Quickly dying batteries are perhaps the most frustrating aspect of cell phones. However, most people are unaware of how their own habits cause their battery life to diminish. When armed with a little knowledge and a touch of patience, you can greatly extend the life of your battery and prevent premature battery death.
Initial Cycling
Like a good pair of shoes, batteries need to be broken in before they'll operate at their best. When you first bring home your cell phone, your battery should be dead. If it isn't, wear it out by playing games on it or doing another activity that will keep it on for an extended period. Once it has died to the point that your phone will no longer power on, plug in the charger and fully charge the battery. Repeat the process two to three more times to condition the battery.
Ongoing Care
Resist the urge to constantly have your battery plugged into a charger. While it is impossible to overcharge a lithium battery with a cell phone charger, you can cause the battery to overheat, which will shorten its lifespan. At most, charge it every other night. Every month or so, run it through a full cycle again by fully charging it, letting it die and then fully charging it again. Think of it as a workout for your battery. If you don't exercise, your muscles will atrophy; batteries are somewhat similar.
Tips
Dirty connections also can shorten the lifespan of a battery because the battery must work harder to provide power. Clean these connections with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol, or you use a pencil eraser.
Don't let your cell phone sit out in high heat for long. Not only can this damage other components, but overheating your battery will significantly lower its lifespan.
If you have been out in the cold for an extended period of time, allow your battery to warm up to room temperature before charging. The temperature shock of going from cold to the heat of charging can seriously damage your battery.
Tags: your battery, cell phone, extended period, fully charging, shorten lifespan, your cell