Best way to run phone down to calibrate battery

[alphadog]

I want to run my battery all the way down periodically as it seems to help calibrate the battery. On my iPhone i just played video on full bright and after a couple warnings it would play video until it would turned off and would not turn on.

The captivate stops playing video with a warning and will not start video again.

So anyone have any suggestions for complete battery drain?

 

[rob989_69]

GPS??

 

[alphadog]

i found that youtube will play even when the stock player won't - that and GPS Navigation (with no signal) tends to take it down about 1% every couple of minutes

 

[djsmvp]

I have read several times that these types of batteries dont need to be calibrated? I have also heard that they get "broken in" over normal use.

 

[alphadog]

I have read several times that these types of batteries dont need to be calibrated? I have also heard that they get "broken in" over normal use.

Apple has Battery FAQs for all their products that specifically state that you should periodically run the device all the way down to recalibrate the battery.

When my iPhone battery was going down fast, this method worked to get me more life. Basically you are letting the electronics get a more accurate reading on when the battery is full. If the phone is charging the battery and thinks it is full at 70%, it stops charging, so you never really get a full charge but you meter says you are full.

Since LiON is the same for all batteries, then what Apple recommends should work for any phone.

 

[GalaxyS609]

Yeah, cause Apple knows everything.

Its my understanding that Lithium batteries do not develop a memory like NiCads and other rechargeables do.

 

[alphadog]

Yeah, cause Apple knows everything.

Its my understanding that Lithium batteries do not develop a memory like NiCads and other rechargeables do.

I am not talking about Memory, i am talking about calibration - the phone and charging circuit needs to know when the battery is full.

I am not saying apple knows all, but they have some of the best battery pages of anyone. Lithium batteries are the same for everyone, so any company that takes the time to explain best practices is worth following.

Do what you want, but I have had excellent battery life on all my smart phones and laptops by doing a few simple things:

1. occasionally recalibrate by doing a full run down of the battery, followed by a full charge. I only do it every couple of months or if the battery appears to not last as long as usual

2. Never charge in a case and avoid overheating (hot cars, etc).

3. Don't keep it plugged in all the time

4. Understand what a charge cycle is, so I can maximize my 500 charges - this is the limit for all Lithium batteries.

 

[GalaxyS609]

ok I'm not here to argue. I've gotten at least 4 years out of every cell phone battery Ive had so I cant complain on my end and I don't expect much more from them either.

 

[alphadog]

I am not trying to argue either.

Really, I encourage everyone to do their own research and like you, my batteries have lasted a long time.

I just wanted to share some tips in regards to getting the best battery life, and what to try if your battery life sucks.

Most of the time, terrible battery life is due to an errant application that didn't close properly and is sucking up CPU.