| Types of Cell Phone Batteries: | | | | the latest, most advanced, safest and lightest cell |
| Nickel Cadmium (NiCad): The capacity, run time, | | | | phone battery ever manufactured. Li-Poly does |
| and life span of all NiCad batteries are reduced by | | | | not suffer from memory effect, and will deliver |
| the "memory effect", also known as voltage | | | | up to 40% more battery capacity than NiMH |
| depression, in which the battery has to be | | | | battery of the same size. |
| discharged before recharging it, in order to avoid | | | | Performance Advantages of Cell Phone Battery |
| damage. NiCad batteries also use chemicals that | | | | Models: |
| are not environmentally friendly so they have to | | | | "Slim" is a thin, light battery that still retains its |
| be disposed off carefully. Almost all cell phone | | | | capacity. "Extended" has increased capacity, longer |
| manufacturers have now stopped using NiCad | | | | talk and stand-by time. "Main" allows for |
| batteries and are replacing them with newer | | | | simultaneous use of a primary battery and a |
| products such as Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) | | | | second, "auxiliary" battery. "Super" can apply to |
| batteries. | | | | "Super-slim", "super-performance" etc, and |
| Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH): These batteries are of | | | | "vibrational" allows for vibration mode in phones |
| the same size with NiCad batteries but will run for | | | | that have the feature. |
| 30%-40% longer, and twice as much energy can | | | | What is Initial Charge Cycle? |
| be packed into a given unit. They are also less | | | | A new cell phone battery is never fully charged. |
| prone to the "memory effect" problem that older | | | | The user will have to charge it for a full 14 to 20 |
| generation batteries are, and they are also more | | | | hours for the first time before it can be used |
| environmentally friendly since they do not contain | | | | effectively. This can be necessary for the first 2 |
| toxic materials like cadmium. NiMH are now one of | | | | - 3 cycles. Cell phone batteries require a "break-in" |
| the most popular battery types for cell phones | | | | period, and may not hold a full charge immediately. |
| but after a few hundred charge cycles, the | | | | The battery may not power up right away, may |
| crystals inside become coarser which can result in | | | | show false full charge (voltage), or "Not charging". |
| voltage drops (only) when in use. | | | | This is not unusual. The best thing to do is to |
| Lithium Ion (Li-Ion): The technology used to make | | | | charge the battery and leave it undisturbed for a |
| Li-Ion batteries is more advanced in comparison | | | | full 24 hours or so. |
| to the above two, and gives exceptional capacity | | | | The Life of the Cell Phone Battery: |
| for its size and weight. It does not have memory | | | | Decline in the life of the cell phone battery will be |
| effect, and a Li-Ion battery can deliver up to | | | | demonstrated by shorter talk and stand-by times. |
| 40% more battery capacity than NiMH battery of | | | | If regularly used, a typical cell phone battery lasts |
| the same size. Li-Ion batteries, however, are quite | | | | up to 300 and 500 cycles. This also depends on |
| expensive and will not be compatible with older cell | | | | the battery type. For example, a Li-Ion will die |
| phones. | | | | quite abruptly while you'll notice a gradual decline in |
| Lithium Polymer (Li-Poly): Enclosed in plastic | | | | performance when a NiMH battery nears the end |
| pouches instead of a metal can, this battery is | | | | of its lifetime. |