"Do you have a charger?"
Probably one of the most commonly used phrases you'll hear from people in this day and age. Which isn't necessarily to say its a bad thing, given that our smartphones have have become an often necessary means of communication, guidance, and of course entertainment. But naturally, with increased use, the increase of charging time your phone needs.
With over 75% of Americans commuting to work, its no wonder why charging our phones in our cars have become almost second nature to us.
But, reconsider relying on your car charger as it's been shown to actually degrade your phone’s battery capacity!
Did you know?
• The USB port in your car often does not provide the amount of electricity your phone needs to charge well, which results in slow and ineffective charging.• Most phones are used to chargers that use 1-3 amps, while Cigarette ports can use up to 10 amps (Amps refer to the level of electrical current)
• Most smartphone batteries use lithum polymer technology [1]Your phone has three charging phases, first being the precharge, which occurs if you’ve reached 0% on your phone, constant current mode, and constant voltage mode [1]
• Battery Capacity decreases at a rate of .21 times the original battery capacity [1]
Things to Take Away
- • Leaving your phone plugged in, even when not in use will shorten the lifespan of your phone’s battery by wavering charging levels and overheating it, and can even drain your car battery little by little, so unplug it immediately as soon as your phone reaches a substantial percentage.
- • It may be obvious, but making a habit of turning off your phone while charging can reduce the rate of power consumption will speed up charging rates.
- • Ditch your car charger, and invest in a portable charger(but don’t forget to charge those regularly as well!)
- • Or if you really can't avoid charging in the car, always purchase chargers from officially sponsored manufacturers (and not those third-party vendors) to ensure maximum functionality.
Citations:
1. Pullen, John P. (2015, September 5). You Asked: Can my Phone Kill my Car Battery? [Blog post] Retrieved from http://time.com/4023751/phone-car-charger/
