Opinion: Huawei debunks battery charging myths and shows leadership in the category

The verdict is in. Everyone has one big ask for their phone and that’s better battery life. In 2015, visitors to the Consumer Electronics Show voted improved battery life as the most critical feature in a smartphone. It is 2016 and only now are phone manufacturers starting to get the message. Many brands are clamoring to try and provide devices that meet their customers’ basic need.

At Huawei, we are proud to say that not only did we understand our users’ demand for a long lasting battery, we have also addressed another users pain point, which is the time it takes to charge a battery. Already in 2015 we unveiled a super battery prototype, demonstrating its tech advancements on two prototype removable lithium-ion batteries that can be fully recharged in only a few minutes. Now this battery expertise is filtering down to our everyday handsets.

Our new premium entry level phone Huawei Y6Pro boasts the most powerful battery in its category. It stays strong through an impressive two days’ heavy usage with an extremely quick charge time; just 10 minutes of charging delivers three hours of call time. Adding to that, the phone can also double up as a portable charger for other devices.

Despite a clear understanding of the value of a powerful battery, many consumers are still unclear on issues such as when to charge it, how long to charge it for and how to get the best from your battery. To help users get the utmost of their battery, we have compiled a selection of the most common mobile charging myths and debunked them.

Myth 1: Only charge a battery on 50% power or less

This is the most common charging myth; however, it’s no longer true anymore. Today’s batteries are lithium-ion, which means they don’t have memories, they can’t be trained to take more charge and there’s no reason not to top up your battery whenever you feel like it.

Myth 2: An off-brand charger will kill your phone

An off-brand charger won’t affect your battery, but cheap, knock-off chargers are a different story as they have been proven to be a safety hazard. Branded chargers are the best if you have a special model like the Huawei Y6Pro’s super-fast two-amp (5V2A) charger that powers three hours of talk time in just 10 minutes because of its Smart Power Saving technology using eight separate power-optimisation approaches.

Myth 3: You shouldn’t charge your battery overnight

Today’s mobile batteries don’t have memories (see Myth #1) but they are smart. Your battery will stop charging when it’s full and leaving it plugged in overnight does no real harm. Saying that, if your phone runs hot, remove its case before an overnight charge session to ensure excess heat can escape.

Myth 4: If your phone gets hot while charging, put it in the fridge

Smartphone batteries have been designed to function at normal room temperature. Is your refrigerator normal room temperature? No? Then definitely don’t put your phone inside it. The freezer and the oven are also off limits, and sunny car dashboards should be avoided too.

Myth 5: It’s best to power down while charging

While phones can benefit from an occasional break, there’s no reason to power off while charging. Smartphone designers know they’re building phones, so batteries are designed to work well under full-time use. Power down if your phone is running particularly slowly or you need to install an update, but otherwise, don’t bother.

Written by Peter Hu, Managing Director of East and Southern Africa, Huawei Consumer Business Group.