[raycer]

The battery in my Nokia 3310 has packed up. I've ordered another online but can anyone advise me on the following:

I know a mobile phone battery lasts longer if you completely discharge it before recharging but how can you plan this so that it doesn't go completely flat just when you need it?

I've read the expression 'memory retention' several times but what does it mean?

[flagpole]

that is generally not good advice. with the old Ni-MH batteries they used to suffer from the so called memory effect. charging them from anything other that empty caused them to carry less charge by a process called hydrogen intercalation. so they benefited from being fully discharged.

modern Li-ion batteries have no memory effect and do not need to be fully discharged. they in fact benefit from being charged little and often.

it'll say on it which kind you have.

to be honest, your current battery must have lasted 5 years and to me that would seem to be pretty good.

[raycer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by flagpole

to be honest, your current battery must have lasted 5 years and to me that would seem to be pretty good.

...................fair comment - actually it's six years! I'm not complaining. I have to say though, I've only got the phone

for emergencies and rarely use it. A couple of phone calls and half a dozen texts a year, perhaps. In fact, at one

time the phone was de-activated by the server because I hadn't used it for six months and had to have a new sim

card!

Thanks for replying.

[flagpole]

ah well in that case, the best advice i can give you is about storage.

phone batteries are best stored at around 40% charge, and nice and cold. if you fully charge them and chuck them in a draw they will loose capacity all by themselves.

have a frank at this:
http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-19.htm

a battery stored for a year at 100% charge and 25C will only have 80% recoverable capacity. if it is stored at 40% charge it'll have 96% recoverable capacity.

it's important to realise mobile phone batteries are consumables.

[michael37]

Quote:

Originally Posted by flagpole

to be honest, your current battery must have lasted 5 years and to me that would seem to be pretty good.

Very true. The average lifetime of a mobile phone battery is 3 years. Anything more than that is a bonus.

[raycer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by flagpole

ah well in that case, the best advice i can give you is about storage.

Thanks for the info, but when I said I've only got the mobile phone for emergencies I didn't mean I put it in the drawer, I meant I carry it around with me or have it in the car for emergencies. All our social phone calls are on the landline at home. Anyway, thanks again.