Factor 1: Cell age First of all, the current Lithium-Ion technology (Li- ion batteries) that is regularly used in smartphones takes about 24 months to be considered “expired” due to internal chemistry breakdown. Even basic testing to extract the statistics, does not give you a trustworthy idea of the battery health. Because it takes lengthy testing of the battery with multiple cycles to get reliable data of the battery health. In general, we can say that a battery that has been used for 12 months, is halfway through its lifecy- cle. Please note, that this article was written with a broad spectrum of experience that fits most Lith - ium Ion batteries currently used in smartphones introduced through 2020. The entire ageing process of batteries is still a fre- quent debated subject, since it is still not fully un- derstood. Now, we are catching up on the science. Unfortunatley, we still do not have a complete answer. However, without a complete answer, we can see a few reasons why this might be occurring: The first theory is that dendrites can form along the anode of the battery cell. When the an- ode has imperfections, dendrites have a nucle- ation site to form. Once formed, dendrites will only increase and can grow to puncture the batteries layers. Therefore, the battery performance drops. The second theory is that a highly resis- tant cover layer forms on the anode during stor- age. This causes a malfunction of the battery cell, causing the lithium to drain from the cell. This cover layer normally disappears during use but constantly grows in the battery if it is not charged. 1. 2. The latest and most likely theory is that Li-ion batteries lose even more voltage than normal because they are stored at incorrect temperatures or voltages. If the total voltage of the battery has fallen below a certain level, it is possible to breathe new life into the battery, but it still loses capacity. 3.
Factor 2: Cycle counts
Empty zone (can be refilled) Available energy Rock content Unusable, can no longer store energy
The second factor to pay attention to, is cycle counts. As batteries age, the cell itself will start to transform in portions to a rock type content, see figure 1. In the simplest of terms, this pre - vents the cell from holding the same energy as it once did. Even people with no knowledge of the technology, can recognize this symptom. If you have ever had a battery die at 40%, basically the battery was unable to hold voltage and died prematurely. You can compare the original 0-100% measure- ment based on cell age with the cycle counts. The outcome: about 730 complete cycles after 2 years of daily charging. Please note, this can vary depending on the brand and batteries in- ternal chemistry, and has been known to vary between 5-800 cycles. Combine both factors, it would mean that a battery will go from 100% to 0% in 24 months and 730 cycles.
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FUNCTIONS THAT DETERMINE THE BATTERY QUALITY
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