Battery: Charge for the first time - you have to be aware of that

If you are using a technical device with a battery for the first time, you should make sure that it is charged correctly the first time. We will show you what is important when charging for the first time and what errors there are.

Charging the battery for a very long time the first time - does that help?

When charging for the first time, many users swear by several hours of charging. Again and again one reads in forums that the battery should stay on the power for 12 hours. Read below whether this really makes sense.

• This process really makes sense and is called reconditioning, but only with nickel-cadmium batteries. However, NiCd batteries are no longer used in current devices.
• In the meantime, almost every technical device - such as smartphones and cameras - is equipped with a lithium-ion battery. Here the long charging the first time has no positive effect. If the battery is full, the power supply is stopped.

Charge the battery correctly the first time - how it works

If you are charging a battery for the first time, you should fully charge it. While this does not improve the performance of the lithium-ion battery, it does improve the accuracy of the display.

• For example, if you unpack your new smartphone, the device must first learn how much power the battery can store at all. This ensures the reliability of the battery display.

Charging the battery correctly: Further errors in the check

There are not only many myths surrounding the first charge, but there are also many errors in daily charging that keep going.

1. The wrong power supply: There are no wrong power supplies for smartphones that are charged via USB cable. An iPhone can also be charged with Android adapters and vice versa. However, due to various fast-charging technologies, the process may be delayed. However, the devices are not damaged by an external power supply.
2. Do not plug and unplug the cable too often: the life of a battery is limited, sometimes it lasts longer, sometimes shorter. On average, however, each battery can handle several hundred charging cycles. A full charge cycle is complete when 100 percent is charged. It doesn't matter whether you charge from 0 to 100 percent or four times from 75 to 100 percent. Modern batteries don't care how often and how long they are charged.
3. The memory effect: The so-called memory effect actually exists. If a battery is only ever charged from 30 to 100 percent, the battery "forgets" over time that the last 30 percent of battery power exists at all, since it is never used. It is therefore advisable to completely discharge the batteries on a regular basis and then charge them completely from 0 to 100 percent. At least that was the case with nickel-cadmium batteries. This effect no longer exists in modern lithium-ion batteries.

In the next practical tip, we will show you how to charge your smartphone battery faster.

Video tip: Charge smartphone battery faster