Charging When You Don't Need To

[Joshua Jackson]

So, I was doing some random searching about this tablet and I found a post (fatwallet.com, maybe?) about charging.
It said that after 300 full charge/discharge cycles, the battery capacity would be reduced to below 80%.
On my phone (Samsung Ativ Odyssey), I plug it in when I go to bed.
It's rarely below 50% (normally in the 60s or 70s).
I'm wondering if its not a good idea to charge these type of devices, when they don't need to be charged.
If that 300 number is accurate, and I charge it each night, the battery would start to deteriorate within a year.

Maybe it has to do with a particular type of battery (Ni-MH, Li-Ion, Li-Poly)?
I know different types of batteries react differently to full discharges, shelf-life, etc...

Would that 300 number not even be applicable if not fully discharged?
JJ

 

[Curtieson]

So, I was doing some random searching about this tablet and I found a post (fatwallet.com, maybe?) about charging.
It said that after 300 full charge/discharge cycles, the battery capacity would be reduced to below 80%.
On my phone (Samsung Ativ Odyssey), I plug it in when I go to bed.
It's rarely below 50% (normally in the 60s or 70s).
I'm wondering if its not a good idea to charge these type of devices, when they don't need to be charged.
If that 300 number is accurate, and I charge it each night, the battery would start to deteriorate within a year.

Maybe it has to do with a particular type of battery (Ni-MH, Li-Ion, Li-Poly)?
I know different types of batteries react differently to full discharges, shelf-life, etc...

Would that 300 number not even be applicable if not fully discharged?
JJ

There are a MILLION different criteria that comes about when talking about batteries...it is impossible to make blanket statements about them...so you are right in that it does matter about the particular battery. Also, you mention 300 "full cycles" then describe that you are running half cycles....so you aren't pushing the batter in the same way.

I don't know enough to fully describe the exact plan of action you need to take with your phone, but charging it every night should be just fine. My Bro-in-law works professionally with batteries in cars (hybrids) and he once told me that a typical car is designed in such a way that it rarely is at a full or empty state, that they just kind of hover in the middle from a 40% to 60% charge.

 

[Joshua Jackson]

so you are right in that it does matter about the particular battery.

FYI...
The box says that it's a lithium-ion battery.
JJ