Charging Cycle Confusion

[sprocket2107]

I'm a bit confused about the charge cycles. When I have it fully charged and let it go till it shut offs then charge it up again fully that is one cycle. What if I have it at 100% and let it go to about 20-30% then charge it to 100. Does that also equal one cycle? I'm just concerned about running out of charge cycles and having terrible battery life or having to pay 80 bucks for a new battery because it crapped out.

 

[IamHahn]

I've always understoodcharging the phone a majority (anything more than 50%) to be a cycle. The best thing you can do is let it always charge to 100% and die completely before plugging it in. Doing so is the best way to ensure you get the absolute most out of your battery, both per charge and as a whole.

 

[IndoX]

I've always understoodcharging the phone a majority (anything more than 50%) to be a cycle. The best thing you can do is let it always charge to 100% and die completely before plugging it in. Doing so is the best way to ensure you get the absolute most out of your battery, both per charge and as a whole.

This is not required for most batteries today, including the one in the iPhone. Just use the phone normally, and charge it every night.

 

[ame]

I season mine, and I get several days from a charge typically. I noticed a definite difference when I charge it daily in how much the battery gets drained in a day.

 

[anon(5335877)]

According to Apple, "A charge cycle means using all of the battery?s power, but that doesn?t necessarily mean a single charge." So if you used 50% and charged it to full, then the next day you did the same, that would count as one cycle, not two.

Apple - Batteries

This is not required for most batteries today, including the one in the iPhone. Just use the phone normally, and charge it every night.

With lithium ion batteries you can use it normally and charge whenever you want; however, Apple suggests that you "go through at least one charge cycle per month (charging the battery to 100% and then completely running it down)."

Apple - Batteries - iPhone

 

[sprocket2107]

Ame, how you you go about charging your phone? How low do you let it get before you plug it in?

 

[IamHahn]

Ame, how you you go about charging your phone? How low do you let it get before you plug it in?

Also curious about usage you use Ame. My wife typically uses her phone for calls/texts and FaceBook almost exclusively and can get two to three days out of it.

 

[ame]

Ame, how you you go about charging your phone? How low do you let it get before you plug it in?

Also curious about usage you use Ame. My wife typically uses her phone for calls/texts and FaceBook almost exclusively and can get two to three days out of it.

Unless I am travelling I usually try to either kill it completely dead (meaning use it til it shuts itself down from lack of power) or get to at least 10%. If I am out of town I charge it nightly as safety. But at home I usually get a minimum of two days of a charge.

My typical usage in a day is probably a max of 10 minutes of web use, maybe 10 minutes words with friends if that, texting for a max of an hour total through a day, it receives emails all day on exchange push and unless I am out and about I reply by computer anyway, and MAYBE a couple short calls (5 min usually each). Only during wedding season am I really on the phone a lot and even then the majority of my calling is my mom or mother in law. My friends and I don't do phone calls unless necessary for planning. Random pics, sending of random pics via email or text. I have probably never used Wifi, I have never turned SIRI on, I back up to my computer not to the cloud with the exception of contacts, and reminders I think, I turn airplane mode on at night unless I am travelling alone or with a group of women just as security, no blue tooth.

I don't use gps or anything like location based more than once a month even. I just don't use it. MOST days I go from 530am til 930 pm without going below 75% battery. IF it's a particularly "Drama" day, I will text more maybe and then maybe into 65%.

 

[sprocket2107]

So you only charge it if its below 10% or completely dead?

 

[ame]

Yep! Usually! It occasionally gets a random 2% from a sync if I sync mid-battery cycle, but I try to save syncs for when the phone is really low charge and then just leave it connected til it's done which is usually overnight, much like my normal charging, overnight while I sleep, and the airplane mode is on, I don't want calls or texts or emails dinging all night. Like I said, unless I am travelling, I don't charge nightly. I don't leave it charging if it doesn't need it. I have my USB cable thing connected to what I believe is an iPad charger. I went to the Apple store looking for a longer one and found that and the genius that I usually work with for business stuff and my computers said that if Im going to spend the same amount, I might as well get a more powerful charger. I had my iPhone 4 for over 6 months with zero issues in overcharging.

My husband's phone is usually connected to his computer, which I don't get, but I am trying to take over the charging.

 

[pilsbury]

This is not required for most batteries today, including the one in the iPhone. Just use the phone normally, and charge it every night.

This is true.

 

[Rockdog97]

...My typical usage in a day is probably a max of 10 minutes of web use, maybe 10 minutes words with friends if that, texting for a max of an hour total through a day, it receives emails all day on exchange push and unless I am out and about I reply by computer anyway, and MAYBE a couple short calls (5 min usually each). Only during wedding season am I really on the phone a lot and even then the majority of my calling is my mom or mother in law. My friends and I don't do phone calls unless necessary for planning. Random pics, sending of random pics via email or text. I have probably never used Wifi, I have never turned SIRI on, I back up to my computer not to the cloud with the exception of contacts, and reminders I think, I turn airplane mode on at night unless I am travelling alone or with a group of women just as security, no blue tooth.

I don't use gps or anything like location based more than once a month even. I just don't use it. MOST days I go from 530am til 930 pm without going below 75% battery. IF it's a particularly "Drama" day, I will text more maybe and then maybe into 65%.

Geez, why get a smartphone then? lol...

 

[ghostface147]

Ok, so here's my question. I charge overnight every night to 100% and let it drain until it dies almost each day. Some people say that's bad. However I don't feel comfortable draining it to 60% and then charging it to 82% (random numbers of course) then having it drain down and then charge again......all in one day.

So....which is worse?

 

[ckalli]

I come from a time when batteries weren't as smart as they are today. There were all sorts of secret tricks and rules you'd have to know, or you'd kill your battery. You couldn't recharge a battery until it had fully discharged; otherwise, you'd limit the battery's capacity. Later years brought batteries that had to be "trained." Fully discharging and recharging multiple times.

Today's modern iPhone batteries are different. There's none of that to worry about. Charge your iPhone whenever you want. In the car? Charge it. Sitting at your desk for 10 minutes? Charge it. In fact, the only real trick to remember is to make sure the battery doesn't get too low. A study by Cadex found that many Li-ion batteries fail due to being over-discharged.

Your smartphone battery - like your smartphone itself - performs best when it's charged. There's no need to keep it at 100% all day, every day. But there's no reason to let your battery level fall into the red, either. Giving your iPhone a few minutes of power will do more good than harm, so go ahead.

 

[ghostface147]

I come from a time when batteries weren't as smart as they are today...yap yap yap...blah blah blah.....smartphone itself - performs best when it's charged. There's no need to keep it at 100% all day, every day. But there's no reason to let your battery level fall into the red, either. Giving your iPhone a few minutes of power will do more good than harm, so go ahead.

I know you mean nickel based batteries since they had terrible charge memory. Are you able to provide documentation stating your case? Surely there are some studies somewhere.

 

[ckalli]

yup there is:

Charging Lithium-Ion Batteries

 

[ame]

Geez, why get a smartphone then? lol...

To have the ability to watch movies on a plane, listen to music on a plane, visit websites when Im travelling or away from a computer or at the doctors office, to be able to send files to vendors on the fly, change things on the fly, take pictures on the fly that I can edit if need be.