Are you
the kind of person
for whom a mobile
phone is more than
just a necessity and
is more of a
lifeline? And you
wish your battery did
not run out on you so
often? It is possible
to get more out of
your battery, you
just have to keep a
few things in
mind.
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GET THE MOST FROM
YOUR CELL PHONE
BATTERY |
Prevent the
Memory Effect - Keep
the battery healthy
by fully charging and
then fully
discharging it at
least once every two
to three weeks.
Exceptions to the
rule are Li-Ion
batteries, which do
not suffer from the
memory effect. Do not
leave the battery
dormant for long
periods of time.
Always use a battery
charger, which is by the
same manufacturer as your
phone, it gives it more
life. It also helps if you
overcharge your battery now
and then.
Keep the Batteries Clean -
It's a good idea to clean
dirty battery contacts with
a cotton swab and alcohol.
This helps maintain a good
connection between the
battery and the portable
device.
Do not leave your cell
phone near any source of
heat, a common place being
the dashboard of your car,
as extreme heat may affect
the battery. The battery
also operates better at
room temperature, vis-à-vis
extreme cold.
The vibrator mode of your
cell phone consumes more
battery, so when not
needed, use the ring-tone
mode.
Battery Storage - If you
don't plan on using the
battery for a month or
more, store it in a clean,
dry, cool place away from
heat and metal objects.
Batteries tend to de-charge
when not in use, so make
sure you charge them again
before using. The
performance of any cell
phone battery, however, no
matter how properly cared
for, usually diminishes
after about a year. It is
better to get your battery
replaced then.
|
NiMH |
Li -
Ion and
Lithium
Polymer |
|
Made
from
Nickel
Metal
Hydride. |
Made
from
Lithium
Ion. |
|
Higher
energy
density.
Twice
the
capacity
of
NiCad. |
Same
energy
as
NIMH,
but
weigh
20-35%
less. |
|
More
run
time. |
More
run
time,
at
lighter
weight,
thus
ideal
for
cell
phones,
camcorders
etc. |
|
Battery's
capacity
reduces
over
time
due to
frequent
recharging. |
Can be
recharged
without
capacity
reducing |
|
Environment
friendly,
since
they do
not
contain
heavy
metals. |
Environment
friendly,
as they
do not
contain
mercury
or
cadmium
and
other
such
toxic
metals. |
|
Require
less
maintenance. |
Require
little
maintenance. |
|
Phones
cost-
Rs.
4,000
to
Rs.6,000 |
Phones
cost-
Rs.
3,000
to Rs.
45,000 |
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FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS |
My new battery
isn't charging.
Is it
defective?
One needs to
discharge and
recharge a new
battery at
least 2-4 times
for it to reach
it's maximum
rated capacity,
as most of
these new
batteries, are
not charged. An
overnight
charge or 12
hours, is a
good enough
time for your
battery. An
indication
could be the
battery getting
warm to the
touch. When
charging the
battery for the
first time, the
device may
indicate that
charging is
complete after
just 10 or 15
minutes. This
is normal
with |
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rechargeable
batteries.
New
batteries
are hard
for the
device to
charge;
they have
never
been
fully
charged
and not
"broken
in."
Sometimes
the
device's
charger
will stop
charging
a new
battery
before it
is fully
charged.
If this
happens,
remove
the
battery
from the
device
and then
reinsert
it. The
charge
cycle
should
begin
again. |
What is
"memory
effect"?
A partially discharged
battery at times does not
fully discharges before
recharging. It sort of
"forgets" to do so. This is
what is the memory effect.
For e.g. if you fully
charge your battery and
then use only 50% of its
capacity before the next
recharge, eventually the
battery will become unaware
of its extra 50% capacity,
which has remained unused.
The battery will remain
functional, but only at 50%
of its original capacity.
To deal with this, always
fully discharge your
battery, before recharging
it. This can be done by,
unplugging the device's AC
adapter and letting the
device run on the battery
until it ceases to
function. This will help
your battery remain
healthy.
What Are Volts and
Milliamp-hours
(mAH)?
These are ratings on every
battery. Milliamp-hours or
(mAH), is one-thousandth of
an amp-hour (1AH =
1000mAH). The voltage of
the new battery should
always match the voltage of
your original unless the
batteries are different
chemistries. NiMH and
Li-Ion batteries have
different voltage ratings,
even if they're for the
same device.
How long do
typical batteries
last?
Generally, 11/2 - 3 years,
or 500-800 charge-discharge
cycles. As the rechargeable
battery begins to die,
there is a decline in the
running time of the
battery, till it reaches to
50% of its running time,
and you need a new
battery.
Can I recycle my old
battery?
NiCad, NiMH and Li-Ion
batteries should be
recycled. Be
environmentally conscious -
do NOT throw these
batteries in the trash.
How long will my
new battery
run? Battery
run-time is difficult to
determine. Actual battery
running time depends upon
the power demands made by
the mobile phone. The use
of the screen, the device
and other accessories
results in an additional
drain upon the battery,
effectively reducing its
running time. The total
run-time of the battery is
also dependent upon the
design of the mobile
phone.
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DOs
AND DON'Ts OF
BATTERY
USE |
Battery
Do's:
-
Fully
charge/discharge
battery
up to 4
cycles
before
achieving
full
capacity
of a
new
battery
-
Fully
discharge
and
then
fully
charge
the
battery
every
two to
three
weeks.
-
Run the
device
under
the
battery's
power
until
it
shuts
down or
until
you get
a low
battery
warning.
Then
recharge
the
battery
as
instructed
in the
user's
manual.
-
Remove
from
the
device
and
store
in a
cool,
dry,
clean
place
if the
battery
will
not be
in use
for a
month
or
longer.
-
Recharge
the
battery
after a
storage
period
Ensure
maximum
performance
of the
battery
by
optimizing
the
device's
power
management
features.
Refer
to the
manual
for
further
instructions.
|
Battery
Don'ts:
-
Do not
short-circuit.
A
short-circuit
may
cause
severe
damage
to the
battery.
-
Do not
drop,
hit or
otherwise
abuse
the
battery
as this
may
result
in the
exposure
of the
cell
contents,
which
are
corrosive.
-
Do not
expose
the
battery
to
moisture
or
rain.
-
Keep
battery
away
from
fire or
other
sources
of
extreme
heat.
Do not
incinerate.
Exposure
of
battery
to
extreme
heat
may
result
in an
explosion
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Tip: Turn
off the phone, take
out the battery and
put it in again. Rest
batteries for 24
hours before
charging. It is known
that generally even
when your phone is
"sleeping", it is
not.
Protect your
phone against
thefts: The
International Mobile
Equipment Identity umber
(IMEI) (a 15 digit code) is
programmed in the phone at
the time of manufacture.
This will help the police
track down the phone if it
is stolen. To know this
number: 1. Type *#06# on
the mobile. 2. A number
appears. 3. Confirm this
with the number on the
battery. If this does not
match then it means that
the phone has been tampered
with or is refurbished. 4.
Note the number in a safe
place. Curtsy
www compareindia
com
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