Best battery care practices for laptop, tablets and smartphones

 “A device or gadget is only as portable as its battery life.” 

One of the major selling points for just about any mobile device (tablet, smartphone, laptop etc.) is the length of time that the device can run between charges and so it is important to know how to properly care for those batteries and even try to prolong their lifespan.

Here goes:

Many persons have been encouraging persons to fully discharge their battery every time they use it before charging it again – THIS IS JUST A MYTH (partially); 

Let me explain — older devices came with nickel cadmium batteries that suffered from a memory effect, something that is no longer present in modern lithium-ion batteries.

Modern lithium batteries require little maintenance; still there are some good practices that can be exercised in order to prolong their lifespan:

1. HEAT IS A KILLER – keep the battery as cool as possible so ensure the device is not stifled under a blanket while charging ESPECIALLY LAPTOPS.

2. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR BATTERY FULLY CHARGED – the new lithium-ion batteries will last longer (prolonged lifespan) if kept within the 40% - 80% charged range.  Once the battery gets to 100% DO NOT LEAVE IT PLUGGED IN.

3. Perform shallow discharging – discharge a little, charge a little (discharging to 50% and then recharging to about 80% is the best range).  Try to discharge the battery as little as possible before recharging.

4. Fully discharge the battery once a month – this is to ensure that any miscalibration as a result of shallow discharging is sorted out.  This will help with the accuracy of your battery meter.

NB: Even after taking all the precautions in the world your battery will die after a few years so DO NOT sacrifice practicality and having fun just to try and keep your battery alive.

UPDATE: Lithium-ion batteries (the ones found in newer devices) should not be left empty or with a very low charge for any long period of time, this WILL cause the battery to deteriorate very fast and eventually lead to it no longer being able to be recharged.
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See my blog on laptop battery care: 

http://www.jadabreo.blogspot.com/2012/02/laptop-battery-care.html