As mobile phone users, all we want is enough battery life to last the day. Frustratingly, the older the device, the less power it seems to have. In fact, the amount of battery life our mobiles have on any given day depends on two key factors: how we use them on that particular day, and how we used them in the past.



Mobile phones use lithium-ion batteries for energy storage. In this type of battery, lithium metal and lithium ions move in and out of individual electrodes, causing them to physically expand and contract. Unfortunately, these processes are not completely reversible and the batteries lose their charge capacity and voltage as the number of charge and discharge cycles grows.



To make matters worse, the electrolyte (electrically conductive liquid) that connects the electrodes also degrades throughout these cycles. The ability of lithium-ion batteries to store charge depends on the extent of their degradation. This means there is a link between how we handle our devices today and the charge capacity available in the future. Through a few simple steps, users can minimize this degradation and extend their device’s life.



Here are some useful strategies for extending your phone’s battery capacity:



Typical lithium-ion batteries for mobile phones are supposed to retain 80% of their charge capacity after 300-500 charge/discharge cycles. However, batteries rarely produce this level of performance, with charge storage capacity sometimes reduced to 80% levels within only 100 cycles.



Fortunately, we can extend our future battery capacity by limiting how much we discharge our mobile phone batteries. With most battery degradation occurring during deep discharge/charge cycles, it is actually better to limit the battery discharge during any one cycle before charging it again.



As it happens, our devices do have battery-management systems, which reduce damage from overcharging and shut down automatically if the battery gets too low. Nonetheless, to maximize the battery capacity in the future we should avoid that 0% battery mark altogether, while also keeping those batteries at least partially charged if storing them for a prolonged period of time to avoid deep discharge.



Many of today’s mobile devices have a fast charge option that enables users to supercharge them in minutes rather than hours. This is convenient when we’re in a rush, but should be avoided otherwise. Why? Because charging a battery too quickly reduces its storage capacity. Physically, the shuttling of lithium metal and lithium ions between the electrodes in lithium-ion batteries is a slow process. Therefore, charging at lower rates allows more complete shuttling to occur, which enhances the battery’s charge capacity.



For example, charging a phone in five minutes compared with the standard two hours can reduce the battery capacity for that charge cycle by more than 20% .



The exact range in which lithium-ion batteries can be stored to maintain optimal long-term charge capacity is between 0℃ and 45℃.



Below 0℃, the amount of power available within the battery system is reduced because of a restriction in the movement of lithium metal and lithium ions within the electrodes and through the electrolyte.



Above 45℃, the amount of power available is actually enhanced compared with lower temperatures, so you can get a little more “juice” from your battery under hotter conditions. However, at these temperatures the degradation of the battery is also greatly accelerated, so over an extended period of time its ability to store charge will be reduced.



As a result, phones should be kept out of direct sunlight for prolonged periods, especially in summer when surface temperatures can increase to above 70℃ .



Use battery-saving modes



Aaron Carroll and Gernot Heiser from Data61 analyzed the power consumption of different smartphone components under a range of http://www.achcodetechs.com/2018/04/prevent-smartphone-battery-draining-quickly-android.html