Every other day we see a new company boasting about how fast their new smartphone can charge. That their chargers can take your phone from 0-60 percent in 30 minutes. But what aren’t these manufacturers telling you about fast charging? We explain everything you need to know in this article.

According to industry experts, a battery when charged with a fast charger is most stressed after the 80 percent charge level. This is the time when high voltage current is not absorbed by the battery as efficiently as it does when charging from zero to 50 percent. Lithium-ion batteries are like a sponge – they absorb the charge efficiently during the initial phase and begin to drop-off after 70-80 percent charge level.

This unabsorbed charge is a problem as it can lead to short circuits and battery degradation over time. For this reason, manufacturers equip fast chargers with a voltage control mechanism which lowers the voltage as the charge levels reach 80 percent.

So, as a rule of thumb, it is best to charge a fast charging smartphone when it reaches down to 20-30 percent and unplug it at around 80-90 percent battery charge level. This is the sweet spot if you want to extend the battery life of your phone. Letting your phone drain to almost zero is not advised and on the other end of the spectrum, charging it to 100 percent also won’t do any good in the long run.

It is a proven fact over the years that lithium-ion batteries don’t like temperature variations. Whether it be due to the environment, user induced or the phone’s operating temperatures. The sweet spot of battery charging is important since at the initial battery charging phase from zero to 50 percent maximum heat is dissipated. So if you mindfully charge the phone before it hits 10-20 percent level, the overall battery charging temperature will be within acceptable limits.

Also, it needs to be kept in mind that charging the phone in direct sunlight, near a heat source or in closed spaces with no airflow like under a pillow or with battery banks in your pocket, can increase the heat levels. On the other hand, cold temperatures can also affect battery health, so you should keep your phone away from extreme cold environments. Cold conditions lead to battery power dissipation at a faster rate which also hampers the user experience

To extend the battery life of your smartphone with fast charging there are some things that’ll go a long way in solving your battery-related woes. This is something you’re probably tired of hearing, but as you charge the phone you should not use it constantly as the display consumes maximum battery and this will increase the temperature as the battery undergoes stress.

Putting the phone in Airplane mode is another ritual you can employ while charging the phone. This way your device will not use hardware resources to search for networks constantly which can drain the battery. It will also prevent you instinctively from checking any new notifications which are not urgent to address.

Another nifty trick is to charge your phone without the phone case. The more heat that is dissipated inside the battery, the more chances there are of damage in the long run – not only to the battery but to other vital hardware as well. Taking the case off will direct the heat outside the phone.

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