New report: You’ve been charging your smartphone wrong

KNOXVILLE (WATE) – Today’s smartphones can do incredible things, like stream video or manage your agenda, but it can cost your battery life.

While you may be draining your battery from playing apps like Pokemon Go! or Facebook, a new report by battery company Cadex, called Battery University, says it is our own fault that the battery life on smartphones isn’t very good. Battery University claims that many of us are charging our phones incorrectly.

While most people think keeping a phone plugged-in overnight is better for battery, the report says charging phones in small bursts throughout the day can lead to less damage on the battery. According to the report, once the battery is fully charged it then starts to “trickle charge” in order to keep the battery at 100 percent.

This puts the battery in a state of stress. Like stress in humans, the report says cell phone batteries can feel stress which over prolonged period wears down the device.

The study found batteries in smartphones are much happier if you charge them occasionally throughout the day, instead of plugging them in for a big charging session when they are empty. While not practical, the report says charging your phone when it loses 10 percent of its charge is the best scenario. Most people should just plug it in throughout the day in order to keep their smartphone’s battery performing for longer.

The report also found that the batteries are sensitive to heat. Apple says removing certain cases during charging may actually help increase battery life. Certain styles of cases may trap extra heat from the phone, which could affect battery capacity.