Note 4 battery heating up when using a powerbank with 2.4A output

[KBeckett]

Is a powerbank with 2.4A output not compatible with the Note 4? I have only ever used 2A output chargers on my phone, but I needed to charge on the go in a hurry this weekend and stuck a 2.4A powerbank onto my Note 4. Battery Monitor Widget showed an inflow of about 1500-1600mA.

The back of the phone grew warmer than it usually does while charging from AC/other powerbanks. For what it's worth, I rarely ever fast charge. The phone charged really quickly while on the 2.4A powerbank, the battery level jumped about 1% per minute.

Just wondering if continued use of such a powerbank would be harmful to my battery, or even my phone, given that it is heating the phone up.

Thank you.

 

[Blacklac]

The phone does get noticeably warm from quick charging. No one can really tell you about your case though, as we can't feel it.

If it's so hot, its uncomfortable to hold, I'd be worried. Mine doesn't really get any warmer than it does after a long stretch of playing games or streaming video.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[KBeckett]

I did a check on Battery Monitor Widget. On regular charging, the battery temp ranges from 25 to 37C depending on how much I am using the phone while charging. Right now, discharging at 20% battery, it's at 29C.

At the time the powerbank was charging it, the temp ranged from 38-41.2C. For most of that period, the screen was off, though mobile data was on, and it was in my bag.

I use an otterbox case on it, so it wasn't uncomfortable to hold, just noticeably warmer. I was quite pleased with the performance of the powerbank, actually, and I felt like the battery held its charge decently afterward (I don't know if it's a trick of the mind, but when I fast charge using the provided Samsung quick charge AC adapter, I feel like the battery drains quickly once I unplug the phone from the power supply.)

I was just wondering whether plugging the phone into the said 2.4A powerbank every now and then would be detrimental to it. I used to use a 2.1A powerbank that worked ok, but this one definitely charges appreciably faster.

 

[natehoy]

It probably will not do any harm as long as it's putting out 5V. Amperage is pulled by the phone, not pushed by the charger, and the 2.4A only represents the maximum amperage the battery or charger is capable of delivering.

Having said that, heat is the enemy of any battery, and if it is warming up during the charging process you aren't doing your battery any favors. You'll probably find that it loses capacity a little faster than it otherwise would... which leads me to...

Having said THAT, you have a phone with a user-replaceable battery that costs $20 or less for a brand new one. You can hit the "reset button" on any cumulative damage you do to your battery for $20 any time you feel like it. So who cares if you are shortening the life expectancy of the battery? It's a disposable part in the Note 4 - it's not like they did something weapons-grade stupid like sealing the battery in the phone...

 

[KBeckett]

Ha, that's fair. The replaceable battery and microSD is a huge part of the appeal of the Note 4 for me (so it's really sad that Samsung has gone with a sealed battery and no microSD for the Note 5).

But beyond that, I do worry that the heat generated by the battery would be detrimental to the functioning of the phone itself, as the rest of its parts are exposed to the heat. Is this something I should be worrying about?

 

[natehoy]

But beyond that, I do worry that the heat generated by the battery would be detrimental to the functioning of the phone itself, as the rest of its parts are exposed to the heat. Is this something I should be worrying about?

If you can hold it comfortably for an extended period, then nothing but the battery is likely to suffer from that same heat. Up heah in Maine, we'd call that a "hand wahmah" and it's mighty convenient come wintah.

 

[IAmSixNine]

I bet that case really holds the heat in as well.