Tag: battery

Why Do Power Banks Charge So Slowly?

We’ve all been there. You’re about to head out the door, and your phone’s battery is hanging by a thread. You grab your power bank, plug it in, and wait. But instead of the speedy charge you’re hoping for, your device seems to crawl along at a snail’s pace.

So, why does charging your phone from a power bank feel so much slower than charging it from the wall?

1. Power Banks Aren’t Designed for Speed

It’s easy to assume that a power bank will charge your device just as fast as your wall charger, but that’s not always the case.

Power banks, by their very nature, are designed to be portable, efficient, and safe. While they can store and transfer power, they’re not built with the same high-speed charging capabilities as wall outlets, which are directly connected to the mains electricity.

2. The Limits of Battery Chemistry

Power banks typically use lithium-ion or lithium-polymer batteries. These batteries are efficient but also have limitations. To ensure safety and longevity, they charge and discharge at a slower rate than the electrical grid can provide. Charging too quickly can lead to heat buildup, which not only shortens the lifespan of the power bank itself but also increases the risk of overheating or even damage to your phone.

3. The Role of Output Power (Amps and Voltage)

The output of a power bank plays a major role in how quickly it can charge your devices. Power is measured in watts, and the formula is simple: Watts = Volts × Amps. If your power bank has a lower output (say 5V/1A or 5V/2.1A), it will charge slower than a more powerful power bank with outputs like 5V/3A or even 9V/2A for fast charging.

Another thing to keep in mind is that some power banks use “smart charging” technology, which adjusts the output based on the device you’re charging. If your phone can’t handle higher speeds, the power bank will dial back its output, which can make the charging time feel longer.

4. The Cable Factor

Sometimes, the problem isn’t the power bank itself but the cable you’re using. A low-quality or damaged USB cable can significantly slow down charging speeds. Cheap cables often have thin wires that can’t efficiently carry the current needed for fast charging. If you’re serious about getting the fastest charge possible, investing in a high-quality, fast-charging cable could make a noticeable difference.

5. Device Compatibility

Not all devices are created equal when it comes to charging. Older smartphones, for instance, don’t always support modern fast-charging protocols like Qualcomm Quick Charge or USB Power Delivery. Even if your power bank supports these protocols, your device may not, leading to slower charging times.

On the flip side, newer smartphones often have fast-charging capabilities, but if you’re using a generic power bank that doesn’t support those specific charging standards, you won’t see the speed you’re hoping for. Check if your power bank supports the same fast-charging technology as your phone to maximize efficiency.

6. Battery Health and Age

Another often-overlooked factor is the health of your power bank’s battery. Over time, the internal battery of a power bank degrades, just like the one in your phone. As it ages, the power bank may not be able to hold as much charge, and its output may decrease, resulting in slower charging speeds. If your power bank is a few years old and isn’t charging as quickly as it used to, it might be time to upgrade.

Qi2 certified, this power bank offers up to 15W wireless charging speed without the clutter of cables. If you prefer wired charging, the USB-C port supports charging speeds up to 20W, ensuring fast and efficient power delivery.

With a 5000mAh capacity, it’s enough to keep your phone powered for a day of basic use — perfect for those who need an on-the-go solution without the bulk, ideal for long workdays, travel, or weekend outings. Plus, its magnetic design allows it to easily attach to the back of your phone, making it incredibly convenient. The MagSafe compatibility means it works flawlessly with iPhone 12 and newer models, and most Android phones when used with a MagSafe case.

The power bank is not only functional but also thin, light, and portable, making it a breeze to carry in your pocket, bag, or travel kit. The aramid fiber weave texture not only adds a premium look and feel but is also surprisingly tactile — it’s a pleasure to touch and hold.

To cater to different preferences, the power bank comes in a range of stunning colors. Whatever your style, there’s a color that matches your personality.Conclusion

While charging your phone via a power bank can feel slow at times, understanding the reasons behind it can help you manage expectations.

If you’re serious about fast charging, you’ll need to choose the right power bank and ensure your device is compatible with fast charging standards. At the end of the day, having a reliable power bank for those on-the-go moments is invaluable, even if it sometimes takes a little longer than you’d like.

Is aluminium the answer to all our battery prayers?

New research pushes aluminium batteries as the next generation technology to revolutionise mobile devices, but what else could finally make smartphones last more than a day

New research by Stanford University into aluminium batteries promises to produce cells that are big enough for a smartphone and charge in just 60 seconds.

