Charge Your Phone's Battery To 100%? Electrochemical Expert Weighs In
Chao-Yang Wang, Director of the Electrochemical Engine Center at Penn State University, explained that "a battery will degrade faster if you charge it to 100% versus a little bit lower state of charge". Also, in support of Wang, Dibakar Datta, Associate professor of industrial engineering, explained that consistently charging your phone until its fully charged makes the battery remain at a high voltage and constant exposure to this voltage causes accelerated chemical aging.
That said, not fully charging your device is not a hard and fast rule that must always be followed. For example, if you're in an unfamiliar locale and need a digital map to find your way, it is obviously better to make sure you charge 100%. Charging to 100% occasionally will not cause any significant damage. Continuous and repetitive 100% charging, however, will cause the battery to degrade faster.
What is an ideal charging strategy? Well, Datta explained that you should not allow your battery to drain to 0%, as this can also cause problems and diminish the battery's ability to hold a charge. Instead, he recommends charging a phone when the battery had drained to about 20% and unplugging the charger at 80%.
Another thing to consider is temperature. Temperatures too high or too low can also damage a battery. He later explained the relationship between extreme battery temperature and the use of fast chargers. While charging your battery quickly might sound useful and convenient, fast charging increases battery temperature and should be avoided when possible.
The bottom line? Experts suggest protecting your phone battery from extreme temperatures and charging between 20% and 80% as much as possible.
