Most modern manufacturers believe in providing Lithium-Ion or Li-ion batteries with their devices. These batteries are a huge improvement over the batteries we used a decade ago,but the fact is that batteries have a limited life span.
It is essential for a user to recognize an ailing battery and replace it in time. Not only will a battery which is near the end of its life be unfit for use with the device, it may also pose a health hazard to the user. Let us look at some signals which can verify that the the battery of the device is failing.
Decrease in discharge time
The essential indicator of a dying battery is that even when the device shows a full charge, it discharges in no time at all. It is to be noted that activities like gaming, watching/listening to multimedia, surfing the web etc also leach a lot of power, and if one or more of them are performed for an abnormal amount of time then the battery will get over quickly. However, if the battery discharge time is very low even when the device is performing normal day-to-day functions, then it could be established that there is some kind of a problem with the battery.
Generation of heat
Processor intensive tasks tend to increase the temperature of the device. Heavy Gaming, or watching videos for a large amount of time may result in the back panel becoming very hot but this is to be expected. Increase in temperature tends to decrease the health of a battery – a hot battery degrades at a quicker rate then a cool one – and some increase in temperature is expected and normal. Nonetheless, a sure shot sign of issues with the battery is the phone getting unusually hot to touch even when in standby, or when performing small functions.
Increase in size
Batteries that routinely overheat tend to form an internal bulge. This increase in size is easily noticeable when physically examining the battery. Moreover, when kept on a flat surface, a bulging battery would not lie down flatly and could be made to spin on the surface almost like a top.
Rather than conform to the rectangular appearance of a fit battery, an unfit battery would be somewhat elliptical in shape. When a battery starts bulging this way, the user should realize that it is time to change the battery.
Visible Corrosion
Sometimes, the corrosion of the battery is readily visible on the surface of the battery. All battery terminals have a tendency to get corroded over times, and the cellphone/tablet Li-Ion batteries are no exceptions. The corrosion can be so severe that the metal terminals may no longer function properly. While a small amount of corrosion can be cleaned by the user, heavily corroded batteries have to be replaced as soon as possible to avoid the risk of damage to the device.
Battery Monitoring Apps
Many apps exist on the Google Playstore – both paid and free – which allow the user to monitor the status and condition of your battery. Users can even monitor the temperature, voltage and the battery flow when connected to a Charger. One such popular app is the Battery Monitor Widget. Using this and similar apps, users can judge the state of battery deterioration and whether to replace it. You can also analyse battery history to discern the depreciation in battery quality.
Conclusion
With batteries from excellent International OEM manufacturers like Anker, Mugen etc. available to customers in India, replacing batteries is no longer a hassle. Moreover, manufacturers themselves have reduced the price tags associated with their batteries over the last few years. It is to be noted that a battery which is not performing up to standards would be very much evident to the user. The above mentioned factors may also help the user in confirming the condition of the battery. Poor battery performance is related to poor device performance, and thus it is essential for a user to replace a defective battery whenever the need arises for the continued smooth functioning of their devices. Also, when replacing batteries, proper disposal of the batteries is very important so as to avoid jeopardizing the integrity of our environment.
