Battery Drain and Strain - Why Is Your Smartphone Dying?

Random shutdowns and sudden battery drain sound poetic - but it’s the absolute worst. Smartphones are used for almost everything, so, understandably, you rely on lengthy battery life. It's natural to feel uneasy and stressed about the possibility of being disconnected due to a low battery. This feeling, known as battery anxiety, is quite common. Battery drain and strain are preventable, but can we blame the batteries for low performance?

Where smartphones have evolved much, batteries haven’t. Even if you’re splurging your money to buy the latest high-tech, its battery system still stems from the 1970s. The battery in your phone often uses lithium-ion technology. It recharges itself by reversibly reducing lithium ions to store energy, basically, a chemical reaction to synthesize energy. Its lifespan is estimated to be around 2 to 3 years or 300 to 500 charge cycles. One charge cycle is fully charged, fully discharged, and back to fully charged. 
Naturally, they come with limitations. The lifespan of lithium-ion batteries degrades from the first moment of use. The batteries are difficult to dispose of, have a direct environmental impact, are heavy, and potentially highly explosive. Not all smartphones use lithium-ion batteries, some use lithium-ion polymer batteries. These function the same, but they use a polymer electrolyte instead of a liquid electrolyte. They can hold more energy without making the battery larger but cost more. Hence, the higher use of lithium-ion batteries.

So, why did a Nokia 3310 last forever? Battery life is determined by a combination of factors, including the size of the battery, hardware power, and user usage patterns. The Nokia 3310 had a smaller battery, but fewer features and low-power hardware. Its battery could run for days. Modern-day smartphones have advanced features: internet connectivity, high-resolution display, and apps running continuously - thus reducing the battery life.

What’s causing the battery drain?
- Everyone uses their phones differently, but here are the most common drains
- The battery percentage is not 100% accurate (pun intended)
- The screen brightness is too high
- Too many notifications
- Picture-in-picture mode
- Too many apps running in the background
- Apps using location tracking

Unfortunately, you can’t escape battery strain. It’s always better to charge your phone when it’s reaching low battery levels, even if it means charging your phone multiple times per day!

Here are some easy practical tips to prolong your battery life without having to worry about charging yet!
- Change location services to ‘while using the app’
- Dim your screen brightness
- Use dark themes
- Turn on low-power mode
- Avoid extreme temperatures (trust us, we understand the struggle with our Nordic temperatures)

Otherwise, start charging as soon as your phone gets low. Not at home or if all else fails, know that we are here for you. Brick offers the opportunity to rent a powerbank to charge your phone on the go. No cables or outlets are needed, just one of our Bricks.