subject: Choosing the right battery for yourself [print this page] It's needless to buy the most expensive battery or the most powerful one, because you may not need them at all. Just the right one, you gain it, that's enough. But hot to choose the right battery?
That's a question.You should know this question first: What causes a mobile phone battery to wear down is it mechanical or chemical? The answer is both'. A battery is a perishable product that starts deteriorating from the time it leaves the factory. Similar to a spring under tension, a battery seeks to revert to its lowest denominator. The rate of aging is subject to depth of discharge, environmental conditions, charge methods and maintenance procedures (or lack thereof). Each battery chemistry behaves differently in terms of aging and wear through normal use.
What's the best battery for mobile phones?
When buying a replacement battery, the buyer often has the choice of different battery chemistries. Li-ion and Li-ion polymer batteries are used on newer phones, whereas the NiMH and NiCd are found in older models. If the buyer has a choice, the sales person may advise a customer to go for the highest capacity rating and to stay away from the NiCd because of the memory effect. The customer may settle for the slim-line NiMH because it offers relatively high capacity in a small package and is reasonably priced.
Seemingly a wise choice, an analysis in this chapter reveals that other chemistries may have served better. The NiMH rechargeable battery offers good value for the price but falls short in expected cycle life. Although excellent when new, the performance trails off quickly after about 300 cycles due to decreased capacity and rising internal resistance. In comparison, the Li-ion can be used for about 500 cycles. The best cycle count is achieved with NiCd. Properly maintained, the NiCd delivers over 1000 cycles and the internal resistance remains low. However, the NiCd offers about 30 percent less capacity compared to the NiMH. In addition, the NiCd is being removed from the mobile phone market because of environmental concerns.
Switching to environmentally friendlier mobile phone rechargeable battery is fitting, especially in the mobile phone market where the NiMH performs reasonably well and can be economical. The battery disposal issue is difficult to control, particularly in the hands of a diverse user group.