The new high-performance aluminium-ion battery is the first using the metal – more commonly found in aircraft and car bodies – to demonstrate long life and fast charging. It does this using a graphite electrode. Previous aluminium batteries have suffered from poor life, failing after 100 recharge cycles.

Stanford’s new battery can be recharged around 7,500 times. Typical lithium-ion batteries used in everything from smartphones and laptops to electric cars last around 1,000 recharge cycles.

But the new aluminium-ion batteries are far from being available for commercial use in electronics, producing just half the voltage of lithium-ion batteries.

“I see this as a new battery in its early days. It’s quite exciting,” said Ming Gong, one of the authors of the study published in Nature. “Improving the cathode material could eventually increase the voltage and energy density. Otherwise, our battery has everything else you’d dream that a battery should have: inexpensive electrodes, good safety, high-speed charging, flexibility and long cycle life.”

The new aluminium battery technology is not the only one vying to solve our battery life crunch – the primary issue holding back current electronic devices.

Nanotube-based batteries

Current lithium-ion battery technology will reach its limit soon – there is only so much that can be achieved through tweaking the battery chemistry of a lithium-ion system – but a change in the way the electrode is made, using nanotechnology, could breath new life into lithium. By making the electrodes out of nanotubes researchers have dramatically increased the rate of recharging the batteries, reaching a 70% charge in just two minutes.

Some researchers have used both silicon in place of graphite for the new electrodes. Others, including a team from the Nanyang Technology University in Singapore have patented the use of titanium dioxide nanotubes, which has been licensed for commercial development and could be available within two years.

Pros: fast charging, longer recharge life (ie the number of times it can be recharged)

Cons: similar energy density to current batteries means similar battery lifeSulphur-based batteries

Research focused on squeezing longer battery life out of the same-sized batteries has experimented with different battery chemistries. One promising candidate is the sulphur-based battery.

Lithium-sulphur batteries promise up to five times the amount of energy per gram as current lithium-ion technology. Once commercially available lithium-sulphur batteries are more likely to have an energy density closer to twice that of current batteries, but that would enable twice the battery life for devices and cars.

The technology has been in development for over 20 years, and at least one company is aiming to have lithium-sulphur batteries powering electric cars by 2016, but batteries designed for portable devices such as smartphones are likely to be many years away.

Pros: at least twice the battery life

Cons: low recharge life, volatile chemistry, similar recharge timesMetal-air batteries

Metal air batteries replace the cathode, which is typically graphite in traditional lithium-ion cells, with oxygen in the air. This saves weight and provides a cathode that can simply be replaced with fresh air that is essentially free.

Saving weight means a higher energy density, which some researchers have claimed to be similar to petrol in these batteries, meaning longer life, making it ideal for electric cars. Tesla has a patented system for integrating metal air batteries into its electric cars, while an electric Citroen C1 was driven 1,800km on a single charge using the technology.

But degradation issues, problems recharging them and poor recharge life cycles have hampered commercialisation of the technology.

Pros: very high energy density means fantastic battery life

Cons: difficult to recharge, poor recharging lifeSolid-state batteries

Solid-state batteries remove the liquid electrolyte required by most other batteries to transfer ions between electrodes and generate electricity. In doing so they have a much higher energy density.

Battery firm Sakti3, which recently saw investment and a commercial partnership with British vacuum firm Dyson, claims its batteries could store up to twice the energy and therefore battery life as current lithium-ion batteries.

Pros: twice the battery life, safer, could be made into different shapes and sizes, more environmentally friendly

Cons: not manySupercapacitors

Capacitors are used in all kinds of technology, but commonly in devices that need a lot of electricity in a very short space of time, like a flash or a sub-woofer in a car. They charge in seconds but release all that charge in one go.

A supercapacitor works in a similar manner, charging in seconds but releasing its energy more slowly, like a battery. Current research using graphene promises supercapacitors that charge in about 16 seconds and can be recharged over 10,000 times. But even the best supercapacitors can only store energy in densities about the same as current lithium-ion batteries.

Pros: almost instant charging, very long recharge life, potential for use as a secondary electricity storage device in electric cars

Cons: low energy density, therefore lower battery life

New battery technology is coming and could be in electric vehicles before the end of the decade, but it could be several years before cells fit for use in portable electronics make our smartphones last more than a day.

