Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Electronics of "today" still have to follow chemical laws.
I'm not going to explain it again, there are many threads on the matter, but basically a lithium based battery kept charged at 100% (whatever voltage that 100% is for the manufacturer) all the time wears quickest than the same battery that is unplugged AS SOON AS it reaches 100%.
That's chemical, not rocket science.
believe what you want.
A lot of people think I'm speaking about OVERCHARGING it. No, Im not. You basically can't overcharge a modern lithium battery.
I'm speaking about "the stress" of a constantly high (relatively high) voltage on a lithium battery.

two identical batteries, one kept at 100% and the other kept at 70%: which one lasts more ?
Do you know why batteries are stored at about 60% of the charge ?

That doesn't mean your battery going to die in a few months if you keep it constantly plugged in, but surely you are not doing the best for the battery doing that.
If this is true would it also follow true that if you are someone who leaves it plugged in overnight wouldnt it make sense to use the 5amp charger vs the 10/12amp one since less voltage?
 
If this is true would it also follow true that if you are someone who leaves it plugged in overnight wouldnt it make sense to use the 5amp charger vs the 10/12amp one since less voltage?

The voltage is the same on those supplies/chargers. All USB supplies are 5 Volts, only the available current(amps)are different. The voltage provided by the supply is converted by the charging circuit in the phone to an appropriate voltage for the battery in the phone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: metsjetsfan
Ahh right. Stupid me!! So the resistance is different

No. The resistance is irrelevant for this case. Think of an electrical circuit as a garden hose. Voltage is pressure on the hose, amperage is the amount of water flowing through the hose, and resistance is the kink in the hose.
 
Needs more explanation than making a sweeping statement. My understanding is that the power electronics is switching to trickle charging when are certain charge state is achieved(~90% range), so that's not high voltage. If it's not high or max charge voltage at 100% state, can you explain how this relates to the so called 'chemical laws' causing the undue 'wear'?

Oddly the answer is in the link you provided above:

Lithium-ion suffers from stress when exposed to heat, so does keeping a cell at a high charge voltage. A battery dwelling above 30°C (86°F) is considered elevated temperature and for most Li-ion, a voltage above 4.10V/cell is deemed as high voltage. Exposing the battery to high temperature and dwelling in a full state-of-charge for an extended time can be more stressful than cycling

and then

Besides selecting the best-suited voltage thresholds for a given application, a regular Li-ion should not remain at the high-voltage ceiling of 4.20V/cell for an extended time. When fully charged, remove the battery and allow to voltage to revert to a more natural level. This is like relaxing the muscles after strenuous exercise. Although a properly functioning Li-ion charger will terminate charge when the battery is full, some chargers apply a topping charge if the battery terminal voltage drops to a given level.

 
I have Sprint and so have real unlimited data. I stream music all day, 5 days a week for about 9 hours a day. The drive to work, at work and the drive home. Streaming all day. At work, I work behind concrete walls with no windows inside a huge warehouse type building.

Signal isn't the best but I get strong enough 3G to stream and screw off on facebook. That stuff uses a ton of power. I usually just keep my phone plugged in. Sometimes I don't and my phone will be at 50% or less by 1100. My day starts at 0500 and ends about 1800 (that's from leaving the house in the morning to getting home in the evening)

I also use Waze on my drive to work and drive home.
 
high temperature and dwelling in a full state-of-charge

a regular Li-ion should not remain at the high-voltage ceiling of 4.20V/cell for an extended time.
Now that we have know whats harmful to Li ion batteries in full state of charge, how do we establish that the iPhone power system causes the battery to stay at high temperature and more importantly provides a full voltage, or does it modulate the voltage & current to maintain that level of charge. In plain English, how do we know the power system is harming the battery?

Also how do we know the 100% indication shown by the phone is the 100% state of charge of the battery, the 100% state could be 95% charge state of the battery, there could be a buffer added to protect the battery. There might be many ways the battery is protected, which we don't know about. Until we know more, we cannot go about saying that keep the phone plugged at 100% phone indication is indeed harmful.
 
