Charging the cell phone is simple: to start the process you just have to connect the phone to the charger, and this to the socket. However, to maximize battery life and not consume excess power, it is a good idea to keep a few details in mind.
In the first place, the experts consulted by LA NACION maintain that charging the battery up to 100% is not harmful to the device. In this way, they destroy the myth that the ideal is to keep the load between 20 and 80% of its load. “It is necessary to try that the battery does not enter saving mode to be able to use all the functions, but it is not necessary to maintain a specific charge level”, points out Martín Cricco, Director of Alcatel Argentina, and adds that it is advisable not to let the battery drain completely battery many times. That is, always keep it with some charge, instead of waiting for it to run out to recharge it.
Secondly, and regarding when to charge the battery, Sergio Jung, LG Mobile Product Manager, says that “nickel-cadmium batteries that were used in the past had to be fully discharged and then fully charged due to its chemical properties. However, the lithium-ion batteries currently used in smartphones have completely different chemical properties, so using the battery until it reaches substantially low levels of 5% or less and then recharging it can affect battery life. Therefore, it is advisable to charge it more frequently to maximize its useful life before it reaches low levels and is too depleted.
A common habit is to leave the device plugged in for long hours. Faced with this, Cricco recommends not using it while charging because, in addition to getting hot from the charging process, it gets hot from turning on the screen and the processor that is in use. And heat is one of the factors that contributes to reducing the life of a battery.
Vampire consumption?
Specialists advise disconnecting the device from the electrical current once charging is complete. But what happens in those cases in which users leave their smartphone plugged in overnight? The charger has an energy consumption when it is plugged in even if the device is full or turned off, something known as vampire consumption. It is a phenomenon that occurs when electronic devices are not used, but remain connected to the current, so they consume energy “silently”.
Faced with this situation, Cricco points out that in approved chargers this consumption is practically nil, so it is important to buy accessories with this particularity and verify that, while waiting, their electrical consumption is minimal. But when in doubt, it is always convenient to unplug the charger when it is not in use. And he adds that in order to take advantage of the fast-charging functions of the smartphone, it is necessary to buy specific models of chargers, which differ from conventional chargers by offering more power.
Other details
The temperature of the charger must be considered. “It should not overheat if you are using a charger designed for that phone,” says the Alcatel Argentina specialist. And he adds that it is dangerous to use “unbranded” chargers since they do not have the corresponding electrical safety certification for Argentina and the authorization issued by the Secretary of Commerce, with the tests required by each certifier regarding shocks, pressure, overvoltage and temperature. , among others.
Jung gives advice that never hurts: “It is always advisable to consult the user manual of each mobile device and its safety instructions.”