How to Delay Battery Degradation When Charging Overnight

Limiting the time spent at full charge

Method 1: The Committed Routine Manager

Plan your nighttime charging so it’ll be full before you sleep. In other words, avoid charging phone overnight altogether. If you have a fixed bedtime, plug it to charge 2 hours (or less, depending on charging speed and battery level) before that. Perfectly battery-healthy but inconvenient.

You have to either not use at all or use while charging, which may heat up your phone if heavy-duty apps are involved. And it isn’t suitable for anyone who doesn’t have enough time to fully charge before sleep (e.g., working late, party, etc).Method 2: The Slow And Steady

Swap in a slow cable/charger without fast charging. It’ll help to lower the fast charging heat and time spent at full charge. Your phone might still spend a few hours at full charge, but it’ll be much lesser.Method 3: The Uncommitted But Carefree

Unplug when you wake up … if you do wake up dead in the night from nightmares or for bathroom. Or if you are an early riser. It isn’t much, but it at least helps with minimal effort.

You wouldn’t set an alarm 2 hours into sleeping just to unplug, right?

Method 4:smart charging solutions
Alternatively, opt for a smart charging cable that cuts off power automatically at full charge. That way, you’ll get to minimize the degradation while getting the smartphone runtime and sleep you need.BONUS TIP: Use a quality wall charger!

Cheap charger is cheap for a reason. Don’t skimp on that! You’ll risk damaging your phone because cheaper charger may not provide a stable voltage output throughout the charging.Reducing heat while charging

1.Charge Where Heat Dissipates

Don’t ever charge on a bed, or worst, under the pillow. Unless only for a short while. Even so, you’ll notice how fast it heats up. And resist your desire to stack objects on top like it’s Jenga time.

What makes a good charging spot? Flat and sturdy surfaces like table, bedside cabinet, and floor. Bad spots will be those that are cushiony and trap heat; couch, blankets, and mattress, you name it.

2.Charge Your Phone Naked

No. Not you, but your phone. Yes, phones are fragile. But those thick casings you wrap your phones in trap heat and slow down cooling. Imagine dressing in a winter jacket while exercising. Nonetheless, this doesn’t apply to all as some aren’t as dense, e.g., phone skins. Try to notice how hot your device gets while charging in certain casings.

3.Use Non-Fast Charger

Again, fast charging cooks up battery quickly. So switch to a normal, or better yet, slow charger for overnight charging. Unless you’re the type that only sleeps a short few hours.

4.Charging Is Also Resting

Let your phone be app-free while it’s juicing up. Though the heat isn’t much if you’re using light apps like Messenger or Instagram. GPU and graphics-heavy apps (e.g., games) will generate much more heat, and worse if the phone’s charging.Wrapping Up

Is charging phone overnight bad? Not a concern if you seasonally upgrade to a new phone. Otherwise, your daily convenience may return to bite you in a year or so, in the form of shortened battery lifespan; and it’s all downhill thereafter until you send it to a repair shop or a dealer for a battery replacement.Different ways to reduce overnight charging degradation:

1.Plan your charging before bedtime

2.Use a slow charger

3.Unplug as soon as you wake up

4.Use an auto cutoff charging cable/power outlet

5.Charger overnight on a cool and flat surface

6.Remove thick phone casing before plugging in

Charging Phone Overnight: The real reason it’s bad

Smartphones are now so integral to our daily life. So much so that their batteries couldn’t ever keep up with our daytime needs. (Why can’t we get better batteries already!?)

Which leads to charging phone overnight. Because what’s a better time to recharge than when we’re sleeping? But then the paranoia and fear come hailing down on us: overcharging phone and battery explosion. Leaving in us a dilemma we’re all too familiar with …But is it really bad to charge your phone overnight?

So you leave your phone charging overnight … what terrible fate awaits you? The Big Bang? The Reign of Fire? Neither. Your phone gets charged, just that. The myth that this overcharges your phone – oh wait we’ve said it – it’s A MYTH. At least since phones have evolved into smartphones. And as their newly-earned prefix implies, they’re smart, in that they have an inbuilt protection chip that prevents overcharging at full battery.

In place of the now-debunked overcharging threat is trickle charging. It lowers the current matching the discharge rate (or consumption) to maintain 100% charge level.