Now that we have know whats harmful to Li ion batteries in full state of charge, how do we establish that the iPhone power system causes the battery to stay at high temperature and more importantly provides a full voltage, or does it modulate the voltage & current to maintain that level of charge. In plain English, how do we know the power system is harming the battery?

Also how do we know the 100% indication shown by the phone is the 100% state of charge of the battery, the 100% state could be 95% charge state of the battery, there could be a buffer added to protect the battery. There might be many ways the battery is protected, which we don't know about. Until we know more, we cannot go about saying that keep the phone plugged at 100% phone indication is indeed harmful.
Apple don't want you iPhone lasts forever. And they want it compares favorably with competitors in battery life.
So it is safe to assume they are not overprotecting your battery...

Even if they are doing that, keep it at "95%" means an higher voltage than keep it at "60%", so it should be avoid for prolonged time ...
 
anecdotal evidence doesn't count against chemical ...
I bought my phone so I can baby the battery so when I sell it next year the new owner has the best possible battery. NO

And you know who else besides Apple doesn't want the phone to last for ever? ME that's who. I want a new phone with latest technology, speeds and features next year.

I bought the phone to use it, not worry over the battery life. Because my anecdotal experience tells me I have never had an issue with battery since my 3GS.

Not saying your are theoretically wrong, I have read the battery tech specs and you are absolutely right, never go low, never go high, keep battery at between 50 and 60% charging 10% increments and you will make battery last almost 10 times as long.

I and most other iPhone users don't want to live that way. So we charge however we want, secure in knowing Apple design keeps us from rapidly destroying battery. And living with the one, two, and three year battery life we will get.
 
I bought my phone so I can baby the battery so when I sell it next year the new owner has the best possible battery. NO

And you know who else besides Apple doesn't want the phone to last for ever? ME that's who. I want a new phone with latest technology, speeds and features next year.

I bought the phone to use it, not worry over the battery life. Because my anecdotal experience tells me I have never had an issue with battery since my 3GS.

Not saying your are theoretically wrong, I have read the battery tech specs and you are absolutely right, never go low, never go high, keep battery at between 50 and 60% charging 10% increments and you will make battery last almost 10 times as long.

I and most other iPhone users don't want to live that way. So we charge however we want, secure in knowing Apple design keeps us from rapidly destroying battery. And living with the one, two, and three year battery life we will get.
I'm fine with that.
I'm not always take care of the battery. But if I can, and conditions permit, I unplug my iPhone / iPad / Macs as soon as they reach 100%.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HEK
But if I can, and conditions permit, I unplug my iPhone / iPad / Macs as soon as they reach 100%.
I can totally understand that you do what you think is good practice. But without really showing that keep the device plugged in at 100% is going to harm the battery, there is no evidence that it harms the battery with the power management in the devices.

My work laptop has a 230W power adapter, it will perform at its fullest only when this power supply is connected. I thus have to leave it connected. What I think hurts the most for the battery on this laptop is the heat that this laptop generates when it's in use.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HEK
I can totally understand that you do what you think is good practice. But without really showing that keep the device plugged in at 100% is going to harm the battery, there is no evidence that it harms the battery with the power management in the devices.

My work laptop has a 230W power adapter, it will perform at its fullest only when this power supply is connected. I thus have to leave it connected. What I think hurts the most for the battery on this laptop is the heat that this laptop generates when it's in use.
And do you need further evidence ?
At 100% the voltage is HIGH, and at high voltage the battery wears quicker than at a lower voltage.
As I said several times, it's just chemical 101, not rocket science.
Manufacturer DON'T store lithium batteries at 100%. Never.
 
I can totally understand that you do what you think is good practice. But without really showing that keep the device plugged in at 100% is going to harm the battery, there is no evidence that it harms the battery with the power management in the devices.

