New Mobile Phone - Battery Advice Please

[Paul608085]

@Ribblelancs 

I'll get in touch with them tomorrow re: the warranty.

[Les-Gibson]

Unlike NiCad or NiMH batteries, there is no memory effect with lithium batteries.

Little and often is probably the best way to charge them, not least because they can be volatile, for this reason I would stick with using the charger that they come with and, for safety reason, wouldn't use a car charger.

Anyone remember the problem Samsung had a few years  back with the S7 battery spontaneously bursting into flames? 

[Paul608085]

@Les-Gibson 

"Little and often" is another alternative suggestion - no wonder I was confused by the multitude of opinions in my initial web search!

The main reason why I was considering a different charger was to charge at a slower rate, and in theory reduce heat in the battery whilst charging - potentially a cause of combustion (!), but my intention was to increase battery life. The supplied charger is a high powered fast charger.

Are you saying that you would not recommend plugging the phone into the car? In which case Android Auto will not work.

[Les-Gibson]

The charger that comes with the phone is an intelligent one, the charge rate being highest when the battery is at it's lowest.

As the charge on the battery increases, so the charging rate decreases, another reason for not allowing the battery charge to drop to a low level.

Personally I don't like or use in-car chargers but that's my personal preference then again I don't use Android Auto

[Paul608085]

@Les-Gibson 

Ah, so not letting the battery discharge too much means a lower charging rate from the supplied intelligent charger and therefore lower battery temperature - so no need for a lower powered slow charger? If the marketing people at Samsung had called it an intelligent, rather than a fast charger, then I would have been clear from the beginning!

Got it - thanks! 😀

[Les-Gibson · Accepted solution]

You might find this interesting. https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/how-can-i-optimise-and-extend-the-battery-life-on-...

[Paul608085]

@Les-Gibson 

Perfect - that's exactly what I'm looking for.

Strangely, in my phone's "Settings" menu is a "User Manual". The link doesn't work!

(I have been able to download the manual from elsewhere).

[Paul608085]

Is it also important to use the cable that came with the phone when charging?

The importance of using the manufacturer's supplied "intelligent" charger has been explained, but what about using a different cable?

My phone came with a charger with a USB-A output socket and a USB-A to USB-C cable to connect to the phone. The existing setup at my desk, which is the most convenient place to charge the phone, is with the charger plugged in to the mains on the floor at the back with my own USB cable running up through a hole in the desk to the phone - the Samsung supplied one is not long enough to do this. Is this OK, or do I need to rethink my charging setup so that I can use the Samsung cable?

I am aware that USB-C can be USB2 or USB3, and that the latter can supply higher currents. The cables that I have that I know to be USB3, (not A to C), are identified with a blue insulator inside the opening of the USB-A plug. My own cable has a white insulator there, and the Samsung cable's is black.

I have also heard that not all USB cables that look the same, are the same - such as not all pins being wired (?). I have read many posts about people who have had problems with Android Auto that are resolved by switching to the manufacturer's supplied cable.

[NigelB72]

@Paul608085 personally I do use replacement cables but I always use good quality ones... The cheap ones may only be suitable for charging and the build quality is generally not very good... The main one I keep in the house came with the phone, the one in the car is from the brand Juice. It cost around £10 from Tesco for a 1 metre cable. That is all pins wired and works perfectly and also supports fast charging... 

[Paul608085]

@NigelB72 

Thanks for that. Unfortunately, Juice don't make a cable at the length I require, (2 metres), they only seem to have 1m and 3m.

I have ordered one from a company called "JuicEBitz" - sounds similar, I wonder if that is deliberate 😉 . The spec mentions "Fast Charging", and I have had cables from them before.