on charge overnight
For the same reason, you need to disconnect your phone from the network as soon as its battery is filled to 100% . After this, the process of energy supply slows down, the system simply maintains its level. If the smartphone has been charged in this mode for several months in a row, its autonomy will decrease. After a year of such “procedures” the battery will have to be changed. To properly charge a Xiaomi smartphone, it is better to disconnect it from the network before it replenishes its energy reserve by 100%, but not later.
Charge with original cable
Along with phones, Xiaomi sells adapters and cables that prevent voltage surges. If current flows into the battery intermittently, the device is forced to constantly adjust to the voltage. Therefore, low-quality chargers should not be used for charging. Too much power can also damage your smartphone. To properly charge your smartphone, you need to look at the maximum permissible voltage. This data is always indicated in the operating instructions.
Do not use counterfeit cables or adapters. Because of them, the current flows unevenly, causing the circuits to operate in emergency mode. Many people forget about this when trying to figure out how to properly charge a new smartphone. However, if the battery burns out due to low-quality accessories, it will not be possible to return it under warranty.
Do not use in cold or hot weather
High temperatures outside can blow up circuits. But this is not the only reason why it cannot be used in the heat. The batteries are designed for operation at temperatures from +20° to +25°. Due to the high energy density, overheating wears out the circuits. The maximum allowed is 105°. When this threshold is reached, lithium metallization begins and the battery swells. Using the phone in such conditions is dangerous: if it does not explode, the part, increased in size, may damage other internal parts.
Temperatures below 0° are no less dangerous. Because of this, the density of electricity in the battery decreases. Gradually its capacity also decreases. The effect of frost appears after 20 minutes of being outdoors. You can protect your smartphone by placing it in the inside pocket of your jacket. The main thing is not to leave the device on a cold surface: table, ground, chair.
It is not correct to charge your smartphone by leaving it in the sun. Running circuits in a battery increases the load on the parts, which is why high external temperatures can greatly damage the device. Many people, when trying to figure out how to properly charge lithium-ion batteries, don't think about the weather. However, heat or cold can cause even high-quality iron to overheat.
How to speed up charging and how to calibrate the battery
Today, most Xiaomi smartphones have a built-in Quick Charge . You can properly charge a smartphone with this technology to 100% in 1-2 hours. However, manufacturers do not recommend using it constantly, because... Increased operation of microcircuits leads to rapid wear of the battery. Also, only original cables and adapters are suitable for fast charging : the current in them is designed for the battery of a specific model.
Read also: Fast charging: what is it, functions, how to turn fast charging on and off on Xiaomi, as well as a list of smartphones with fast charging
The smartphone is calibrated once a month. Correct calibration:
- Turn off Quick Charge in the Settings app.
- Discharge your phone to 0% naturally. Do not use apps or excessive load.
- When the smartphone turns off, connect the charger.
- Wait until the battery is charged to 100%. Unplug your phone.
Overheat
Do not charge the battery at temperatures above room temperature.
You should not leave your smartphone on the windowsill or on the table opposite the window on a bright sunny day.
It is also not recommended to charge it near heating elements or leave it on the working panel of the car.
When charging from an external Power Bank on the street, do not hide the phone in your pocket or bag. Especially if it is also in a thick protective case.
Lithium cells do not tolerate both heat and frost. Each of us has noticed that the phone stops working in severe frost and suddenly turns off.
The reason for this is the rapid loss of capacity at subzero temperatures.
Chemical reactions in the battery electrolyte slow down, and therefore the current output decreases.
But in hot weather the opposite happens. Overheating in the sun leads to rapid degradation of the battery and often causes a fire.
Overheating for a phone is considered to be a temperature above 42C.
Please note that a fire may not occur in direct sunlight, but already at the moment when you pick up the smartphone and start using it, thereby loading the processor with work.
If your phone gets very hot while charging, try removing the protective case. In most cases this helps.
Oddly enough, but without a case, the device can even charge faster.
The optimal room temperature for charging a smartphone is 20-25 degrees. The optimal storage temperature in a charged state is +15C.
Don't forget that the phone heats up on its own while charging. This especially applies to so-called fast charging.
Therefore, it is not recommended to run any games or use power-hungry applications at this time.