My work laptop has a 230W power adapter, it will perform at its fullest only when this power supply is connected. I thus have to leave it connected. What I think hurts the most for the battery on this laptop is the heat that this laptop generates when it's in use.

Just plug you phone in when you go to bed and you are ready to go in the morning. Forget the "chemical crap" and enjoy the technology the Apple has put into our devices. Max-it is on a mission that few believe in.
 
Just plug you phone in when you go to bed and you are ready to go in the morning. Forget the "chemical crap" and enjoy the technology the Apple has put into our devices. Max-it is on a mission that few believe in.
Thanks, I wouldn't have guessed that Max-it was on a mission or a crusade. It's his right to do as he pleases.
 
I agree we all have a right to say pretty much as we wish in these forums, well at least for now.

Just do not want to see the charging on the iPhone turn complicated.


It doesn't have to be. A LOT has changed since Max(IT's) Battery University evidence was first put out there. It hasn't been updated, but battery chemistry has changed a lot. And in any case, battery university has its own agenda, namely creating a market for their costly battery maintenance systems.

Most people are just fine doing what they do. There's really not a lot that can hurt these batteries anymore, save for extreme heat and very prolonged lack of use.

That said, following his recommendations probably won't hurt things either. It's just not going to help very much, and the effort, worry and aggravation in religiously following what he says is probably not worth the actual results you'll get, if any.
 
Last edited:
Some would consider you to be OCD worrying about who is called OCD.

All people are different and have different needs and things that worry them.

Those people would be wrong too. OCD is an actual mental health issue that people struggle with, but it's become trendy to use it as a cute way to describe any time that anyone is even a little over conscientious about something.

It's doubtful that the topic starter actually suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder just because he's overly worried about keeping his phone charged. It's not about all people having different worries. That's normal and healthy. OCD is an entirely different level, but people who don't actually suffer from it make light of it and pretend that they do. It's like the difference between feeling sad about something or being clinically depressed. Or being nervous as opposed to having an anxiety disorder.
 
I just don't worry about it anymore. I have found that in most normal situations it will last me all day. When I'm using it a lot like at work I'll casually charge it.

I got tired of living around my phones battery life jumping from charger to charger. And the great thing about an iPhone is they are so popular you can generally find a place to charge it anyway if it were an emergency situation. I've had bartenders charging my phone behind the bar at certain places while I eat lunch.
 
Those people would be wrong too. OCD is an actual mental health issue that people struggle with, but it's become trendy to use it as a cute way to describe any time that anyone is even a little over conscientious about something.

It's doubtful that the topic starter actually suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder just because he's overly worried about keeping his phone charged. It's not about all people having different worries. That's normal and healthy. OCD is an entirely different level, but people who don't actually suffer from it make light of it and pretend that they do. It's like the difference between feeling sad about something or being clinically depressed. Or being nervous as opposed to having an anxiety disorder.

Really did not need a lesson on OCD. Seems like some here are OCD about correcting others. I believe the OP used the term while describing themselves. I am not a believer in this perfect little PC world.
 
Not sure if this is a common problem, but my OCD often kicks in when it comes to my iPhone battery. If it drops below 50%, I get very worried and search for an outlet. I feel like I have to keep the battery in the 70-100% mark constantly.
My question is does anyone else do the same and is it really bad for the battery life to rarely let the phone drop below 50%?

I'm regularly getting over 24 hours on my device. So at 50% I can pretty well predict that under normal use I'll have about 12 hours left. So If I'm at work or at home it doesn't bother me.

That said, when there is bad weather coming through, I watch my battery and I plug in everything immediately and keep everything plugged in. That's about the only time that I become OCD about battery life.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Newtons Apple
I have the 6S Plus and I charge once a day in the morning when I'm getting ready for work. During the week I very rarely get to less than 60% so it charges super fast. If I need even a faster charge I'll put it in airplane mode.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.