Do bloggers take things too literally? That’s one of the questions being asked today, as various news sources shuffle their feet nervously and say “um” a lot when faced with how they’ve reported the iPhone’s battery life. The key is how the iPhone’s battery life was initially reported – as being good for 300 – 400 charge cycles after which it would need replacing – and how something that’s standard knowledge (that LiIon batteries gradually lose their ability to hold a charge after repeated use) morphed into a flogging post for Apple’s cellphone.
Let’s be super-clear about it: just like any battery powered device, as your iPhone gets older and is used the potential battery life will decrease. Apple are telling us [via Gizmodo] that that:
“A properly maintained iPhone battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity after 400 full charge and discharge cycles. You may choose to replace your battery when it no longer holds sufficient charge to meet your needs”
That means that, assuming you take reasonable care of your handset, even after 400 charge cycles you’ll still get almost 6.5hrs of talk-time (based on Apple’s 8hr prediction when new) or over 19hrs of audio playback. Turning WiFi and Bluetooth off, as well as being cautious with screen brightness, will all have a positive affect on how much life you can eke out.
Here at MYiTablet we’d like to apologise for any hype-related confusion we might have caused in our reporting of the battery situation. We believe that not only is it important to cover Apple news as it happens, but to go back and clarify, correct and make good any story we put out there, so that you can rely on us for the best of iPhone content.
Is it best for the iphone battery, when the iphone is not being used, to keep it charged in the dock? or to wait until it needs recharged?
or does it not matter?
As far as I’m aware (and if there’s a battery expert out there, please correct me if need be!) it’s better to wait until it needs charging, charge it fully and then remove it from the dock. Partial charge cycles and leaving it sat on charge continuously could, I think, reduce the capacity as a whole. Not to the same extent as with older NiMH cells, but still some effect.Of course, it’s also more environmentally friendly to unplug the charger when you’re not using it – even when the phone is fully topped up and just sitting there, the wall-wart still uses some energy.
[quote comment="5370"]Is it best for the iphone battery, when the iphone is not being used, to keep it charged in the dock? or to wait until it needs recharged?
or does it not matter?[/quote]
Chris, I disagree that iPhone (and iPod) batteries should be deep cycled. That is a common misconception. I wouldn’t call myself a “battery expert” but I’ve done a fair amount of research in this area. My belief is that the iPhone should be kept docked when possible, if your desire is to maximize the lifetime of the battery.
Lithium ion polymer batteries (which are the type used in the iPhone) do *not* suffer from the memory-effect phenomenon that NiCad and NiMH batteries do. The loss of capacity in LiIon batteries occurs because the metals in the cells oxidize during discharge and recharge. This is why Apple and battery manufacturers rate the lifetime of the battery by the number of full charge cycles.
Some people get confused because manufacturers sometimes recommend doing a full discharge-charge cycle to “calibrate” a lithium ion battery. This isn’t “reconditioning” the battery in any way; it’s only done so that a device can properly measure the current capacity of the battery.
It is likely that keeping the iPhone docked will increase the battery life slightly, because while docked, it is probably drawing operational power from the dock connection and not the battery. Since the battery is not discharging and recharging as much, that should increase its life.
It’s worth noting that one of the best things you can do is keep your iPhone out of excessive heat (like, inside a sunlit parked car in the summer). Heat is an absolute killer when it comes to batteries.
Thanks Ken!
Ken, first of all, many thanks for the detailed explanation. I’m scheduled to go in to get my second iPhone replaced. For some reason, my battery is not holding charge.
http://www.myitablet.com/talk/11_571_0.html
Check out this site for proper battery care and feeding:
http://www.apple.com/batteries/