The 100% Myth: Why The Way You Charge Your Devices Matters

From the earliest days of rechargeable battery powered electronics, one myth has loomed large and done more damage than most.

For many this would be your first TV-remote sized Nokia mobile phone with swappable colourful cases that came with multi-tap alphanumeric keypad and the 84 x 48 pixel fan-favourite Snake game. 

They told you it’s best to charge your phone up to 100% and let it drop to 0%, but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.

The rechargeable lithium-ion battery in your phone sends lithium-ion cells back and forth between the “positive” and the “negative” sides of your battery which creates energy that powers your device. However the movement of these cells back and forth also creates heat which eventually crystallises inside your battery, impeding the flow of battery cells back and forth and causing your device to put out less and less energy over time with each charge. 

Ideally you want to keep your device’s state of charge away from the 0-20% or 80-100% range of charge. Regularly charging your battery to 100% and letting it drop to 0% is bad for battery health and accelerates battery degradation. Your phone won’t last as long between charges and will more quickly dip below 100% capacity.

Luckily, we’re here to help! Optimised Charging in the ARROE app can keep your battery between 20% and 80% charged (or a customisable amount chosen by you) which can double the lifespan of your device batteries (or more!) and keep your phone performing optimally for longer. 

So fire up that Snake emulator on your smartphone and go for that high score!