Initial charge for brand new Samsung Galaxy SIII Mini

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jasonwaiheke

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#130765 27-Sep-2013 09:04

I have just recieved my Samsung Galaxy SIII Mini, and I want to ensure I get it right from the begining so as to get the best out of my battery for the future.

So, is there any specific rules about the initial charge, and charging cycle / patter for this phone. In the 'old days' it was always said put together and leave to charge for 12 hours or overnight before use, then charge when flat. With new technology it is no longer recomended to let the phone go flat, but to charge when low, just before it goes flat. I have read also to assemble the phone, charge till full, turn on and use till flat, leave off and charge, then turn on and only charge when low or whenever you want but repating the previous every 6 months. Other results indicate that just use out the box and charge when low....

I dont want to reduce my battery life from day one... any real thoughts

keewee01

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#903523 27-Sep-2013 09:12

There are quite a few good articles around on Li Ion batteries, and I think there is even a detailed thread on Geekzone already. I've not got any of this on hand, but have a search on Geekzone and see what you turn up. (Sorry - too flat out to hunt this our for you at the moment)

I tell all my users when they get a new phone that for the first 3 charging cycles you want to fully charge it, then use it until flat and then repeat another couple of times to condition the battery (apparently Li Ion batteries love this as it ensures the battery starts it's life knowing it's full capacity).

I would then see how you go with battery life in day to day use. If you find you are getting 2.5 days, charge it every second night. If you are only just making it into the second day, charge it every night. And occasionally do a full charge after flattening the battery.

keewee01

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#903524 27-Sep-2013 09:14

OK, I managed to quickly locate one link, but do some search to see what else you can turn up

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

timmmay

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#903527 27-Sep-2013 09:18

Unfortunately most or all of the information keewee provided is potentially incorrect. Don't take my word for it, read up on battery university here, with more info here. How to prime a battery is addressed in detail here.

In summary:
- Charge with the phone off if possible.
- Charge until it says it's full, maybe a little longer if you like for the first charge. Some chargers turn off when the battery's full anyway.
- Running a battery fully out wears it out. You can do it once when you first get it if you must, but then only do it every three months.
- In general partial charges are best for the battery, and regular charging is better than letting it go right down first.

All in all a new battery is relatively cheap, so I wouldn't stress about it. I use a wireless charger that heats the battery up, which will shorten its life, but oh well I can buy another for probably $20 on ebay or $50 from Samsung.

jasonwaiheke

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#903536 27-Sep-2013 09:33

Well that has made very interesting reading, one thing I picked up on mentioned a couple of times there, that I did not know before, nor have I read before, is that they recomend not charging the battery with the device turned on, they recomend turning off when charging. This is to ensure the correct amount of charge is delivered.

timmmay

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#903538 27-Sep-2013 09:35

Yip. But I never do that, I put the phone on the wireless charger whenever I feel like it. For a full charge I plug it in, as the wireless charger makes the phone too hot.

linw

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#903749 27-Sep-2013 14:30

Don't agonise too much. Most of the old 'conditioning' rules applied to NiCd batteries!

You can't over or under charge it as charging is tightly controlled electronically. It has to be or you could have the battery go up in flames if overcharged and ruined if left to discharge too low.

I have an Siii mini as well and really have to charge it overnight even with low usage. You can save battery by stopping wifi and GPS when not needed (do this on the handy pull down notifications screen).

richms

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#903882 27-Sep-2013 17:40

I ignore all that and still get over a year before its annoyingly shortened in lifespan. Not a problem for a decent phone where you can pop in a new battery, but something stupid like the htc one X is now a pretty useless phone with its reduced battery life, and there is nothing I can do about it easily.

Dont replace with cheap ebay batteries, get something half decent and all will be fine and they are only about $30 or so.

Richard rich.ms