What happens if you charge your phone overnight?
Several factors determine a phone's battery life, including manufacturing age and chemical age, which refers to the gradual deterioration of the battery due to variables such as temperature fluctuations, charging and discharging patterns, and general usage.
According to Apple: A regular iPhone battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 500 full charge cycles when operating under normal conditions.
Research found that a 2019 smartphone battery could undergo, on average, 850 full charge/discharge cycles before it dropped below 80% of its capacity.
This means that only 80% of the initial battery capacity remains after about two to three years of use. At this point, the battery starts to drain noticeably faster.
Most new generation smartphones will take between 30 minutes and two hours to fully charge.
Charging times vary depending on the battery capacity of your device, with larger capacities requiring longer time, in addition to the amount of power provided by the charger.
According to experts, charging your phone overnight is not only unnecessary, but it also accelerates battery aging. Full charging cycles (0% to 100%) should be avoided to maximize battery life.
Charging the battery up to 100% repeatedly may negatively affect the overall life of the battery, according to Samsung.
Instead of fully charging the battery, it is recommended to charge the battery up to 80% and not allow it to drop below 20%.
In the world of lithium-ion batteries, smartphones take center stage. However, this technology has also sparked an ongoing debate about whether overnight charging damages the battery.
According to Science Alert, over time, chemical aging of lithium-ion batteries reduces charging capacity, battery life, and performance.
In theory, lithium-ion batteries can be overcharged. This can lead to safety risks such as battery overheating and fire.
The good news is that most modern phones have built-in protection that automatically stops the battery from charging beyond 100%, preventing any damage resulting from overcharging.
However, every time the battery level drops to 99% (due to apps running in the background), it will “intermittent charging”: it will start charging again to maintain a full charge state.
Intermittent charging can corrode the battery over time. That's why many manufacturers have features to regulate it.
Can your phone explode from charging?
Your smartphone is unlikely to explode as a result of charging, especially since most phones now have automatic protection against overcharging.
However, over the years we have seen numerous reports of phones exploding unexpectedly. This usually occurs as a result of manufacturing defects, poor quality hardware, or physical damage.
The temperature of lithium-ion phone batteries rises when the heat generated during charging cannot be dissipated. This may cause burns, or in extreme cases, a fire.
These batteries also operate effectively within a temperature range of 0°C to 40°C. It may expand when ambient temperatures rise, which could lead to a fire or explosion.
Using an incorrect, defective, or poor-quality charger or cable can also lead to overheating, fire risks, and damage to the phone itself.