Battery Life

When you are in the process of buying accessories for your cellular phone, one of the most important items that you will ever invest in is the cellular phone battery.  In considering cellular phone batteries, you will want to pay close attention to the battery life of any product that you are considering.  When it comes to your cellular phone, battery life is of paramount concern.

The Problems with Cellular Phone Batteries

Other than dropped calls, batteries are one of the main inconveniences of cellular phone ownership. However, some batteries are better than others when it comes to the life of a charge or even the life of the batteries overall. Here are a few battery types and care techniques to consider:

Nickel Cadmium Batteries

Nickel cadmium batteries are the oldest cellular phone batteries, and although they perform well, they should be charged only after being fully discharged. If you don’t allow your batteries to run down, you’re only recharging a certain percentage of the battery; the rest of the battery that is not periodically recharged forgets that it can be recharged. This is called the “memory effect.”

Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries

Nickel-metal hydride batteries last longer per recharge than the nickel cadmiums, but still suffer from “memory effect” even though to a lesser degree. If you have a nickel-metal hydride battery on your cellular phone, let it fully discharge at least every four charges and don’t leave on the charger any longer than it takes to fill up the charge.

Lithium Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries are the latest power supplies for cellular phones, and offer better performance overall. Although they can also be damaged by overcharging, they don’t suffer from the “memory effect.” Before charging your cellular phone for the first time, always read instructions for conditioning your battery and keeping it in top shape.

Your Cellular Phone and Battery Care

Battery care in general is another important duty of any cellular phone owner. After you have conditioned the battery, make sure it’s always in working condition first of all by using it and recharging. Protect the battery from extremes in temperature and always keep contacts clean (keeping in mind never to open them).

As much as possible, don’t drop the battery or harm the casing, and never allow it to be exposed to large amounts of moisture. Use it only in ways it was designed for, and when it finally does wear out, dispose of it properly-there should be instructions for this with the battery.

Extending the Life of Your Cellular Phone Battery

Some ideas for extending the life of a charge: turn off all accessories and options you don’t need; if you have power-savers, make sure they are enabled; and, if you can, darken your display just a little. You might be able to squeeze the few more minutes you’ll need.