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MattXDA

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 18, 2014
478
470
UK
Is it bad that I've gone through 15 charge cycles already in a week... Should I use it less? ;) How many have you used so far?
 

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You should plug it in as much as possible. Keeping the battery topped off reduces charge cycles and extends the overall life of the battery. Lithium ion batteries do not have a memory like the old nicad batteries. Charging as often as possible is the best way to keep your battery healthy.
 
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You should plug it in as much as possible. Keeping the battery topped off reduces charge cycles and extends the overall life of the battery. Lithium ion batteries do not have a memory like the old nicad batteries. Charging as often as possible is the best way to keep your battery healthy.

is there a sourced validated documentation on this?
 
is there a sourced validated documentation on this?

It's been known for a long time. It's the same reason that it is recommended you plug in your laptop if you can.

Just run the battery down at least once a month and you'll be fine. It's way better to plug in and use a charge cycle every 3 days than to use 1.5 cycles every day.
 
What app are you using to find out that info?

iBackupBot.

I just use the phone as normal but try not to let it go below 20% too often as I read it may cause more degradation. It might just be a myth but it doesn't harm to not let it happen :)
 
It's been known for a long time. It's the same reason that it is recommended you plug in your laptop if you can.

Just run the battery down at least once a month and you'll be fine. It's way better to plug in and use a charge cycle every 3 days than to use 1.5 cycles every day.

Because I always let the phone battery die to 1% and then charge to 100. Am i doing it wrong?
 
Because I always let the phone battery die to 1% and then charge to 100. Am i doing it wrong?

There are differing camps on this and I really don't know who to believe about this stuff, but some people in this thread are right when they say that leaving it plugged in more often does reduce the cycle amounts. Reducing the cycle amounts is useful because batteries are known to decline after a certain number of cycles. But that's a whole other discussion as well.
 
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Because I always let the phone battery die to 1% and then charge to 100. Am i doing it wrong?


If you do need to use the battery extensively every day, it is better to charge it around 20% if you can.

Batteries do not like being run down to the bone.

Consistently running the battery till it dies and powers off the device is the worst thing you can do to modern day batteries.
 
if you do need to use the battery extensively every day, it is better to charge it around 20% if you can.

Batteries do not like being run down to the bone.

Consistently running the battery till it dies and powers off the device is the worst thing you can do to modern day batteries.

yikes!
 
Charge Cycles (iPhone 6 Plus)



Fortunately, they're also cheap. So a crapped out battery shouldn't cause you to lose any sleep. An $80 battery replacement every year at the Genius Bar isn't much, and if you can do it yourself you can get it done for under $30.
 
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You can read about all kinds of stuff here:

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_charge_when_to_charge_table

When draining the battery all the way down and recharging it you are not recalibrating anything on the battery itself. It may help a little for the battery percentage in the software to be slightly more accurate but again the battery has no memory whatsoever. It is not possible to "recalibrate" the battery itself. The more you drain it low the more charge cycles you will incur and the less life you will get out of it.

This applies to all lithium ion powered devices. I always top off my batteries when possible, like driving in the car, and I see excellent life compared to many others because of this habit.
 
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I'm sorry but you should NEVER leave a device plugged in if not necessary. Have you ever had a laptop that you left on a desk so you just left it plugged in? A few months later you pulled it off and the battery goes from 100% capacity to dead in about 15minutes? Im not sure if that was trolling, but just to be clear, DO NOT LEAVE ANY DEVICE PLUGGED IN!! This will degrade lithium cells far faster than running two charge cycles a day. By the way, depending on your app it may count charge cycles as xx%-100% meaning you may plug it in at 99% and charge to full and that may count as a cycle, which is not a charge cycle. 0% to 100% is a single cycle.
 
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I'm sorry but you should NEVER leave a device plugged in if not necessary. Have you ever had a laptop that you left on a desk so you just left it plugged in? A few months later you pulled it off and the battery goes from 100% capacity to dead in about 15minutes? Im not sure if that was trolling, but just to be clear, DO NOT LEAVE ANY DEVICE PLUGGED IN!! This will degrade lithium cells far faster than running two charge cycles a day. By the way, depending on your app it may count charge cycles as xx%-100% meaning you may plug it in at 99% and charge to full and that may count as a cycle, which is not a charge cycle. 0% to 100% is a single cycle.

You are describing having it plugged in for months on end which is bad, correct.

However, the other users here are not suggesting that. They are saying to keep it plugged in often, but to discharge it at least several times a month which is needed for lithium ion batteries.

Also, a charge cycle for iOS devices is being charged 100%. However, you don't need to charge from 0-100% for a charge cycle. You can charge from 80%-100% 5 times and it will count as a charge cycle. 20% charge 5 times is 100%, which is how it is calculated.
 
