Storing spare batteries, and carrying them around

[Dark Penguin]

We just received a couple of spare batteries for our phones, which are both Samsung Galaxy SII E4GTs, and the batteries seem to be exactly the same as the ones the phones came with. After six months the original batteries are still working fine, but I saw these spares on Amazon and thought it could never hurt to have a couple of extras around.

Now that we have them, what's the proper way to handle them?

• For long term storage, how should I keep them? Each new battery came in a little plastic bag of its own and the two of them were shipped in a small envelope with bubble-wrap on one side. Would it be all right if I continue to keep them there, most likely putting the whole package in a drawer?
  
• What's the best way to carry an extra battery on my person? Do I need to keep it free from contact with other metal objects, like keys and coins?
  
• And what happens to a fully-charged battery when you store it for weeks or months at a time? Will it stay charged until you need it, or does the charge dissipate over time? And I've had one bad experience in the past, after leaving an old phone, with its battery in place, in a drawer for some months. When I removed the back cover I found that this battery had been undergoing a sort of slow motion explosion. The top and bottom bulged noticeably and I don't think I would have been able to get it back into the phone with the cover on, not that there was any good reason to do it.
  

 

[Greg C]

Fully charged batteries lose their charge over time... even when not in use. If you are going to carry around a spare battery you can keep it in a plastic baggy.. Yes... don't let change or keys rub against it.

We just received a couple of spare batteries for our phones, which are both Samsung Galaxy SII E4GTs, and the batteries seem to be exactly the same as the ones the phones came with. After six months the original batteries are still working fine, but I saw these spares on Amazon and thought it could never hurt to have a couple of extras around.

Now that we have them, what's the proper way to handle them?

• For long term storage, how should I keep them? Each new battery came in a little plastic bag of its own and the two of them were shipped in a small envelope with bubble-wrap on one side. Would it be all right if I continue to keep them there, most likely putting the whole package in a drawer?
  
• What's the best way to carry an extra battery on my person? Do I need to keep it free from contact with other metal objects, like keys and coins?
  
• And what happens to a fully-charged battery when you store it for weeks or months at a time? Will it stay charged until you need it, or does the charge dissipate over time? And I've had one bad experience in the past, after leaving an old phone, with its battery in place, in a drawer for some months. When I removed the back cover I found that this battery had been undergoing a sort of slow motion explosion. The top and bottom bulged noticeably and I don't think I would have been able to get it back into the phone with the cover on, not that there was any good reason to do it.
  

 

[garublador]

The exact way they came is the best way to store them long term. It's probably at nominal battery voltage, so you'll want to charge it before you use it as a backup battery.

If metal shorts across the + and - battery pin it will drain the battery very fast and get very hot. I'd find some sort of insulator (e.g. plastic bag) or case to carry them around in.

 

[Dark Penguin]

My original battery may have degraded some since we got the phones, but not by much. Both batteries intended for my phone are now fully charged, so now I'll just use the new one for a few weeks, swap in the old one, and see how much charge is left on it, lather rinse repeat. Without a dedicated battery charger this seems like the best plan for ensuring there will always be a spare battery on hand.