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In today's fast-paced and tech driven world, Samsung Electronics stands out as a global leader, delivering smartphones known for performance, design, and unique features.
With the increased power demands of Android apps, 5G connectivity, high resolution displays, advanced camera optics, battery capacity is becoming the central topic for both the users and the manufacturers.
In response, Samsung started introducing high-capacity batteries in all the smartphones that it manufacture, be it a flagship or a mid-ranger.
That's not all as Samsung backs these high-capacity batteries with a software feature known as 'Battery Protection.' The battery protection feature is designed to limit the charging to a certain level to avoid wear.
Always charging the phone to 100 percent affects battery's longevity and performance.
So, in this article we will see how incorrect charging patterns can affect your phone's battery and reduce its lifespan. We will also learn to enable battery protection in Samsung phones to avoid unnecessary stress on the battery. So, let's roll.
How Charging to 100 Percent Affects Battery Performance and Longevity
Charging your phone's battery to 100 percent can have negative consequences in the long run. Here's how the battery is affected when you charge it to full. Also, the reasons given below are solid proof for what kills phone battery health.
1. Stress and Heat
When the phone's battery is charged to 100 percent, the high voltage slowly reduces its efficiency. Additionally, high voltage increases the heat in the battery.
While modern smartphones are sophisticated enough to manage heat generation, they are not fully reliable, as they depend on temperature sensors that may malfunction at any time.
2. Limited Charging Cycles
Lithium-ion batteries have a limited number of charge cycles. One cycle is simply one full charge and discharge. For example, using 100% of your battery and charging it back to full equals one cycle.
However, you don't have to use 100% all at once. If you use 50% today and 50% tomorrow, that also counts as one full cycle. Most smartphone batteries last between 300 to 500 of these cycles before they start to degrade. This is where Depth of Discharge (DoD) becomes important.
The Fact: Batteries love "shallow" cycles. Using only 20% of your power before recharging is much healthier than a "deep" discharge to zero. Deep discharges put massive chemical strain on your battery cells.
The Benefit: Samsung’s Maximum protection caps your charge at 80% to keep you in this "shallow" zone. This avoids the high-voltage stress found at 100% and the chemical exhaustion found at 0%. Simply staying between 20% and 80% can double your battery’s total lifespan.
Real-world Variability
Smartphone batteries are expected to last for 300 to 500 charge cycles. However, there are exceptions in some cases. For example, I used a Motorola Moto G series smartphone with a 3000mAh battery for 8 years, and the battery still works fine, although with reduced capacity.
I know it’s hard to believe that a lithium-ion smartphone battery could last more than 8 years and still powers the phone, but in those 8 years, my phone's battery could have easily completed more than 2,500 charge cycles—nearly four to five times the expected lifespan.
The reason for such an astounding lifespan is likely my usage pattern, as I used the phone with care and didn’t play heavy games. However, the phone was extensively used for watching videos, listening to music, and browsing the web.
This demonstrates how reliable lithium-ion batteries can be when used with proper care.
So, charging your phone's battery to 100 percent most of the time won't harm it because the phone and the charger provide some protection measures using sophisticated circuits.
However, it is advised to keep the charge level between 20% and 80%. If you now feel that how do I protect my Samsung battery, explore the next section below. Also, read: how to use Quick Share to transfer files from Android to PC.
How to Enable Battery Protection in Samsung Android Phones?
Samsung Android phones come with a special feature known as Battery Protection, which helps limit the charging level between 80% and 95%. The 'Battery Protection' in Samsung Galaxy Android phones is a useful feature for protecting the battery.
It prevents the battery from reaching 100% during charging. Here's how to enable it on your Samsung Galaxy Android smartphone.
- Go to Settings and tap 'Battery.'
Overview of battery settings in a Samsung Android device. - Now tap 'Battery protection.' If it is set to 'Off' then turn it 'On' by tapping the grey slider. It will turn blue once enabled.
Samsung Galaxy battery protection modes: Basic, Adaptive, and Maximum. - Now tap 'Maximum' and select the charging level from 80%, 85%, 90% or 95%. I recommend selecting either 80% or 85%.
Choosing the desired level of battery protection in the settings menu. - You can also select 'Adaptive' or 'Basic' if you still wish to prevent overcharging without limiting the charging to 80% level. However, we suggest you to select the 'Maximum' option to conserve the battery. At times, you can select the 'Basic' mode if you ever wish to charge your phone to 100%.
Comparing Samsung Battery Protection Modes
In recent One UI updates, Samsung introduced three distinct protection levels. Choose the one that best fits your daily routine:
| Mode | How it Works | Best For... |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Stops at 100% and only resumes charging once the battery drops to 95%. | People who need a full day's charge. |
| Adaptive | Pause at 80% while you sleep and finishes to 100% just before you wake up. | Overnight chargers with a set routine. |
| Maximum | Imposes a hard cap at 80% (or 85% on older versions) and never exceeds it. | Power users who want the longest battery lifespan. |
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Samsung Battery Protection Feature
Q1. Why does Samsung only charge to 85%?
If your Samsung phone is charging to 85% only, it could be due to battery damage or degradation, or you may have the battery protection enabled on your phone. To disable it, explore this section.
Q2. Is it worth using protect battery on Samsung?
Yes, it is worth using the battery protection feature on Samsung, as it saves the battery from unnecessary heat and stress. It also prevents battery degradation by limiting the battery charge to 80–95%. Also, read: One UI 7 tips tricks and hidden secrets.
Q3. Is slow charging better for battery?
Yes, slow charging your phone is better than fast charging, as it produces less heat and stress. Fast charging should be used when you don't have enough time to charge the battery.
Conclusion
Enabling Battery Protection on your Samsung phone helps extend battery life, reduce heat, and prevent stress on your device. Take a minute to set it up today and keep your smartphone running longer. Share this tip with friends to help them protect their batteries too!
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