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Mobile phone battery aging

Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2023 3:53 pm
by cheb
I know they lose capacity over time, but do they charge more slowly too?

I'm trying to work out if mine is using more battery because it's trying to get a signal more often or if it's on its way out. It's a Vodafone something, as in marketed as a Vodafone, not the network it's on.

Re: Mobile phone battery aging

Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2023 5:04 pm
by Skub
My old galaxy S6 (what's that,about 7 years old?) took no longer to charge at the end of it's life than it did when new. It just needed charging more frequently,though not a big difference,really.

Re: Mobile phone battery aging

Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2023 5:35 pm
by Count Steer
If they're constantly hunting for a signal I think it puts quite a drain on them. When wife got a new phone (on giffgaff) the battery would drain faster in her study than if she left it in the living room. The signal is pretty patch here and not all services are very useable. It's a bit odd though as mine is on O2 which is what's used by giffgaff iirc and I don't have a problem although the signal is still a bit :eh: ...but then, I don't leave my phone in her study.

I'm due a new phone as the battery on my S6 is tatered. Switched it off overnight and when I switched it on this a.m. it had 68% - which promptly plummeted to 8%....with it plugged in, on charge. :( Probably going to go for a s/h S22 or S23 from giffgaff.

Re: Mobile phone battery aging

Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2023 5:41 pm
by Slenver
Hunting for a signal is one of the biggest drains on a battery. At times I've commuted by train into London for 2 hours of patchy 3G, and have lost up to 40% just doing that. They just keep pinging email servers etc until they get through.

Does you phone not tell you its battery health? Not so familiar with Android, but iPhones give you the current capacity in % as well as a breakdown of which app has used what battery over the last 24hrs/week etc... Might be worth googling for your phone/OS?

Not heard of them charging more slowly, but it's possible. Modern batteries are weird things.

Re: Mobile phone battery aging

Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2023 6:35 pm
by Count Steer
Slenver wrote: Thu Nov 02, 2023 5:41 pm Hunting for a signal is one of the biggest drains on a battery. At times I've commuted by train into London for 2 hours of patchy 3G, and have lost up to 40% just doing that. They just keep pinging email servers etc until they get through.

Does you phone not tell you its battery health? Not so familiar with Android, but iPhones give you the current capacity in % as well as a breakdown of which app has used what battery over the last 24hrs/week etc... Might be worth googling for your phone/OS?

Not heard of them charging more slowly, but it's possible. Modern batteries are weird things.
Android gives you breakdown info on what's used the juice as ^^^^ It doesn't appear to give you a summary of 'battery health' though. As you say, they're a bit :hmmm: I suspect if I left mine on overnight the dramatic plummet in the morning wouldn't happen - basically a shagged battery seems to lose capacity when the device is switched off. Turn it on and the phone reports in where it last was...then the phone goes 'Oh!' and has no logic to explain what's happened.

Re: Mobile phone battery aging

Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2023 6:58 pm
by cheb
It sounds like it's just bad signal then, I'll have to be a bit more organised about charging it. Thanks.

Re: Mobile phone battery aging

Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2023 7:25 pm
by Count Steer
cheb wrote: Thu Nov 02, 2023 6:58 pm It sounds like it's just bad signal then, I'll have to be a bit more organised about charging it. Thanks.
IIRC, you recently moved house. Possibly not a coincidence?

Re: Mobile phone battery aging

Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2023 7:53 pm
by cheb
I did, and I don't think it's a coincidence. But it was useful to check.

Re: Mobile phone battery aging

Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2023 9:38 pm
by Mr Moofo
I have just had the battery in my iPhone 11 changed - it was 81% battery health and drained in about 1/2 day, even if I wasn't using it.
It still charged quickly

Re: Mobile phone battery aging

Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2023 10:46 pm
by Felix
Is your phone posh enough for wireless charging? When at home i have a charger base next to where i sit. Got one in the van, camperbus and car also, so never notice battery failing unlike older phones when i felt like i was forever plugging the bloody thing in.

Re: Mobile phone battery aging

Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2023 5:51 pm
by cheb
Using a lower output charger will also slow down the charging rate. The phone usually tells me if it's charging slowly, but not if it charging mediumly it seems.