Battery memory effect
This name is given to the reversible property of a battery to lose its capacity. This happens if the user violates the correct charging mode. There is no memory effect in modern smartphones. Users of old phones can correct the situation if they systematically discharge them to 0% and connect the phone to the network only after that. Even if you properly charge a smartphone with a nickel-cadmium battery, it may take 1 year to fully restore capacity.
Types of batteries
There are about ten types of batteries. There is no point in listing them all, since phones of previous and new generations use only four of them:
- NiMH – nickel metal hydride.
- NiCd – nickel-cadmium.
- Li-Pol – lithium polymer.
- Li-Ion – lithium-ion.
The first two types are practically not used in the production of new equipment. Modern smartphones are mostly equipped with lithium-ion batteries. Lithium polymers appeared later than the others and are just beginning to spread.
Possible problems and their solutions
Even if you follow the correct charging mode, battery interruptions may occur . It is important to recognize the problem in time. If the battery swells, it can damage other parts of the gadget, including the display. Repairs will cost significantly more than replacing one element.
The battery is draining quickly or the charge level is stagnant
The cause of such a failure on Android may be a breakdown of the power controller. It is he who is responsible for supplying energy to the battery. It may falsely indicate a full battery. Therefore, in just 1 hour the charging level drops to 30% or less. More rarely, the system does not indicate that current is flowing at all. Then the charge level stays the same. This can only be corrected by replacing the part at a service center.
Charging does not work or gets hot
Most often the problem occurs due to a bad charger. First try replacing the wire and adapter. Check that their power is suitable for charging your phone. The exact values can be found in the operating instructions. If replacing the charger does not help, take the gadget to a service center for diagnostics. Specialists will check the flow of current to the battery. If necessary, it will be replaced. Trying to figure out on your own why the charger is not working or is heating up is not recommended. Although in rare cases this can be “cured” by flashing it, it is impossible to accurately determine the cause without opening the phone.
If you follow all operating recommendations and properly charge your Xiaomi smartphone or device of another brand, it will last a long time. Most models from this manufacturer have long battery life. However, it will be reduced if you leave the gadget connected to the network or use low-quality charging . Also, do not leave your phone in the sun to avoid swelling of the battery. Properly charging your battery can double the life of your phone.
Possible problems
Sometimes smartphone owners are faced with incomplete charging of the battery, its absence, or other similar problems. This does not mean that it is time to change the battery. Before moving on to such measures, it is worth considering possible problems and the reasons for their occurrence.
Discharges quickly
If your phone doesn't hold a charge well and only lasts a few hours, you need to try to identify the reason for this. There may be several of them:
- manufacturing defects;
- software error;
- the battery has become unusable;
- problems with firmware;
- constantly working communication modules;
- GPS function enabled;
- background applications;
- background data exchange on the Internet;
- maximum screen brightness.
If the problem is background processes, a bright screen, apps running all the time, etc., you can fix the situation yourself and limit the use of your phone when it is not necessary. The same applies to constantly working communication modules: if you are in a place where there is no connection, turn on the “airplane” mode.
In other cases, it is better not to hesitate and contact the service center. If the problem occurs on a new smartphone, return it under warranty or ask for a replacement.
Not charging
10 ways to make your phone charge
The charge level is frozen in place
If the battery charge indicator is stuck in one place, the reason for this may be the following:
- Poor quality adapter.
- OS update.
- Adapter wear.
- Charger fault.
- Damage to the power controller.
- The battery is worn out by more than 70%.
To avoid jumping to conclusions, first reboot your phone. If this does not save the situation, calibrate your smartphone. If the battery indicator is frozen due to a software malfunction of the controller, you should perform a hard reset, but do not forget to save all your data from the device before doing so.
If the problem is with the power supply, contact a service center to replace it.
The charger does not work
The first thing to do in this case is to try a different charger. If no problems arise, then the original memory is faulty. If the problem persists when using another charger, you should inspect the socket for damage and debris.
The reason may be due to normal pollution. In this case, you need to carefully clean the connector. If this does not help, it will need to be replaced, which can only be done at a service center.
The power supply gets noticeably hot
When drawing power from a wall outlet, 220 volts is converted to 5 volts for use by the phone. This conversion process is not completely efficient due to its low efficiency. Approximately 70% is dissipated as heat. This becomes especially noticeable when using the fast charging function.
If the unit heats up more than expected, this may indicate a serious problem with the charger or with the mobile phone. In this case, you need to disconnect the smartphone from the power source as soon as possible and check it at a service center for damage.
