Washington Post readers asked technology columnist Geoffrey A. Fowler what they can do to prolong the lives of products with rechargeable batteries like Apple’s iconic iPhone.
Geoffrey A. Fowler for The Washington Post:
It’s a murky aspect of gadget ownership: Lithium batteries are finicky. They all gradually lose capacity, meaning it’s only a matter of time before your device just doesn’t carry enough juice to be useful. But how much time? Some of this is baked into the design — but the ways we charge and use batteries can also make a difference.
For example, leaving your device plugged most of the time may help you avoid the stress of being caught with a low battery. But it also might be stressing your battery.
So what can we do to make batteries live longer? I called up two scientists who study lithium batteries, the University of Michigan’s Gregory A. Keoleian and the University of Maryland’s Michael G. Pecht. “The key drivers that influence degradation are the temperature, the state of charge and the charge rate,” says Keoleian.
They advised us to always follow the specific advice of manufacturers.
MacDailyNews Take: Here’s what Apple says regarding optimizing iPhone battery charging, verbatim:
iPhone has a setting that helps slow the rate of your battery’s aging by reducing the time it spends fully charged. This setting uses machine learning to understand your daily charging routine, then waits to finish charging past 80% until you need it.
- Go to Settings > Battery, then tap Battery Health.
- Turn on Optimized Battery Charging.
There is no step 3.
Your Apple lithium-ion battery uses fast charging to quickly reach 80% of its capacity, then switches to slower trickle charging. The amount of time it takes to reach that first 80% will vary depending on your settings and which device you’re charging. Software may limit charging above 80% when the recommended battery temperatures are exceeded. This combined process not only lets you get out and about sooner, it also extends the lifespan of your battery.
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