Charge battery before initial use?

i think the TRUE question is, "where is Samsung/Google/Manufacturer X in this debate?" I mean it's a component that is included by the manufacturer, but it's one where there's a lot of debate and questions but absolutely zero input from all manufacturers (except apple and their wonderful battery health option), let alone definitive instructions and directions. why is that? is it because it's actually not an issue and we should just use it to its full capacity without gimping it with percentage restrictions? or is it because it IS an issue and this is just an arm of planned obsolescence that they don't want us navigating around, hence the super-glued-in batteries and easily cracked glass back panels that deter you from trying a DIY battery replacement? why aren't we being instructed on how to properly care for the battery?
 
i think the TRUE question is, "where is Samsung/Google/Manufacturer X in this debate?" I mean it's a component that is included by the manufacturer, but it's one where there's a lot of debate and questions but absolutely zero input from all manufacturers (except apple and their wonderful battery health option), let alone definitive instructions and directions. why is that? is it because it's actually not an issue and we should just use it to its full capacity without gimping it with percentage restrictions? or is it because it IS an issue and this is just an arm of planned obsolescence that they don't want us navigating around, hence the super-glued-in batteries and easily cracked glass back panels that deter you from trying a DIY battery replacement? why aren't we being instructed on how to properly care for the battery?

Very good question. I suspect it has more to do with your first possible answer, because these manufacturers are basing their decisions in part on how the vast majority of people buy and use their phones (and not the smaller proportion of power users, like the ones we have on this forum). As mentioned before, since the average user is unlikely to hold onto their phone for more than 2-3 years (https://www.statista.com/statistics/619788/average-smartphone-life/), there's no real drive to put out formal information on how to make the battery last for 5.
 
i think the TRUE question is, "where is Samsung/Google/Manufacturer X in this debate?" I mean it's a component that is included by the manufacturer, but it's one where there's a lot of debate and questions but absolutely zero input from all manufacturers (except apple and their wonderful battery health option), let alone definitive instructions and directions. why is that? is it because it's actually not an issue and we should just use it to its full capacity without gimping it with percentage restrictions? or is it because it IS an issue and this is just an arm of planned obsolescence that they don't want us navigating around, hence the super-glued-in batteries and easily cracked glass back panels that deter you from trying a DIY battery replacement? why aren't we being instructed on how to properly care for the battery?

Samsung likes selling you phones and accessories... a lot.
The battery will seldom fail while under the factory warranty period, obviously.
No one likes a big sister anyway so it's not in their best interests to do anything.
Carriers cover it as a normal part of what they charge... they don't care.

If you can read and go to the trouble of doing the homework LI batteries are no mystery.


As mentioned before, since the average user is unlikely to hold onto their phone for more than 2-3 years (https://www.statista.com/statistics/619788/average-smartphone-life/), there's no real drive to put out formal information on how to make the battery last for 5.

^Exactly. Market driven and market sycned as precise as a Swiss watch.
 
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right. but then, if the mentality is, "why teach people how to use a phone properly and make it last for 5 years, when we can have them buy new ones every one or two years?", then does that confirm that there IS a way to charge it properly?

personally, i'm treating battery life like actual life. it doesn't hurt to be aware and careful of your actions, because it might lead to something better in the end...as opposed to getting everything you want when you want and not worrying about the consequences and then possibly finding out you were wrong after the fact. i mean, if there is something to this type of charging, then you've just extended the life of your phone. if there isn't, well you haven't done anything to damage your phone...but you also haven't used or utilized your phone to it's full potential due to fear of repercussions.

i charge to 80% and plug in at 30%...i feel like it can't hurt by battery to do this, but i also feel like i'm not using my phone to it's fullest potential in the sense that i'm treating it like it already has poor battery life because i'm trying to keep the battery healthy. in essence, you're treating your new phone like it already has poor battery life by charging multiple times a day...which is what you would do anyway when it actually does have an unhealthy battery. oh the irony.
 
Samsung likes selling you phones and accessories... a lot.
The battery will seldom fail while under the factory warranty period, obviously.
No one likes a big sister anyway so it's not in their best interests to do anything.
Carriers cover it as a normal part of what they charge... they don't care.

If you can read and go to the trouble of doing the homework LI batteries are no mystery.

i can and have read. you're right, they are not a mystery...but the initial wonder was why manufacturers act like they don't have a dog in the fight.
 
right. but then, if the mentality is, "why teach people how to use a phone properly and make it last for 5 years, when we can have them buy new ones every one or two years?", then does that confirm that there IS a way to charge it properly?

personally, i'm treating battery life like actual life. it doesn't hurt to be aware and careful of your actions, because it might lead to something better in the end...as opposed to getting everything you want when you want and not worrying about the consequences and then possibly finding out you were wrong after the fact. i mean, if there is something to this type of charging, then you've just extended the life of your phone. if there isn't, well you haven't done anything to damage your phone...but you also haven't used or utilized your phone to it's full potential due to fear of repercussions.

i charge to 80% and plug in at 30%...i feel like it can't hurt by battery to do this, but i also feel like i'm not using my phone to it's fullest potential in the sense that i'm treating it like it already has poor battery life because i'm trying to keep the battery healthy. in essence, you're treating your new phone like it already has poor battery life by charging multiple times a day...which is what you would do anyway when it actually does have an unhealthy battery. oh the irony.

