Should you let your smartphone unload completely?Is it bad to leave your smartphone connected for too long?Many myths surround the recharge of smartphones.We take stock.

The battery of our smartphones is one of these most critical components.Despite advances in almost all mobile fields, autonomy issues remain one of the major concerns of any smartphone owner.

The fast load, external batteries and a whole bunch of other accessories, however, promise to end the anxiety of the dry breakdown. Mais toutes ces technologies de recharge sont-elles bonnes à prendre ?We take stock sur la manière de bien recharger son smartphone.

Favor the charger of your phone

Today, most of our smartphones are able to intelligently exchange with their charger to optimize the charging phase.But not all telephone chargers are created equal.Some load bricks and some poorly constructed cables may damage your phone.

Ideally, use the charger provided with your phone if the manufacturer offers a.These accessories are tested by manufacturers and meet strict compatibility and safety criteria.So do not buy just any cheap charger on the web and prefer known brands.

Not all chargers are equal,

Source: Numerama photo

On the side of the load bricks, the Anker brand offers many accessories with USB-A or USB-C-C sockets.The Belkin brand also enjoys a good reputation and markets chargers capable of recharging two devices at a time.The manufacturer also markets chargers with gallium nitride around € 40.

Cable: a point not to be overlooked

The other party of the equation after the charger is obviously the cable.And there again, you have to be a little attentive to what we use.The rapid load of a smartphone or even its effective operation depends on a few criteria.

For iPhone: MFI certification

For Apple devices, you can trust MFI certification which ensures optimal compatibility with Apple mobile devices.There are models of this type at Anker (14 euros) or Amazonbasics (12 euros).

If you do not know if the cable you use is certified or not, the manufacturer details on a dedicated page indices that can help you sort your cables.The easiest way is to watch for the presence of the small logo below.

The logo that ensures MFI compatibility

USB-C problematic

On the side of Android smartphones, it is today the recharging by USB-C which has imposed itself.Despite its nickname "universal" charger, all cables and all USB-C chargers are not equal.

USB cables "Standard" (USB-A) on one side and USB-C on the other can notably cause problems since the two standards do not always negotiate charging power in the same way.Result, the USB-C can request more power than USB-A is capable of deliver and you could damage your charger or even your mobile.The problem may arise that you are connected to a wall charger, an external battery or to the USB port on your computer.

Always prefer USB-C/USB-C cables known for your Android smartphones.We recommend those marketed by Apple (30 euros) or Belkin once again (13 euros).

Fast load: OK for punctual use

For years now, most smartphones manufacturers have been offering "fast load" accessories capable of putting a whip at your battery in just a few minutes.If technology itself is absolutely not dangerous, you still have to keep a few points in mind to use it well.

These rapid chargers, which are capable of delivering 15 to 100 watts currently, have been designed for short load sessions.Their goal is to send maximum power very quickly to inflate your percentages in a few minutes.

If a whole bunch of mechanisms have been put in place to prevent this high power with the battery, the heat generated by these chargers can still be harmful in the long term.

Heat, enemy of batteries

More generally, our lithium-ion batteries hate extreme heat.This is due to the very structure of the component.The electrolyte, which allows the transfer of the ions necessary for the load, can be damaged in too strong heat and reduce the capacity of your battery.

The best is therefore to use fast chargers when you have little time in front of you and less powerful chargers during the long charging phases (at night for example).Beyond these limits, you do not risk much with fast chargers, you can completely use your USB-C charger for your phone, the power delivered will be suitable and will not grill your smartphone.Most smartphones negotiate charging power dynamically to avoid grilling the battery.Some phones, such as Pixel 6 in particular, have a slightly too conservative approach to fast charge.

For a serene fast charge, you can direct yourself to the Qualcomm QuickCharge certified chargers or even go up to 65 watts of power with an essential model B at 39.99 euros.

0 or 100 % battery: potentially harmful extremes

As we had already explained, the ideal load of your smartphone is between 20 % and 80 %.Going below or beyond can slightly damage your battery.This is due to the increase in the resistance of the cell which occurs during the discharge or the full load of a mobile.This can cause harmful warming up for the battery.

It is always preferable to load punctually during the day only once during the night to avoid submitting the battery to a too large heating, but that is not necessarily practical.Most smartphones are more equipped with protective mechanisms which avoid "overload" when the battery reaches 100 %.

The old myth of a battery that would need to be discharged entirely to be "calibrated" effectively comes from another era.Before using lithium batteries, some gadgets used metal nickel-hydride batteries which needed a full load and discharge cycle to have a precise estimate of their capacity.

Let your smartphone charger quiet

The last tip to follow to avoid using your battery too quickly is to avoid using your phone while it loads.If you play or watch a video while your smartphone is plugged in, you may add the processor heating to the load and increase the temperature of your components.As we have seen, the heat is the enemy of the batteries.

And the wireless load?

Having become more widespread since Apple presented its Magsafe charger in 2020, the wireless load does not degrade the quality of your battery.A wireless charger will necessarily produce a little heat, just like its wired cousins, but is not likely to damage your smartphone.

The iPhone 12

Source: Louise Audry for Numerama

On the other hand, with equivalent power, a wireless charger will consume slightly more than a wired charger.This is due, among other things, to the inherent loss of the charge by induction which establishes less direct contact with the battery.The load will also be slower.

If you are still looking for a wireless charger to simplify your life, Belkin offers a model at 10 watts (sold 17.50 euros) while Anker markets his at 24 euros.If you have an iPhone, the best will probably be the Magsafe charger at 45 euros.