No component of any device takes well the passage of time and use than the battery with much more reason, since it suffers a lot of wear, especially in a mobile or laptop.
This does not mean that you cannot extend the life of said component to the maximum.
To give you a simile, we have all seen cars with the same kilometers traveled, but with a great difference in appearance and road performance. That’s because one has taken better care of itself than the other.
Well, the same happens with the laptop or mobile battery. If it is more or less taken care of, it will take the passage of the years much better than that no one has worried about its longevity.
Today, we will give you tips to ensure your laptop or phone battery lasts as long as possible.
Avoid extreme temperatures
There is nothing worse for a battery than having to endure temperatures well above normal. Obviously, in summer, it will have to endure the heat, but it will not be very normal that you have the mobile or laptop in full sun, as it would not be logical that in winter you left it out in the open.
The best you can do so that the battery lasts longer to the maximum is to rid it of these extreme temperatures and try to have the device in a more or less cool area in summer or with some heat in winter.
Way of loading
A few years ago, batteries had the memory effect, so it was good to charge them up to 100% and recharge them when the percentage was close to 0%.
Currently, that is counterproductive since several studies suggest that it is best to keep the batteries between 20 and 80%, although others narrow the margin even more by placing it between 40 and 80%.
When you pass the charge of 80-90%, what you cause is a degradation of the ion cells, and, therefore, you are slightly forcing this component.
The same happens when you go below 20%. In that case, you subject the battery to similar stress to the previous one, but in the opposite direction, so it is not convenient either.
The best thing would be to keep the battery between those two percentages of 80 and 20%.
For this reason, many laptop brands such as Huawei, Acer, or HP, already integrate options to protect the battery, not letting it charge to the top and notifying the user before reaching 20% ​​to charge the device.
On smartphones, those who have an iPhone should know that they already have this operational option from iOS 13.
In the case of Android, many brands have integrated it into their customization layers. If, in your case, you don’t have something like that, you can always download an application like Battery Charge Limit, although you need to have the phone rooted for it to work.
Calibrate the battery
Although the sensors on which the battery indicators are based on smartphones and laptops are very reliable, something can always happen that causes them to make the calibration no longer correct.
To get a battery recalibrated, it depends on the device, if it is a smartphone or a laptop. Within smartphones, iPhones are calibrated differently from those with Android as their operating system.
If you have an Apple terminal, they make it very clear what is the way of calibration on their website:
- The first thing is to charge the phone to 100%.
- Discharge the battery completely until it shuts down by itself.
- Then let it rest for 6 to 8 hours.
- The last thing is to put it to charge for about 8 hours without it being turned on.
If your smartphone is Android, you can also calibrate it, similar to what we have done with Apple phones.
The steps are as follows:
- The first thing is to charge the battery to 100%.
- Then let it go off on its own.
- Leave it off for about 4 more hours.
- Off, put it to charge and when it is 100%, leave it plugged into the mains for another 40-45 minutes.
You can calibrate the laptop battery using specific software for this, such as BatteryMon or BatteryCare.
In addition, brands such as MSI or HP have this ability within the software they install on some of their computers.
Avoid overheating
When a battery heats up more than normal, it is an unequivocal sign that you are forcing it to function, reducing its performance and useful life.
It is advisable that, if you notice that this overheating occurs, you take breaks to try to lower the temperature.
If you have a laptop and notice this excessive heating, you can always purchase a cooling base such as the TopMate C11 or the KLIM Wind. With this, you will get extra ventilation that will lower the temperature by many degrees.
You can also control your laptop’s internal temperature with tools like CoreTemp or Real Temp, both free to install on Windows.
Overheating can also be a result of leaving the phone or laptop in the sun. This is extremely counterproductive, so you must avoid it at all costs.
You must also make sure that when charging your device, you do not place it where it can generate heat. This can be really bad since you combine the heat with the fact of being loaded with what can be produced in full sun.
Always use original chargers
It may seem silly, but it is true that the original chargers take the best care of the battery of both a smartphone and a laptop.
There may be external brands with high-quality chargers, and they are often as good as the originals. The truth is that you should always have the original at hand since it is the one meant for the device.
If the charger ever breaks down, you can choose a third-party one, but always from well-known brands and of proven quality. It can be fatal to use a charger that is not the right size, no matter how cheap it is.
Upgrades
Your smartphone computer should always have the latest updates sent to you since this can help take care of the battery.
If the software is more respectful with the consumption and improves the autonomy, that will improve the useful life of the battery, and you will reduce breakdowns considerably.
Any update can make a big difference in this regard.
