But can this time-saving charging have a negative impact on battery life?
Gradual charging process to protect battery
Fast charging is basically harmless to your smartphone battery.
Fast chargers cannot “overload” the battery, as the smartphone will only demand as much power as it can handle.
This means you can safely use a USB charger that pumps more watts to the smartphone's maximum charge level
Smartphone batteries can only use fast charging for a limited time, as reported by howtogeek.
This is because lithium-ion batteries charge in three phases, namely:
1. Slow charging phase
2. Constant current charging with increasing voltage over time.
3. Charging with final constant voltage where the current will be reduced slowly. The goal is to prevent overcharging and damage to battery cells. .
Fast charging only works during the second phase, i.e. under constant current conditions.
That is why many smartphone manufacturers advertise fast charging periods, for example, "charge to 50% in 30 minutes".
After the final constant voltage phase has started, charging is resumed at the standard level.
Fast Charging Can Generate More Heat
The faster the power is stored in the lithium-ion cell, the more heat is generated.
This means fast charging will generate more heat than standard "slow" charging.
This can be a problem, as excessive heat will degrade the lithium-ion battery.
Fast charging can shorten battery life compared to using standard chargers.
Most of the research looking at heat from fast-charging lithium-ion cells is now focused on electric vehicle batteries.
They are much larger in size than the batteries found in smartphones.
The results showed that several fast charging methods were found to reduce battery cell life faster than standard charging.
Since extreme temperatures are the enemy of lithium-ion batteries, using your smartphone in extremely hot or cold environments, or leaving your smartphone in full sun can also damage the battery .
To get maximum performance from your phone's battery, use fast charging only when it's important or in a hurry.
Otherwise, just use a standard charger when you're not in a hurry.
Smartphone Battery Can Be Replaced
Smartphone battery replacement is relatively affordable compared to the price of a new cell phone.
Apple charges $49 to $69 (depending on the type) for out-of-warranty battery replacements.
The result is claimed to return your cellphone to a new condition in terms of battery performance.
Many Android devices are equipped with batteries that can be easily replaced by users, while batteries in other products can be serviced by the manufacturer or a third party at a moderate cost.
iPhone and Android devices can be serviced and replaced with new batteries using spare parts and guides available from sources such as iFixit.
The battery will degrade over time even with ideal use.
Understanding when it's time to replace the battery and how it can improve performance can help optimize your smartphone.