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iPhone X iPhone X on Charging Pad Daily

D

DOlsson

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 3, 2007
90
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What are your thoughts on this...

I get to work and put the phone immediately on the charging pad (it's an angled one and sits upright, really great).

Then, when I get home and before bed, I place it back on another charging pad by my bed.

Is this potentially a bad habit (in terms of battery wear)? Should I at the very least NOT be charging it all day on the pad I have at the office?
 
I'm not sure why you would charge the X so much seeing as it has superb battery life. I put mine on a Belkin Boost Up charger at night and the charge lasts me all of the next day with pretty heavy use. Personally I don't like to keep topping my phone up on the charger when its not needed.
 
Sir Ruben said:
I'm not sure why you would charge the X so much seeing as it has superb battery life. I put mine on a Belkin Boost Up charger at night and the charge lasts me all of the next day with pretty heavy use. Personally I don't like to keep topping my phone up on the charger when its not needed.
Click to expand...

It's convenience. The stand sits upright, so I can glance at it and check messages, and it charges.

Simple as that.
 
I had the same reservations when I purchased my X and wireless charging pads for the home and office. Since then I've done a lot of reading on battery maintenance and there's no problem with keeping it on a constant charge. It's actually better for your battery to keep it topped up but letting it run down isn't going to actually effect it enough for you to notice a difference in the time you'll be using it (well the average person at 1 - 3 years, that is).

The only way your battery could actually be damaged is through a deep discharge (which the OS prevents by shutting down at a certain percentage of power remaining) or if there's an issue with the charger and your battery heats up to an unsafe level.
 
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Knowlege Bomb said:
I had the same reservations when I purchased my X and wireless charging pads for the home and office. Since then I've done a lot of reading on battery maintenance and there's no problem with keeping it on a constant charge. It's actually better for your battery to keep it topped up but letting it run down isn't going to actually effect it enough for you to notice a difference in the time you'll be using it (well the average person at 1 - 3 years, that is).

The only way your battery could actually be damaged is through a deep discharge (which the OS prevents by shutting down at a certain percentage of power remaining) or if there's an issue with the charger and your battery heats up to an unsafe level.
Click to expand...

Excellent information, thank you!

On my previous phones this was never even a concern. It was more of a pain to plug in at my desk, so I just never really did unless it was absolutely necessary. Now, with the convenience of pad chargers, especially the stand up ones (which work great with the FaceID), I started to wonder if it was a blessing or a curse for the battery.

And it's a good point on the 1-3 years that I plan to own this phone (leaning towards 2 this time around). By the time it makes a difference (if it even does), it won't be of a concern to me anymore.
 
j800r said:
I would’ve imagined the constant trickle charge would wear the battery faster but I’m no expert. I just charge every night at most.
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It's not charging the battery all the time, even if you have it on a pad or plugged in. The charging circuit will simply stop sending energy to the battery when it's charged, and then start again when the battery has lost charge and needs it again.
 
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orev said:
It's not charging the battery all the time, even if you have it on a pad or plugged in. The charging circuit will simply stop sending energy to the battery when it's charged, and then start again when the battery has lost charge and needs it again.
Click to expand...

Exactly. It doesn't start charging again until a certain amount of charge has been lost. Usually this takes long enough to where it won't start recharging before you take it off. If you've ever woken up to a phone at 99%, this is why.
 
Knowlege Bomb said:
Exactly. It doesn't start charging again until a certain amount of charge has been lost. Usually this takes long enough to where it won't start recharging before you take it off. If you've ever woken up to a phone at 99%, this is why.
Click to expand...

Interesting, I have seen that before.
 
I have stopped charging my phone at home on weekdays for the most part. I leave to go to the office with about 75% battery life, get to my office, plop my 8+ on the Mophie pad, use it occasionally, and leave the office at 100% power. No need to charge overnight anymore. I do use a regular charger over the weekends.
 
orev said:
It's not charging the battery all the time, even if you have it on a pad or plugged in. The charging circuit will simply stop sending energy to the battery when it's charged, and then start again when the battery has lost charge and needs it again.
Click to expand...

That’s what a trickle charge is. Discharge a little, charge a little.
 
I hope not too as I have wireless chargers on every corner and use them. I also have a car dock that charges wireless (fast charge too, pretty cool). I pretty much put it on my nightstand mat at bedtime, then the car dock gives it another boost after the gym on my way to work. I don't really use the one in my office unless low, same for the kitchen mat.

Battery life is outstanding with the X. First time I ever experienced and agreed with a "improved battery life" claim.
 
j800r said:
That’s what a trickle charge is. Discharge a little, charge a little.
Click to expand...
No, it isn't. A trickle charge is a very slow charging process over a long period of time, like a whole day. This terminology is mostly meaningless for lithium ion batteries since that's not how they typically charge. Trickle charge was used much more for nickel cadmium and nickel metal hydride batteries which are mainly use in AA and AAA batteries, and is actually still a better method to charge those kind of batteries.

Also, my comment is in regard to the misconception that leaving your phone plugged in means it is always trying to charge the battery, even when it's full. Some people even think they need to keep watching their phones and unplug them when it reaches 100%. This also used to be a thing with older batteries and dumb chargers, but modern charging systems are smart enough that that doesn't happen either.
 
this is bad IMO. My dad, aunt, and coworker each messed up their iphone 5s/6/6+ battery. they couldnt hold a charge after about a year of constantly having it in a charger at home and work
 
its Dale said:
this is bad IMO. My dad, aunt, and coworker each messed up their iphone 5s/6/6+ battery. they couldnt hold a charge after about a year of constantly having it in a charger at home and work
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It could be related to a few things:
  • Heat makes batteries degrade more quickly. It could have been warm due to this or other environmental factors
  • Lithium batteries don't like being at 100% all the time, so that could degrade it
  • It could be that the calibration was off, and the battery was actually fine. The best thing to do there is to let the battery drain until the phone shuts itself off, then charge it uninterrupted to full. Do that a few times. That will recalibrate the battery life meter.
 
its Dale said:
this is bad IMO. My dad, aunt, and coworker each messed up their iphone 5s/6/6+ battery. they couldnt hold a charge after about a year of constantly having it in a charger at home and work
Click to expand...
As long as that’s your opinion, that’s fine. It’s a well documented FACT, however, that it’s not bad.
 
its Dale said:
this is bad IMO. My dad, aunt, and coworker each messed up their iphone 5s/6/6+ battery. they couldnt hold a charge after about a year of constantly having it in a charger at home and work
Click to expand...
It’s not being on the charger for extended periods of time that damages the battery, it’s the fact that the battery isn’t ever being used... a one year old battery at full charge without moving the electrons around.... The battery is designed to be used.

I guess same difference as what you’re saying, but the root cause is not exactly the same.
 
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Lithium Ion battery is at its best when trickle charged. Dropping the charge down to under 15-20% will cause it to deteriorate a bit quicker. Every once in a while, it is advised to let the phone die all the way, then charge it to 100% simply to calibrate the sensor (there are no memory issues with Lion). Heat is the ultimate destroyer of battery capacity.

Hope this helps.
 
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