Do you let the batteries in your mobile devices fully deplete before recharging? If so, then you may be doing this based on some outdated advice you once heard. This advice has been floating around for years, and battery technology has dramatically advanced since then, which makes us ask the questions, “Is it still necessary to completely drain your battery before recharging?”
To answer this question in a single word: No. Battery technology has advanced to the point where depleting your battery before every recharge has become unnecessary. The biggest advancement that changed the battery charging requirements was with the invention of the Lithium-ion battery in 2006, which replaced the Nickel-Cadmium battery, the previous gold standard for battery powered consumer electronics. It’s important to keep this date in mind because you may still be using equipment manufactured before the switch to Lithium-ion batteries, and these older NiCd batteries still require full depletion.
The reason NiCd batteries work this way is because they have what is commonly referred to as the “memory effect.” The memory effect depletes a battery over the period of a few hundred charges, which basically means your battery comes with a finite useful lifecycle. Therefore, it’s recommended that you fully deplete your NiCd battery powered equipment before you recharge it in order to get the most out of every charge.
For example, do you remember how before 2006 cell phones never seemed to have enough battery life to make it through a long phone call? This was due to the memory effect of NiCd batteries. This is also why it’s recommended that whenever you charge a NiCd battery, you complete the charge to 100% before unplugging it.
The lithium-ion battery solves the memory effect problem and is found on virtually all mobile device technologies available today. Apple uses Lithium-ion batteries on all of their devices including the Iphone and Ipad. Apple explains the many benefits of lithium-ion batteries on their website, “Lithium-ion polymer batteries have a high power density, and you can recharge a lithium-ion polymer battery whenever convenient, without requiring a full charge or discharge cycle.”
The upgrade to the lithium-ion battery standard makes using mobile devices more convenient by providing longer charges and allowing you to charge your battery in short as needed bursts. This also eliminates having to wait for your battery to completely charge before unplugging. However, Apple recommends that the lithium-ion battery be fully recharged at least once a month to keep the electrons moving.
As mobile devices improve with longer battery charges, and more cloud-based applications are being utilized, mobile technology is becoming more attractive for businesses of all sizes that want to benefit from a mobile workforce/office. To learn about what mobile devices are right for your business, and to find out more best practices to properly care for your technology, call Quikteks at PHONENUMBER.