Have you recently noticed that the battery of your Samsung, Huawei or iPhone smartphone drains too quickly and that even when you charge the phone, the times to reach 100% are always very long?
Do not panic, if the smartphone battery does not charge anymore, this does not mean that the phone is dead, on the contrary the best thing to do is to find out the cause of the problem and react accordingly. So keep calm, take a deep breath and follow our instructions they will help you understand when the smartphone battery is no longer working.
The battery is a very important component in the latest generation smartphones, both because they guarantee the necessary charge for the mobile device to work throughout the day and because their evolution is still today an element of study and improvement (e.g. portable batteries) .
Damaged Samsung or iPhone battery: how to figure it out
The reasons for a malfunction in charging a smartphone may depend not only on the battery, but also from USB cable used for charging, by the power adapter, or even by a hardware problem of the micro USB port of the mobile phone.
First try to monitor the time between a full charge and the end of the remaining charge of your battery. If the charge goes from 100% to 0% in a few hours with little use of the smartphone and you have fixed those applications responsible for the continuous Battery drain, it's time to start worrying.
The first step to take is to take out the smartphone battery to analyze:
- corrosion of metal pins (green spots) on the battery;
- chemical leaks from the battery;
- swelling of the battery;
- battery protrusions.
How to understand when the smartphone battery is no longer working
Let's say lithium batteries used in smartphones deteriorate when exposed to temperatures too low or too high. Also charge them for a long time it certainly does not help to keep them in good condition. In case of battery swelling you can perform some tests by placing it on a flat surface and trying to rotate it, you can perform the same test even if the battery is not removable, by turning the mobile device directly.
Avoid, then, of charge the battery with a different charger from the one provided in the purchase package, you could cause serious damage not only to the battery but also to the mobile device. Always use the power outlet to charge your device, also because the voltage of a power plug is always higher than a connection via USB cable connected to the computer. Consider that a lithium battery loses about 20% of its capacity after 500 charge cycles.
The best situation for charging a battery is that of always turn off your mobile device (overnight reload is the best time). Note that the battery usually has one duration of 2 years, so in case of anomalies, if the warranty foresees it, you can take advantage of the right to free replacement.
Of course, if the device is dated, you may have a battery that has deteriorated from the numerous recharging cycles carried out.
However, to analyze the battery status of an Android smartphone, go to the device settings and tap "Battery“, You will be shown different values. Take note and repeat the operation for some time trying to detect the variations in consumption. Then compare the data. If you notice poor battery performance, with drops from 100% to 0% in a few hours, you just have to buy it directly on the Internet for a few tens of euros (eg Amazon) or go to an authorized dealer.
Other analysis systems are the app Battery MacroPinch for Android devices, useful for monitoring battery voltage, temperature and health, e iBackupBot a client for Mac capable of monitoring the status of the iPhone battery (displays the charging cycles carried out by the mobile device). The latter must be connected to the Mac immediately after installing the program. Just highlight the device in a list and select More Information. If the voice FullChargeCapacity it is considerably less than that DesignCapacity, then it will be the case to go to an Apple service center to request the replacement of the battery.
Defective Micro USB smartphone port
If after all these precautions and analysis of the battery status you have noticed that you have not found any anomalies, it is worth taking a look at the micro USB port of the mobile device. Problems with charging a mobile phone are often caused by dust present between the contacts of the micro USB port, where you basically attach the cable.
Try blowing into the micro USB port or using a cotton swab to try to remove dirt by moving the levers in the USB port, being careful not to cause damage. Contacts in mobile devices are always very delicate. If this does not help, it could be a manufacturing defect. Assistance in this case is the best solution.
Defective smartphone USB cable
Many times the problems of charging the battery of a smartphone are related to the defective USB cable. If your device has a red light and the lightning bolt symbol but after a while it goes out, you may find yourself having a bad USB cable.
Be aware that USB cables can easily deteriorate, as they are often stepped on or coiled badly. Being the most delicate part of the charger, my advice is to look at home if you have a similar one to replace or buy it online for a few euros.
Defective smartphone plug adapter
Have you analyzed the status of the battery, the micro USB port and changed the USB cable to a working one but you have not solved anything? Well it's time to focus on the charger adapter, the one you plug into the power plug. There are two types: one with a USB port and one without a USB port.
The solution is to try another adapter or charger of the same type or a USB cable to connect to the PC to see if your smartphone's battery is charged. Avoid using other types of mobile phone adapters, any damage would preclude the warranty.
If none of the above tips worked, you just have to try calibrate the battery. It is a process that consists in correcting the corrupt values of the battery of your smartphone. Calibrating the battery means completely discharging the smartphone battery and then recharging it to 100%.
Take a look at:
How to calibrate the iPhone battery
How to calibrate the Android battery
The life cycles of a battery
Lithium batteries do not have a very long life cycle. Usually the life of a battery, on average, goes from 200 to 500 charge / discharge cycles. The deterioration occurs due to the continuous charges and discharges which over time lead to a reduction in capacity. The lithium cells undergo inside them a series of chemical processes capable, over time, of greatly halving the charge.
In addition to being careful when buying original batteries, never let a lithium battery completely discharge, also because it does not suffer from the memory effect like the nickel ones.
How to extend the life of the smartphone battery
Limiting the charging cycles will extend the life of your phone's battery. Remember that the smartphone should be charged only when necessary and disconnected from the charger only when the battery is at 100%. Try not to set the display brightness to maximum, rather reduce it to a minimum. Minimize the screen backlight as well.
Disable GPS navigation and push function for new emails to arrive. And if you don't need a data connection, turn off the 3G or 4G connection, trying to surf with Wifi instead. The mobile signal greatly affects the battery life. Low-strength signals from the networks push the device to continuously search for the best available signal. For this reason, I always recommend disconnecting the data connection when the mobile signal is low and especially when the remaining charge of your battery is very low.
Apply battery saving options and delete background images or screensavers.
Avoid opening too many applications at the same time and above all making many short and partial recharges. Instead, make full recharges by turning off the phone, avoiding leaving it connected to the power supply when charging is complete.
It is advisable to consult the manual on the charging times of the mobile device and the duration of the first charge.
Try not to let the smartphone battery completely discharge, there is no need for it (max 5% -10%). Lithium batteries can be charged even before reaching 0%. With the past batteries, the nickel ones, it was necessary to let them completely discharge and then recharge them to the maximum, to prevent them from forgetting all their charging potential.
Avoid leaving your smartphone charging in the sun or in a hot place. It is preferable to keep the device, during the charging cycles, away from temperatures that are too high. Between 20 and 25 degrees centigrade would be ideal. A battery with high internal temperatures (30 °) will immediately lose its performance compared to a battery capable of dissipating heat perfectly.
Remove the battery and store it in a dry place if you decide not to use the phone for a long time.
The best apps to manage energy resources
Among the apps that contribute to energy saving and battery management, they are worth mentioning.
- Battery Defender
- 2 Battery Saver
- SBS Go Power
Other useful articles
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