We do not discover anything new if we say that the battery is one of the most sensitive elements of our mobile. Its useful life and degradation over time depend on many factors, including the use we make of it. But no matter how well we take care of the battery, precisely that “useful life” already reveals that its duration and performance do not last forever. In addition, the battery itself will begin to give unmistakable signs of this end.
In many specialized forums and even on our site, we often recommend the best ways to increase the battery life of our mobile. But still, there will come a time when we will notice that something does not work as it should . Unfortunately, today’s smartphone batteries are just as easily replaceable, at least for the end user, compared to removable batteries a few years ago.
How to tell if something is wrong with the battery
Current batteries are integrated into our mobiles in the form of small sealed aluminum bags. They are designed to withstand a limited number of charge cycles, taking into account that a charge cycle counts as the maximum and minimum peak of its performance from each charge. There are several ways to optimize these charge cycles, but in no case will they extend the life of the battery much further.
Luckily, there are several indications that put us on the track that our battery may need a change . Generally and under normal circumstances, these symptoms should not appear before 18 months of use. However, they can appear sooner or later, even very soon, in case we are facing a factory problem.
Battery runs out sooner
It is the first symptom that will make us suspect that something is wrong. By noticing that the battery discharges faster than before, we will almost certainly be at the end of its life. If before, for example, we reached the middle of the day with 60%, and now the same happens with 30% load, it is a sign that it is running out of its life cycle . In a specific case, it may be the cause of an application, but it is something that we can easily rule out.
Not fully charged
We may also notice that the battery is not fully charged. No matter how long we leave the device plugged in, it will never reach 100%. This can be a symptom of degradation, as it does not contain enough electrical energy for the sensors of our mobile to register a full charge.
The load drops suddenly
This symptom is usually one of those that most highlights the problem by its striking. The terminal will suddenly lose several figures in the load percentage . We may remove it from the charger 100% and notice that it suddenly drops to 90% or 80%. The loss of percentage points immediately is normal, but in such large drops it reveals that the battery is nearing its end.
Aesthetic appearance
In this case, nothing like an aesthetic exploration to find out. In a vast majority of cases, batteries can swell as a result of inefficient chemical reactions inside them. This will cause the back of our mobile to warp , it can even detach the back cover. If this happens, we will have to proceed to its change immediately, since in this case we even run the risk that the chemical reactions end up triggering the combustion of the battery.
Everything is fine, can I avoid the problem?
Use tips
As we say, the battery is guaranteed yes or yes at the end of its life. However, we can implement the considered “good practices” or customs, which although they may slightly lengthen their life, at least they will not cause it to degrade before its time.
- Prevent the battery from falling below 20% or always reaching 100%
- Reduce screen brightness as low as possible
- Frequently closing background apps
- Eliminate those apps that consume the most battery
- Avoid extreme temperature changes with your mobile
- Always use the official charger of each manufacturer
- Make use of the “Saving Modes” that the mobile has.
- Keep the operating system updated.
- Makes use of WiFi networks whenever possible
- Deactivate all connections (WiFi, Bluetooth or GPS) when their use is not necessary
- Disable all the sounds and vibrations of the system that we do not need
An app can help
There are applications specially developed to tell us in detail what happens with our battery. One of the most popular is Accubattery, which allows us to control the amperage and total capacity of our battery at the time of charging, so we will leave any doubt to know if the charge is taking place correctly and if the health of our battery is correct. In this way we can see in real time the charging speed, the remaining time for the battery to reach 100% and a summary of the charge history.
