Portable device's battery including mobile phones have never been into major development as in the case of exponential growth with smartphones. There are many myths regarding batteries which constantly revolve around and with the recent fiasco with Samsung Note 7, they have become strong. In this post I will cover some basics of batteries used in our devices and will be busting out some myths with tips to improve battery life. Lets begin!!
Practically, batteries used in our devices are of 2 types:
- Lithium ION - Li-ion
- Lithium Polymer - Li-Po
The Li-ion batteries were used in older devices probably until 2013-14. The advent of Li-Po batteries began by 2014.
The Li-ion batteries have been in use since the feature phone days and even the 3310 made use of it. They fall under the rechargeable category (obviously) since they make use of a different molecular structure as against in the metallic non-rechargeable batteries which enable charging. These batteries can only be made in a specific shape and size i.e rectangular. They also need a metallic or hard plastic casing which makes them bulky.
Bulkier batteries, lead to larger size for higher capacity leading to larger and heavier form factor of the device in which it is used. As smartphones were in the process of becoming thinner and thinner, with the use of Li-ion batteries, the capacity had to be sacrificed to suffice for the former cause.
This is the main reason for the use of Li-Po batteries.
The Li-Po batteries can be manufactured in the desired shape. They do not need any special casing as against the Li-ion. They are usually covered in plastic type layer of coverings which is one of the reasons for devices to have non-removable type batteries. Although, the removable ones require a hard covering.
The Li-Po batteries can be made thin even with higher capacities and may not always be rectangular in shape. Eg. L shaped batteries may come in the near future.
For physical feasibility, Li-Po batteries are extensively used these days. However, they are technically not that safe. A slight puncture in the ones packed with plastic type layer (non-removable) can lead to leakage further causing fire. During charging cycle, the batteries tend to heat causing slight expansion. This is the reason for small gaps in the battery slot with battery placed and this was one of the reasons for the Note 7 Explosion since the gap was less than optimum.
Speaking of what type of battery to choose well you have no option as almost all devices these days come with Li-Po batteries.
The batteries are measured in Milli- ampere-hour or mAh. For eg. A 4000mAh battery indicates 4Ah in other terms with regular voltage levels of around 4V. The charger usually available are of 5V at 1 or 2 ampere (at times even 1.5 and 1.67) depending on whether they support fast charging or not.
Some battery related myths:
Battery related myths are available in abundance and the reasons supporting them are mere speculations. Some of them are:
1. Do not use earphones while charging This is the most common advice given by many. The myth related to it is damage to ears or rather battery rupturing.
The truth is that while charging, the temperatures do increase. Hence, you may get heating sensation however there is no harm. You can use earphones or headphones however it is advisable to not use them due to the heating sensation but rather use Bluetooth headsets.
2. Do not accept call while charging:
Again the reason given above is applicable here. Here the network bands become highly active for preventing interruption during calls. Because of this the SOC gets into working causing heating and by the combined heating of SOC with battery, throttling may take place.
Hence, if you do receive calls, it is advisable to unplug the device from charger.
3. Charging overnight:
This is one of the most discussed topics and quite a common myth. These days, the phones do come with a protection circuit which does monitor the temperature, charged capacity and so on. This is the reason why the charging takes place at rated speed till about 80% and the rest 20% percent takes much longer. It ensures that the operating temperatures are lower and no throttling takes place on usage. Also, even if the device is plugged after completion of charge, there will be no harm as the supply to the battery gets cut off and hence no further charging takes place.
(Thermistors are used for monitoring temperature)
The above 3 myths are related to battery and indeed there could be more however we have focussed on the most important ones and the ones that are usually common. One must also ensure to never drain the battery completely to 0 although there would be no noticeable issues however the battery life tends to reduce as time progresses. This becomes prominent when the user decides to use the device for some years as against frequent change cycle of 1.5-2 years.
Few ways to improve battery life:
1. Whenever possible keep the brightness levels to minimum. This helps to save battery and prolong the discharge cycle to a greater extent.