During overnight charging, your phone constantly uses battery to stay functional, much like all things living; and when consumption happens, recharging happens. And this opens up to a hell of short-lived battery for whoever couldn’t bear to replace their phones every year or two. (If you do, however … Well, you may skip this reading.)The Real Issues With Charging Phone Overnight

Most phones nowadays use Lithium-ion batteries (LiB). They’re rechargeable and do so faster than rechargeable batteries in the past. They race to 80% in a flash, what with all the fast charging technology boasted by many a clashing smartphone titans (e.g., Huawei and Samsung). Owing to that, phones now take 1 to 2 hours top to fully charge. That’s really saying your precious phone spends most time hooked to the charger at 100% battery while you’re fast asleep. But … what’s the deal?

Stress on Lithium-ion battery. There’s no arguing that Li-ion is superior among batteries. But a champion is not without its weakness. In fact, it’s bordering counterintuitive: Li-ion suffers from stress when dwelling at full state-of-charge (100%). And when it does so consistently month after month, its recoverable capacity will drop; though the decline may not amount to much in the short run, it does leave a dent in the battery capacity that will be a long-term thorn in your side.

Adding insult to injury, it’s not even advisable to fully charge a Li-ion battery for the same reason; what’s more, prolonging it overnight? The closer it gets to 100%, the more degradation it stomachs. Generally, battery level outside the 20% – 80% range will degrade the battery more. But what could be behind this counterintuitive existence?

How Prolonged Charging Degrades Battery

Surely, you’ve heard that Li-ion batteries are bound to decay since day one; everything they do – cycling, discharging, and charging – wastes away their lifespan. But that isn’t to say the process couldn’t be hastened or delayed by your actions.

When charging, Lithium ions swim across the cathode (the positive electrode of a battery) to anode (the negative electrode), which is exactly how it should be. But it is during which that an irreversible damage also takes place: electrically-insulating rock-salts form & buildup over the cathode. Overtime, the buildup grows and battery capacity shrinks.

The worst of all, the buildup blooms like wildflowers after rainy days at higher battery levels and temperatures. Certainly, maintaining a high battery level longer will degrade the battery faster. And this is even more harmful than cycling a battery.

Which is why many, including Apple, recommend storing your battery at half charge …

To clarify, the problem isn’t inherent in trickle charging but charging and high state-of-charge themselves. However, trickle charging lends itself to prolonging charging and high state-of-charge more than needed, more pronouncedly, in an overnight charging session.

We may have phased out of the old Nickel-era, which condemned users to charge their devices fully on every session, lest batteries’ cyclic memory forget their maximum capacity; now, Li-ion suffers from full charge instead.What about heat during overnight charging?

It’s widely known that heat damages the battery capacity too. It’s just less an issue concerning overnight charging because, well, it happens whenever you charge anyway. Most heat is stoked up before nearing 100% owing to fast charging; the low voltage of trickle charge means its generated heat is negligible.

How to maintain Effective your smartphone Battery

In recent times, we’ve seen technology arise with battery-saving modes on smartphones and optimization features that aim to extend battery life and improve overall performance.
Manufacturers have been focusing on enhancing battery efficiency to meet the increasing demands of modern smartphone users, who heavily rely on their devices for various tasks throughout the day.
Smartphone battery maintenance starts from knowing how to properly charge your battery to understanding how to optimize it. In addition to these, here are some things you can do to care for your smartphone’s battery:
Monitor battery health: Keeping an eye on your battery health lets you discover battery issues long before they become serious. As such, it helps you save costs, time, and energy since you can attend to the problems while they aren’t prominent.
Optimize battery life: Battery optimization helps conserve power on your phone by stopping unnecessary background apps from running. It also prevents unused apps from running unnoticed and using up the battery. Thus, it helps extend your battery life.
Avoid extreme temperatures: For effective smartphone battery maintenance, you must avoid places with extreme temperatures. High temperatures can cause your battery to swell or lose functionality.
According to Avast, the normal temperature for phone batteries is between 32°F to 95°F (0°C to 35°C). If the temperature exceeds this, move your phone to a cooler spot and avoid using the phone till it’s cool.
Try partial charging: Contrary to popular belief, frequent partial charging can be beneficial for lithium-ion batteries. Avoid fully discharging your battery and charge it partially throughout the day, especially when it reaches around 20% to 80% capacity, to minimize strain on the battery and enhance its longevity.
Avoid idle charging: Unplugging your phone from the charger once it’s fully charged can prevent overcharging and help maintain battery health in the long run.