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Smartphones are modern marvels, but battery life often leaves something to be desired. Enter fast charging, which gives compatible phones a jolt of juice when time is limited.
As phone makers experiment with super fast charging phones, though, you may be concerned about overheating and battery damage. Is that device in your pocket one fast charge away from exploding on your nightstand or during your next flight? In short: probably not, and here's why.
Phone batteries, like most other lithium-ion batteries, have two layers—lithium cobalt oxide and graphite. When lithium ions move from the graphite layer to the lithium cobalt layer through an electrolyte solution, electrons get released. When you charge the battery, the ions move back in the other direction and are stored to be released later, when you power on and use your device.
That release of energy creates the heat you may feel radiating from the back of your phone after a long charging session or heavy use. And that heat can damage the battery in the long term.
Over time, li-ion batteries have become more advanced, smaller, and more efficient. They can handle more charge cycles—going from depleted, to full, and back down again—before they begin to lose their charge capacity. For a visual breakdown, check out the above video from tech YouTube channel Branch Education.
(Credit: Samsung)
As your smartphone goes through charge cycle after charge cycle, it degrades naturally. One reason is the electrolyte solution within the battery. Over time, the salts in the solution can crystalize, forming solids that block the transmission of ions through the solution. If fewer ions get through, fewer electrons are released, and the battery can’t provide as much power as it did when it was new.
This crystallization can happen more quickly if your phone is exposed to excessive heat, such as funneling a lot of power into the battery at once with a fast charger. However, the same thing can happen just by leaving it in a hot environment, such as a car dashboard on a summer day.
Overcharging can also cause batteries to degrade and become less effective. The inside of a li-ion cell is a delicate balance that can be disrupted if you put more power into the battery than it’s designed to accept, because it removes too many lithium ions from the internal structure of the battery, permanently altering it.
And once that lithium’s gone, you can’t really put it back. Kent Griffith, an energy storage researcher at the University of Cambridge, put it this way in an interview with Wired: “The atomic structure of the material actually falls apart if you remove all that lithium… It'd be like pulling all of the supports out of the floor of a building.”
If you take care of the battery (and follow our advice), this degradation will happen more slowly. Still, it happens to all li-ion batteries eventually, no matter how you take care of your device. Modern phones often make information about battery health available in the settings menus.
Apple's iPhone has battery optimization settings (Credit: Apple)
In the earlier days of fast charging, batteries got very hot when charging quickly. Phones weren’t built to vent excess heat from the battery effectively, so they were more prone to overheating. Current phones are better at ventilation and don't have this issue.
They are now built with advancements to manage heat and control the flow of power going to the battery during a charge. For instance, phones now have heat shields, thermal layers, and even cooling pipes to move heat away from the battery. Further, many phones are now programmed to shut off power once the battery is full, even if it remains plugged in. Phones have charging settings to help them “learn” your behavior in order to optimize charging for when you actually need it, such as holding off charging until about an hour before you wake up.
Fast charging happens in phases. When your phone is at its lowest charge, more power is directed into the battery because it can accept all that power more easily. As the cell nears a 100% charge, the rate of power trickles off—in other words, you’re not getting 80W of power the entire time the phone charges. This is why you can charge your phone overnight without it bursting into flames.
Some gaming phones actually have cooling elements, such as fans, to reduce heat and keep batteries operating at lower temperatures. Xiaomi and other phones makers sometimes split their batteries into two cells, which requires less power to achieve those rapid charging speeds without, according to the companies, any adverse effects on the battery.
So is fast charging really that bad for your phone? Yes and no. It can be bad for your battery, especially if it goes on for a long period of time at high power. But modern phones are now designed with battery charging management features to make serious damage less likely.
However, as tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee points out, a lot of these advancements are still too new to know whether they work the way they should. We need more data to answer the question definitively, and not just take the manufacturer’s word for it.
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In today’s world, smartphones have become an integral part of our lives. We use them for almost everything, from staying connected with our loved ones to watching videos and playing games. However, with the increased usage, battery life has become a significant concern. To counter this problem, fast charging has become an essential feature in smartphones. In this article, we’ll discuss why fast charging is essential.
Before we dive into the reasons for fast charging, let’s first understand what it means. Fast charging is a technology that allows your phone to charge at a much faster rate than traditional charging methods. It uses a higher voltage and amperage to transfer more power to the battery, thereby reducing charging times significantly.
Fast charging has become an essential feature in smartphones today. It provides convenience, saves time, and can be a lifesaver during emergencies. Fast charging is also beneficial for people who love to travel, as it allows them to charge their phones quickly without worrying about battery life. Furthermore, it saves money and can be beneficial for your phone’s battery health. With the availability of fast charging for multiple devices, it has become an essential feature for people who use multiple devices. Therefore, if you’re someone who is always on the go and relies heavily on your phone or other devices, fast charging is a feature that you shouldn’t overlook.
However, it’s essential to note that not all fast charging technologies are the same. Different manufacturers use different technologies, which can affect the charging speed, battery health, and overall performance of your device. It’s important to do some research and choose a device with a fast charging technology that suits your needs and requirements.
In conclusion, fast charging is an essential feature that has revolutionized the way we charge our devices. It provides convenience, saves time, and can be a lifesaver during emergencies. Fast charging is also beneficial for people who travel frequently, as it allows them to charge their devices quickly without worrying about battery life. Furthermore, it saves money and can be beneficial for your device’s battery health. With the availability of fast charging for multiple devices, it has become an essential feature for people who use multiple devices. So, if you’re looking for a new device or upgrading your current one, make sure to consider fast charging as a feature that can make a significant difference in your daily life.
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