2. Always check which apps are constantly running in the background using resources. Disable unwanted apps by going into settings -> battery manager -> optimization (may differ from device to device)
3. Always remember to switch off the Bluetooth, WiFi, data, location toggles when not in use. They do consume a lot of power.
4. On AMOLED displays, keeping Black wallpapers will in turn lead to a slightly better battery life since the pixels turn off with black colour. However, its not the case with IPS LCD panel.
5. Use ultra power saving mode when outdoors (only when calls and messaging are the priority apps)
These were some of the tips and tricks with overview of the batteries used in our smartphones. Although most of the points discussed here were quite common however if you did find something new and exciting and have more points to add up then do leave a comment below and do share this article .. it does help us a lot. !!
 |
| Defective Li-Po battery from Note 7 via JerryRig everything Channel link |
For physical feasibility, Li-Po batteries are extensively used these days. However, they are technically not that safe. A slight puncture in the ones packed with plastic type layer (non-removable) can lead to leakage further causing fire. During charging cycle, the batteries tend to heat causing slight expansion. This is the reason for small gaps in the battery slot with battery placed and this was one of the reasons for the Note 7 Explosion since the gap was less than optimum.
Speaking of what type of battery to choose well you have no option as almost all devices these days come with Li-Po batteries.
 |
| 1430mAh battery with 3.7V output |
The batteries are measured in Milli- ampere-hour or mAh. For eg. A 4000mAh battery indicates 4Ah in other terms with regular voltage levels of around 4V. The charger usually available are of 5V at 1 or 2 ampere (at times even 1.5 and 1.67) depending on whether they support fast charging or not.
Some battery related myths:
Battery related myths are available in abundance and the reasons supporting them are mere speculations. Some of them are:
 |
| Image via 123RF.com |
1. Do not use earphones while charging This is the most common advice given by many. The myth related to it is damage to ears or rather battery rupturing.
The truth is that while charging, the temperatures do increase. Hence, you may get heating sensation however there is no harm. You can use earphones or headphones however it is advisable to not use them due to the heating sensation but rather use Bluetooth headsets.
2. Do not accept call while charging:
Again the reason given above is applicable here. Here the network bands become highly active for preventing interruption during calls. Because of this the SOC gets into working causing heating and by the combined heating of SOC with battery, throttling may take place.
Hence, if you do receive calls, it is advisable to unplug the device from charger.
3. Charging overnight:
This is one of the most discussed topics and quite a common myth. These days, the phones do come with a protection circuit which does monitor the temperature, charged capacity and so on. This is the reason why the charging takes place at rated speed till about 80% and the rest 20% percent takes much longer. It ensures that the operating temperatures are lower and no throttling takes place on usage. Also, even if the device is plugged after completion of charge, there will be no harm as the supply to the battery gets cut off and hence no further charging takes place.
(Thermistors are used for monitoring temperature)
The above 3 myths are related to battery and indeed there could be more however we have focussed on the most important ones and the ones that are usually common. One must also ensure to never drain the battery completely to 0 although there would be no noticeable issues however the battery life tends to reduce as time progresses. This becomes prominent when the user decides to use the device for some years as against frequent change cycle of 1.5-2 years.
Few ways to improve battery life:
1. Whenever possible keep the brightness levels to minimum. This helps to save battery and prolong the discharge cycle to a greater extent.
 |
| Apps can be optimized |
2. Always check which apps are constantly running in the background using resources. Disable unwanted apps by going into settings -> battery manager -> optimization (may differ from device to device)
3. Always remember to switch off the Bluetooth, WiFi, data, location toggles when not in use. They do consume a lot of power.
4. On AMOLED displays, keeping Black wallpapers will in turn lead to a slightly better battery life since the pixels turn off with black colour. However, its not the case with IPS LCD panel.
 |
| Ultra power saver may not be available in every device however it prolongs battery life to a greater extent |
5. Use ultra power saving mode when outdoors (only when calls and messaging are the priority apps)
These were some of the tips and tricks with overview of the batteries used in our smartphones. Although most of the points discussed here were quite common however if you did find something new and exciting and have more points to add up then do leave a comment below and do share this article .. it does help us a lot. !!