Posted 4 days ago

How long do mobile phone batteries usually last ??

Hi all,

Both my OH and I have mobile phones getting on for over 3 years old ( she has a Samsung Galaxy, I have a Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite ). Recently we have both started noticing that, even under fairly limited usage, the phones still need recharging almost every other day - or even daily !!!

Is this normal for phones of that age ? Is there a general consensus on "charging strategy" to maximise the battery life ? Is there any documented info, possibly even by make/model or battery type, on how long a battery should be expected to last ?

TIA for any help
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  1. EndlessWaves's avatar
    Generally what you really don't want to do is charge while the battery is hot. Having your phone plugged in while you're using it for something intensive isn't great.

    Beyond that not fast charging will help. Generally a charge speed equal to the battery capacity is sensible, so if it's a 15Wh battery then charging at 15W is fine but if it can do 45W or 60W then perhaps seek out a lower power charger for your overnight charging.

    Charging to lower percentages will also help to get more cycles out of the battery.
    AdamBrunt's avatar
    Author
    Don't think we're using "fast charging" at all ? How would we know - sorry to sound thick - is this a phone thing ? Or a cable thing ?

    We both use the same type of USB Ç cable plugged into a USB hub
  2. mossmanfly's avatar
    Tbh batteries do loose capacity over time. Batteries have a certain charge cycle and even then batteries will deteriorate before this and after this. Typical charge cycle can be anywhere up to 1000. Can be less some will say 700, and bad battery practises could reduce this even further.

    A charge cycle isnt just from 0 to 100 that's 1 cycle. Its also counts if you go from say 40 to 60 that would use 1/5 th of a charge cycle.

    Different websites will all say different things regarding charging practices so theres so much stuff that there isnt a right or wrong answer. Batteries are also more advanced these days.

    The main things to consider is to limit the charge from 0 to 100. Alot of websites seem to suggest that around 40 to 80 is a good window. Samsung settings for example allow you to set a 85% max charge.

    Trickle charging through out the day is better. So rather than do 1 big charge from say 40 to 80 at the end of the day its best to keep topped up and do 2, 20% charges. Because heat is the killer of batteries so the battery wont get as hot if you are doing a 20% charge as it would do for a 40% for example. (edited)
  3. Mark_Hickman's avatar
    Charging once per day is normal, you must be extremely light users to be getting 2 days on a 3 year old battery.
  4. sm9690's avatar
    It's probably getting close to 1000 charge cycles in that 3 year period, you're bound to see battery degradation. Most Li-ion batteries tend to retain c.80% after 300-500 charge cycles.
  5. SaturdayGigs's avatar
    Done well to last that long!!! (edited)
    AdamBrunt's avatar
    Author
    Seriously??

    As an example, my phone was fully charged when I unplugged the USB cable this morning at 8:30am.

    It has been largely idle all day but is currently sitting at just 53% :/
  6. melted's avatar
    batteryuniversity.com/art…ies

    Basically, to make them last, don't fully charge them, don't fully discharge them, don't charge them at too high a rate.
  7. TristanDeCoonha's avatar
    I suspect that the superfast chargers are responsible for the speedy death of batteries, often as an unecessary luxury, and that if possible, slow overnight charging could help prolong the lifespan
  8. Roger_Irrelevant's avatar
    Just install Accubattery which keeps track of battery health/degradation and tells you the true charging/discharging speed.
  9. mutley1's avatar
    I get 2 years on my Samsung phones. It will still go but you need to keep charging it regularly from 2 - 4 years. In 4th year, really struggles.
  10. dan_uk's avatar
    To be losing half your battery in under a day when the phone is on standby suggests that either you both use a battery aggressive app or there is a significant system process happening to drain the battery. This is usually if the phone struggles to pick up signal and is constantly pinging masts trying to reconnect.

    It could be battery degradation, but I don’t think it would have become so bad in a relatively short period and have become equally bad on two different phones from different manufacturers. 

    Maybe worth having a think if you have an always on app like mapping or fitness tracking etc that might be to blame. 
    AdamBrunt's avatar
    Author
    That makes sense to a certain extent.

    Our whole family use Life360 ( it helps to keep track of where the kids are ) but I have long suspected that it, and other apps that constantly ping GPS / mobile masts can't be good for the battery.

    But we've been using this app for well over a year without issue until now
  11. jjames87's avatar
    My S8 lasts 2-3 days with low use.
  12. Adster's avatar
    My S20 barely makes it to late afternoon, but its had heavy use throughout its life and the battery shows as degraded.

    You can check the battery health in the Samsung Members app, that should tell you whether the battery needs replacing.

    samsung.com/uk/…ry/
  13. Bbqueue's avatar
    In reality, the best way to gauge how well you're battery is lasting is to keep a track of SOT (screen on time) if you keep using your phone in a similar manner.
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