The arrival of the iPhone 16 and iOS 18 has reignited a much-discussed debate that can be confusing due to how contrary the message can be: on the one hand, smartphone makers are introducing larger batteries with increasingly faster charging speeds, but on the other hand, there is talk of limiting the load capacity to 80% to preserve its service life. Does charging your mobile phone extend your battery life by 80%? The short answer is yes, but there are several considerations that we are going to explain in this article.
Why does limiting charging to 80% prolong battery life?
Without getting too technical, in general terms, lithium-ion batteries (or more modern carbon-silicon batteries) work through a chemical reaction that invariably breaks down their materials as they are used. However, these materials can degrade faster due to two factors: heat and stress. The former can be controlled by avoiding situations that may seem obvious, such as wearing it under your pillow or in the sun. The second is a little more complicated because it involves a concept called voltage voltage, which is broadly speaking voltage surges that can alter or damage the battery.
This is where the explanation gets a little more complicated, namely that a battery with a low charge has a lower voltage than a battery close to 100% (for those curious, here is an extensive technical explanation). This voltage difference is usually increased to speed up the charging speed, however, if the battery voltage exceeds the voltage limit, it may explode. This obviously doesn’t mean that charging a phone to 100% makes it more prone to exploding, as manufacturers typically slow down charging as it gets closer to 100%. However, a battery charged closer to the upper limit (100 percent) experiences more stress than a battery charged below that limit, say 80 percent.
If we’ve explained it well, you should already have an answer to why limiting the charge to 80% extends the life of the battery: it reduces the voltage voltage, which in turn slows down the degradation of materials and therefore extends its life. useful life.
How long will the battery last when charged to 80%?
While there is no consensus on the lifespan of a cell phone battery, the range is 2 to 4 years, and this time is closely related to the number of times you charge your device and the level of stress the battery is subjected to. battery is exposed. The fact that the battery will last 4 years does not mean that it will become unusable, but it will hold less charge and that is why it will have to be charged more often, which, by the way, also spoils the materials faster. Apple And Honor They have articles with tips on how to care for your cell phone battery, but they don’t list the lifespan of their cell phone battery.
So how long will a battery last when charged to 80%? Without hard data, we’d venture to say that limiting the maximum charge to 80% should increase lifespan by at least one year, meaning your battery should retain most of its charge for 3 to 5 years.
The question you should now be asking yourself is whether getting an extra year of battery life out of your device at a maximum charge of 80% is worth it. In my personal case I would say no, however this is a measure I take when using my laptop which is plugged in most of the time. You can also limit the charge to 80% and check if this limit suits your daily needs, because if you arrive at the end of the day with a 30% charge, limiting it may not be an issue.
Source: Digital Trends
