subject: Cell Phone Battery Life Cycle [print this page] Cell Phone Battery Life Cycle Cell Phone Battery Life Cycle
For some unknown reason, perhaps an offshoot of Murphy's Law, whenever a phone needs to be on the most, its battery will run out. Unfortunately, this ends up being a reality that most of us need to learn to live with. However, there is hope! Your cell phone battery is unique, and by learning its intricacies, the life of the battery can be maximized to avoid those terrible, dead cell phone situations.
Cell phones made within the last 10 years run on four types of rechargeable cell phone batteries: Nickel Cadmium (NiCad), Nickel Metal Hydrate (NiMH), Lithium Ion (Li-Ion), and Lithium Polymer (Li-Poly); however, it's primarily these last three that concern us. The first, Nickel Cadmium, is a relatively old cell phone battery style, and is not used in any modern models of cell phone because of its environmental hazards and "memory."
Nickel Metal Hydrate was, a few years ago, the most widespread battery in cell phones, and despite common myths, this cell phone battery does not have "memory." This means that when you go to charge your phone, it is better to not let the battery run all the way out, but rather to charge after partial use. No battery used in modern cell phones has the memory that was commonplace with NiCad, so this myth can be put to rest. However, NiMH, Li-Ion, and Li-Poly batteries can benefit from a full discharge about one in thirty uses.
Lithium Ion batteries are the most common cell phone batteries in most cell phones now, and they have a life cycle of anywhere from 200-500 full charges, or what equates to about 2-3 years. They do not have a charging memory, so they benefit most from partial-use recharging, which means all of you who plug your phone in at night so not to miss a call need not worry. Lithium Ion batteries work better in warmer conditions, because the temperature lessens the resistance of the chemical reaction taking place. Finally, Lithium Ion cell phone batteries are lighter than Nickel batteries, and they are commonplace in almost every phone.
If Lithium Ion cell phone batteries are the present, then Lithium Polymer cell phone batteries are the future of cell phone batteries. Lithium Polymer batteries work along the same lines as Li-Ion in that they last approximately 2-3 years and have no memory. However, Li-Poly's are entirely explosion-proof, even when punctured, and because of the polymer involved in the reaction, they are significantly lighter and smaller than Li-Ion batteries.
There are dozens of ways to make sure that you aren't caught with a dead cell phone battery, and learning the life cycle of your particular phone's battery is only one. The best way to extend the life of a cell phone battery is to charge frequently and only completely discharge the battery once a month. With these tips, every cell phone user will get the most out of their charge!