Haha some truth there
I have no guidelines , 5% to 90 or 100
Not going worry about that , when time comes either replace the battery or move on to different device.
 
right. but then, if the mentality is, "why teach people how to use a phone properly and make it last for 5 years, when we can have them buy new ones every one or two years?", then does that confirm that there IS a way to charge it properly?

personally, i'm treating battery life like actual life. it doesn't hurt to be aware and careful of your actions, because it might lead to something better in the end...as opposed to getting everything you want when you want and not worrying about the consequences and then possibly finding out you were wrong after the fact. i mean, if there is something to this type of charging, then you've just extended the life of your phone. if there isn't, well you haven't done anything to damage your phone...but you also haven't used or utilized your phone to it's full potential due to fear of repercussions.

i charge to 80% and plug in at 30%...i feel like it can't hurt by battery to do this, but i also feel like i'm not using my phone to it's fullest potential in the sense that i'm treating it like it already has poor battery life because i'm trying to keep the battery healthy. in essence, you're treating your new phone like it already has poor battery life by charging multiple times a day...which is what you would do anyway when it actually does have an unhealthy battery. oh the irony.

Not exactly. On a battery that still has most of it's capacity intact you get more amp/hours on a 70% charge than one that is worn out charged to a 100%.

It's amp/hour capacity that count; voltage merely reflects the charge level of the cell(s) not their amp/hour capacity!
 
Not exactly. On a battery that still has most of it's capacity intact you get more amp/hours on a 70% charge than one that is worn out charged to a 100%.

It's amp/hour capacity that count; voltage merely reflects the charge level of the cell(s) not their amp/hour capacity!

yes, but i think the question is, should we do this on a NEW phone? a 70% charge on a new phone will obviously go farther than 100% on an old/heavily used/poorly cycled phone, but the people asking are people who have relatively new phones.
 
I have a note 10+

If my battery crashed out.
There are people out there all day.
They will put a new battery in your phone.

I don't see the big deal everybody is making out of a battery.
When was the last phone you had, that wouldn't last a day.
.
 
yes, but i think the question is, should we do this on a NEW phone? a 70% charge on a new phone will obviously go farther than 100% on an old/heavily used/poorly cycled phone, but the people asking are people who have relatively new phones.

Yes! Otherwise in 200 complete charge cycles the battery is toast. With each complete charge cycle it's amp hour capacity decreases so it yields less usable time.
Full charges also raise that packs temp a lot more than a 40% partial charge.
In those tests charging batteries were kept at 72 degrees through the complete charge cycle ie less degradation than real life usage.

Bottom line is you get more many usable amp hours over the life of the pack by short charging and avoiding full charges. For the same amount usage, one battery instead of 2 or 3. It's big difference...
 
the big deal is that for some, $100+ is a lot to pay for a part. especially if you weren't told how to take care of it properly and thus avoid that cost in the first place. for newer phones, phones out of warranty, it's more than that ($150+). for people who know the dirty secret about getting their battery replaced via carrier, the problem is that they often times don't actually replace your battery, because it's too difficult (i wonder why). instead, they replace the whole phone with another refurbished phone (never a new one), which may not have had a previous owner that was as considerate with their battery as you were with yours.


If my battery crashed out.
There are people out there all day.
They will put a new battery in your phone.

I don't see the big deal everybody is making out of a battery.
When was the last phone you had, that wouldn't last a day.
 
Yes! Otherwise in 200 complete charge cycles the battery is toast. With each complete charge cycle it's amp hour capacity decreases so it yields less usable time.
Full charges also raise that packs temp a lot more than a 40% partial charge.
In those tests charging batteries were kept at 72 degrees through the complete charge cycle ie less degradation than real life usage.

Bottom line is you get more many usable amp hours over the life of the pack by short charging and avoiding full charges. For the same amount usage, one battery instead of 2 or 3. It's big difference...

You know of any apps that show how many charge cycles you done ?
 
You drain to 5% regularly?

If you do simply charge it to say 25% and when it starts getting warm stop charging. Resume when it's cool again.
Or cool it with a damp rag wrapped around it or a fan etc.
It's the heat and higher voltages that do the damage.

Note as the voltage drops to the lower end of the pack's usable range, current draw increases.
Amps times voltage equals watts. The device draws more current at lower voltage as it's wattage requirements remain constant.
Lower voltage may cause less efficient operation of the mobos regulators and power buses.
 
I've pretty much always charged when I hit 25% and I charge fully to 100%. I've had my Ultra since launch so for 6 weeks now. How much damage have I done?