In the world of lithium-ion batteries, smartphones take center stage. However, this technology has also sparked an ongoing debate about whether overnight charging damages the battery.
There are several factors that determine the life of a phone battery, including manufacturing age and chemical age, which refers to the gradual deterioration of the battery due to variables such as temperature fluctuations, charging and discharging patterns, and general use.
Over time, chemical aging of lithium-ion batteries reduces charging capacity, battery life, and performance.
According to Apple: A regular iPhone battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 500 full charge cycles when operating under normal conditions.
Research found that a 2019 smartphone battery can undergo, on average, 850 full charge/discharge cycles before it drops below 80% of its capacity. This means that only 80% of the initial battery capacity remains after about two to three years of use. At this point, the battery starts to drain noticeably faster.
Do you have to charge your phone overnight?
Most new generation smartphones will take between 30 minutes and two hours to fully charge.
Charging times vary depending on the battery capacity of your device, with larger capacities requiring longer time, in addition to the amount of power provided by the charger.
According to experts, charging your phone overnight is not only unnecessary, but it also accelerates battery aging. Full charging cycles (0% to 100%) should be avoided to maximize battery life.
Charging the battery up to 100% repeatedly may negatively affect the overall life of the battery, according to Samsung.
Likewise, keeping iPhones fully charged for long periods of time may harm battery health.
Instead of fully charging the battery, it is recommended to charge the battery up to 80% and not allow it to drop below 20%.
Can your phone be overcharged?
In theory, lithium-ion batteries can be overcharged. This can lead to safety risks such as battery overheating and fire.
The good news is that most modern phones have built-in protection that automatically stops the battery from charging beyond 100%, preventing any damage resulting from overcharging.
However, every time the battery level drops to 99% (due to apps running in the background), it will “intermittent charging”: it will start charging again to maintain a full charge state.
Intermittent charging can corrode the battery over time. That's why many manufacturers have features to regulate it.
Can your phone explode from charging?
Your smartphone is unlikely to explode as a result of charging, especially since most phones now have automatic protection against overcharging.
However, over the years we have seen numerous reports of phones exploding unexpectedly. This usually occurs as a result of manufacturing defects, poor quality hardware, or physical damage.
The temperature of lithium-ion phone batteries rises when the heat generated during charging cannot be dissipated. This may cause burns, or in extreme cases, a fire.
These batteries also operate effectively within a temperature range of 0°C to 40°C. It may expand when ambient temperatures rise, which could lead to a fire or explosion.
Using an incorrect, defective, or poor-quality charger or cable can also lead to overheating, fire risks, and damage to the phone itself.
Big data algorithms help beat spammers
New smart algorithms leave no chance for annoying ads and scammers.
It is difficult to distinguish an unwanted call from a business call, we often answer an unfamiliar number (what if it is something important?), But in response, we often hear news that we have “won” a certificate for visiting a massage parlor or dental clinic. There are those who obsessively try to sell us services in communications, real estate, and finance. There are also ordinary scammers.
According to experts, the spam call market in Russia has grown significantly over the past few years. Thus, in just one year, spammers began to contact Russians 73% more often than before. The share of unwanted calls in the total number of incoming calls increased approximately during this time from 8% to 14%. And every seventh incoming call in Russia is an unauthorized advertisement.
According to a 2023 study by TelecomDaily, 94% of Russians regularly encounter unwanted calls and SMS messages.
Big Data algorithms now block spam in a few minutes.
It previously took at least three days to mark a phone number as spam. To do this, you had to submit a request to the calling operator's website and wait for staff to verify it.
But progress does not stand still. Now you can identify and block unwanted calls in just minutes, thanks to high technology.
A spokesman for the Russian telecommunications company MTS said that "big data" technologies work against spammers, by dealing with "big data" that allows huge amounts of information to be analyzed quickly and efficiently. Therefore, Big data algorithms process all requests from users within minutes.