29.03.2024

Misconceptions About Charging Devices That We Probably Should Stop Believing

However, despite being supremely skilled at using our gadgets, we still believe in quite a few myths when it comes to charging our devices. As a result, we continue making charging mistakes that may adversely impact the health and longevity of our gadgets.

Is it too much of a stretch to say that tech is man’s best friend now in the year 2018? Sorry, dog (or diamond) but the spot’s been taken! On average, we Indians spend around 3 hours per day glued to our smartphones. And this doesn’t even include the time we spend with our other devices such as laptops, tablets, and TV for that matter.

In this article, we’re going to shed some light on the common misconceptions that surround the charging of electronic devices and what you should do instead. Let’s get started!

Misconception No. 1: Charging Your Phone Overnight Is Not Good

Get on any tech blog on best battery charging practices and you’ll find a subhead titled “Do not charge your phone overnight.” While there’s some truth to it, it’s not entirely correct either. You see, modern smartphones use lithium-ion batteries, which automatically prevent the flow of current to your device once it’s fully charged.

So, even if your phone is plugged into an active charger all night, your phone won’t be getting more juice once it hits 100%. However, the only caveat here is that your phone can overheat as a result of being plugged in overnight, which can lead to exploding batteries. To save yourself from that, read the reviews of the phone you intend to buy before you make a purchase.

Misconception No. 2: Your Phone Should Drop To 0% Battery Before Plugging In

This statement was indeed true once upon a time, but it’s not anymore. The lithium-ion batteries in your phone have a fixed number of charge cycles such as the iPhone’s, which is between 300 and 500 cycles. One cycle is completed when you charge your phone from 0% to 100%. Your battery becomes less efficient with a reduction in each cycle.

To preserve your phone’s battery, you should charge it several times a day as it reduces the number of charge cycles your phone has to go through. Experts recommend charging your phone when it hits 40% and letting it charge up to 80% to prolong battery life. In case your phone’s battery goes for a toss, you can calibrate it to bring it back to its original capacity. If that doesn’t help, a visit to the service center is a must.

Misconception No. 3: The Charger Shouldn’t Be Left Plugged Into The Socket

Many people wrongly believe that you need to remove your charger from its wall socket when it’s not in use. Why? Because the power surge can lead to a fire! Now, this is not true and it has rarely happened in real life for you to panic every time you leave home with the charger still plugged in. As long as you turn the switch off, you have nothing to worry about.

However, there are situations in which you should unplug your charger and these are:

  • When your house lacks in lightning protection, which leads to regular surges in power coupled with power cuts.
  • When you have pets in the house who are likely to chew on the wires. For their safekeeping as well as that of your charger, you should keep your charger unplugged and out of reach.
  • When your neighbor’s house suffers from a water leakage problem that affects the walls of your house.
  • When your charger gets hot when used and emits noises when not in use. If that’s the case, get yourself a new charger.
Misconception No. 4: Your Laptop Won’t Work If You Keep It Plugged In All The Time

Again, just like your phone, your laptop too makes use of a lithium-ion battery that’s quite effective in blocking out extra charge it doesn’t need. So, even if you plug in your laptop all the time, you don’t have to worry about it affecting your laptop’s performance in any way. The only thing that experts do recommend is that you discharge your laptop’s battery entirely at least once every month to keep it healthy. Something you should do with your phone too. As for what can damage your laptop, overheating of the machine, viruses, and software and hardware problems can render your laptop non-functional. These are the things you should worry about – not keeping your laptop plugged in when working!

We’ve come a long way in terms of technological advancement. Modern gadgets are designed in a way so that they can withstand extremely demanding environments and use without getting damaged so easily. Hence, you shouldn’t worry so much about charging them the right way. Your devices will be just fine, whether you charge them overnight or not.

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