When to charge?

[SweetPoison]

Should we wait until the the battery is completely drained? Or is it okay to charge before it drains, like at 50%?

Someone told me today that the battery will develop memory?

 

[CMFox]

Should we wait until the the battery is completely drained? Or is it okay to charge before it drains, like at 50%?

Someone told me today that the battery will develop memory?

See this thread: Battery-when to charge? Its covered there.

hth
CM

 

[rdharper]

You will hear a lot of opinion on this... most of it just hand-waving opinion.

The LiIon batteries are so much better than NiMH, that you are unlikely to keep your system long enough to experience battery performance issues.

Just use it and enjoy. Personally I leave the phone and iPad charging as much as possible. Maybe once a year I"ll check battery performance.

 

[Robertt]

I'm no battery expert but I wait until it's down around 30% then charge it overnight.

 

[CaptKirk]

Yup, i've hear a lot of stories about battery maintenance too. The one that blows me away the most is synchronizing your battery once a month. It's a sounds like a long drawn ritual, but is it really true or total BS??

 

[MikesTooLz]

Charge as often and as frequently as you want.

 

[Sonny Burnett]

Wait until it hits 20% and once a month drain it down completely.

 

[Anthony.L]

Charge as often and as frequently as you want.

This is the correct answer.

Modern batteries do not have the same issues as ones from many years ago. Unfortunately the stigma has stuck around and is long overdue to be dropped.

 

[Hasty]

I was told it relates to molecular memory and on first usage one should always fully drain the battery and susbsequently do a full drain every month or so to achieve maximum utility.

Suspect any savings would be very small tbh and hope to have upgraded my iPad and passed it on before it becomes noticeable

 

[winwaed]

The myths and stories get complicated because there are many different rechargeable chemistries (even "non-rechargeables" can be recharged under some circumstances - but you will need a specially built charger to do the job - ie. don't do it unless you fully understand what you are doing). Battery design has also tended to improve over time, although it is usually to increase energy densities and discharge currents.

The bottom line: Li-ion is one of the best (if not the best) rechargeable battery chemistries that are widely available. They do not have a memory in the same way as NiCd or even NiMH. But yes, they do "wear out" and will need replacing after a few years. In theory this should be less often with modern batteries compared to 10 year old Li designs.

You will find that an ageing Li-ion battery won't hold quite as much as when it was new, and it will self-discharge slightly quicker.

Don't worry about it.
Or perhaps if you can't help yourself, put a dollar in a jar every time you worry. You'll then have enough to replace the battery when the time comes (probably by buying an iPad 3)

Richard

 

[SweetPoison]

Just use it and enjoy. Personally I leave the phone and iPad charging as much as possible. Maybe once a year I"ll check battery performance.

Good advice, thanks!

Charge as often and as frequently as you want.

I like this too!

Wait until it hits 20% and once a month drain it down completely.

That is what I have been doing. Well, not the month thing, as I have only had mine for four days.

r.

Don't worry about it.
Or perhaps if you can't help yourself, put a dollar in a jar every time you worry. You'll then have enough to replace the battery when the time comes (probably by buying an iPad 3)

Richard

Thanks, Richard! I won't worry!

 

[Stefx]

Should we wait until the the battery is completely drained? Or is it okay to charge before it drains, like at 50%?

Someone told me today that the battery will develop memory?

See this thread: Battery-when to charge? Its covered there.

hth
CM

This thread isn't very informative. It's basically two people with differnt opinions about battery charging, arguing about who's right

 

[iPadCharlie]

This thread isn't very informative. It's basically two people with differnt opinions about battery charging, arguing about who's right

Its like the old Chinese proverb... "Man with one clock always knows what time it is. Man with two clocks is never really sure!"