Sometimes the things that protect the outside of your phone can affect what’s inside the device, warn several gadget repair experts, according to an article published by the Dailymail. In particular, if you charge your phone in a case, you can reduce its battery life due to the extra heat generated.

Charging the phone in the casePhoto: Iryna Piskova / Dreamstime

While plastic, rubber, and silicone smartphone cases are great at absorbing shock from drops and preventing spills, these materials can act as an insulator, trapping heat around your precious device. sweater.

Luxury leather phone cases and even vegan leather can have the same effect, experts say.

Why it is not good to charge the phone in a case: What is the optimal temperature for the battery of a mobile device

Therefore, if you notice that your phone heats up while charging, it is recommended that you at least take it out of the case while charging.

According to Apple, iPhone and other iOS and iPadOS devices, including the Apple Watch, work best in an ambient temperature between 0 and 35 degrees Celsius.

In simple storage, this temperature range of the “comfort zone” is somewhat larger, from -20 degrees to 45 degrees Celsius.

But according to experts, Apple engineers designed their devices for maximum performance at room temperature. The real optimal zone is from 16 degrees to 22 degrees Celsius.

So while even some of the thickest phone cases won’t cause much overheating on their own, they will contribute to the overall heating of the device along with factors such as battery age, internal wear and tear, or simply the weather of the day. .

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, author of “PC Doctor Fix It Yourself Guide,” conducted an experiment in which he charged his iPhone 13 Pro Max in various covers and cases while in a room with an ambient temperature of about 17 degrees Celsius.

Kingsley-Hughes found that low-power (5W) chargers were able to keep his iPhone in its “comfort zone” regardless of the case used.

However, the powerful USB-C chargers showed signs of overheating the iPhone, especially if he tried to use the phone while it was still charging.

In general, he said, silicone cases kept the phone cooler than rubber cases.

Low-power chargers, more beneficial for phones that are stored in cases

His takeaway is that switching to a slower 5W charger can help in warmer climates, or if someone doesn’t feel like constantly taking out and putting their smartphone back in a case.

Overcharging or undercharging can also affect the phone’s battery life.

Chinese manufacturer Huawei recommends that users keep their device charged between 30 and 70% for optimal battery life. Additionally, Apple has a special setting that will prevent the phone from charging above 80% to extend battery life.

But when it comes to phone battery life and temperature, the rule of thumb is to avoid extreme temperatures as much as possible.

As Apple’s support site warns: “Using your iOS or iPadOS device in very hot environments can permanently shorten battery life.” For example, “Do not leave the device in the car, as the temperature in parked cars may exceed this range.”

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In recent years, many manufacturers in the field of Android have begun to release new smartphones capable of charging at a dizzying speed. Xiaomi, for example, has been shipping phones with 120W chargers for almost two years now, OnePlus has 100W chargers, and Realme comes with chargers that go as high as 200W.

But how long can batteries last on phones that charge so quickly when we know that physics tells us that batteries usually degrade due to heat, and 120W, for example, means a lot of heat needs to be dissipated?

Let’s take the example of Xiaomi:

Well, when the phone is charging, although it does heat up, it’s not too much, and that’s because apart from a few heat dissipating elements inside the device, most of the “hot” components are actually inside the charger. In addition, the power of 120 W is not always supplied, but fluctuates depending on what percentage of the battery is charged.

Xiaomi says that the 120W charging technology on the Xiaomi 12T Pro, one of the most popular products released in 2022, has implemented no less than 42 safety elements, including 9 temperature sensors, and guarantees the stability of the charging port, and the battery will not drop below 80% capacity even after 800 charging cycles.

80% capacity after 800 cycles means about two years for most people, maybe even better when you consider the very good endurance of some phones, which practically means that you will charge them not every day, but once every two or even three days.

By comparison, Apple’s standard for its iPhones is a battery capacity that drops to nearly 80% after about 500 charge cycles.

An interesting discussion about the new fast charging technologies that have started to appear on newer and newer cell phone models, and even the upcoming 240W technology and maybe even more, in the video below, posted by YouTuber Marques Brownlee:

Photo source of the article: Photo166125535©Iryna Piskova|Dreamstime.com