I have always charged and then fully drained my iPhone batteries daily, for years. I use them heavily and they end up with a LOT of charge cycles, but the battery health and mAh compared to new has always been really good. Topping off a battery and needlessly charging it sounds bad to me. Like already said, if and when it deteriorates just replace it.
 
I charge my battery when I go to bed or sooner if the battery dies before then. I've also turned the percentage indicator off and just enjoy my phone. It typically makes it through a full day with no problem, and the days that it doesn't aren't usually a big deal.
 
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Dude just charge it, use it until it needs another charge and charge it again. No need to be thinking about it so much. It's made to be used!
 
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I'm sorry but you should NEVER leave a device plugged in if not necessary. Have you ever had a laptop that you left on a desk so you just left it plugged in? A few months later you pulled it off and the battery goes from 100% capacity to dead in about 15minutes? Im not sure if that was trolling, but just to be clear, DO NOT LEAVE ANY DEVICE PLUGGED IN!! This will degrade lithium cells far faster than running two charge cycles a day. By the way, depending on your app it may count charge cycles as xx%-100% meaning you may plug it in at 99% and charge to full and that may count as a cycle, which is not a charge cycle. 0% to 100% is a single cycle.

Why would you post something like this ? " A few months plugged in". Who does that and no one here is talking about a few months anyway.


DO NOT keep it at fully charged. That's awful for your battery. Charging often is best, try to charge up to 80% then use it down to around 45% and charge again. Doing one discharge a month is correct though (let drain completely, then charge fully)

Those above better next time post a link to prove their so called theory. I don't believe anyone without links from sites that know what they are saying. And never from a newbe
 
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iBackupBot.

I just use the phone as normal but try not to let it go below 20% too often as I read it may cause more degradation. It might just be a myth but it doesn't harm to not let it happen :)

It is possible you had cycles on it when new.

Just charge it while you sleep and do not let it ruin the fun of having an iPhone! In a couple of years, if you want, get a new battery installed.
 
Why would you post something like this ? " A few months plugged in". Who does that and no one here is talking about a few months anyway.




Those above better next time post a link to prove their so called theory. I don't believe anyone without links from sites that know what they are saying. And never from a newbe

If any topic comes close to being a religion, it's what's best for my battery. Everyone, has their absolute truth about what is good and bad for a battery. Most always based on what they heard or read somewhere, the revelation passed on down to them.

Backed up by their own personal revelation their usage has been phenomenal. And it's their mission to spread the gospel of truth, regarding batteries, to everyone that will listen. And since there is a land filled with people looking for something to worry over, about their precious. A whole new set of believers, will arise to spread the word, saviors one and all, to preserve and protect "the battery".

Mean while Apple engineers made it brain dead simple. Use the phone, charge it up, any time, any way you please. You can't do it wrong, because the charging circuit has the smarts hard wired into it. Use any Apple approved power adapter with Apple cable and nothing the user does can defeat the engineering. Plug the power adapter into any voltage world wide, 120VAC 60Hz or 220VAC 50Hz. Out comes 5VDC with the phone automatically adjusting the current it draws.

And if you happen to be one of the few unlucky people to receive a bad battery, which will happen with millions sold. Apple will replace it or the entire phone for free. Easy Peasy.
 
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Whatever happened to just using the phone in ignorance and then getting an upgrade after 2 years?

Modern batteries shouldn't be turning to crap until after the year and a half mark and even when it starts losing charge its a gradual and slow process. If you have a history of phones not lasting the average amount of time, consider your usage or consider what you call average.

And with the whole battery pack and battery case deal you should be able to rest easy and enjoy your phone.
 
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Those above better next time post a link to prove their so called theory. I don't believe anyone without links from sites that know what they are saying. And never from a newbe
There must be something to the 80% SOC idea, as Tesla defaults to that (actually recommends you don't charge over 80%). They use similar battery types (clearly different voltages though). Toyota uses 80% for the Prius, but that is NiMH which isn't the same.
 
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There must be something to the 80% SOC idea, as Tesla defaults to that (actually recommends you don't charge over 80%). They use similar battery types (clearly different voltages though). Toyota uses 80% for the Prius, but that is NiMH which isn't the same.
tesla I think is a 5-7 year investment maybe 3-4 for the battery. iphones is two yr and one yr for many on these boards hence it probably doesnt matter. yes u will get 1-2% maybe more but highly doubt you will notice it
 
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Because I always let the phone battery die to 1% and then charge to 100. Am i doing it wrong?
Yes, running batteries down to nearly empty is not good for them. That was the case years ago when batteries had a memory effect, however that is not the case anymore.
 
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