Nexus 4 A/C vs USB port charging

[misho_97]

Hi,forum!Recently i purchased the LG Nexus 4 16gb and when charging i noticed that it's charging noticeably faster in the A/C brick than in the PC usb port.I looked for some info and I read that simply the USB outputs less electricity (500 milliamps) compared to A/C's 1000 milliamps.However, my question is where is better for the battery to be charged?I know that the nexus battery is not user-replaceable and needs some more care.So do i charge it in the PC for slower solid charge or it doesn't even make difference for the battery life if it's charged in the wall A/C?
Regards,Michael.

 

[Mehta23]

I believe the slower you charge a battery, the longer it should charge. I'm not sure if that applies to the Li-ion batteries in your phone, but I think it should.

 

[olbriar]

Hi misho_97. As long as you are using the stock charger for your device you will be fine. Increased rate of charge will increase the temp of the battery while charging but all of that will have been considered with the design of the stock charger. Either method of charge will be fine.

Welcome to Android Forums. I hope you enjoy these forums and that they prove to be helpful and enjoyable. Be sure to check out the discussion area we have for your device. That's where the fun begins for most members. If you need any assistance finding that area.. please let us know. We enjoy helping.

 

[Rukbat]

The charger supplied with the phone will charge the battery at an ideal rate. A USB 2.0 port will charge it at 0.1 A (100 mA), which is not ideal. It's not true that the slower the charge, the better it is for the battery. Ideal charge rate is about 0.7C, where C is the capacity of the battery, so a 3,750 Ma battery should be charged at a rate of about 2.45 Amps, while a 1,500 mA battery should be charged at a rate of about 1 Amp. There's no "one size fits all". (All this has to be degraded if we're talking about wireless charging, because all that heat - about 30% of the charging current - is being converted to heat, which is heating the battery, the number 1 cause of battery failure.)

For maximum life, LiIoin batteries should be charged when they get down to about 50% of capacity, and stored (for long terrm storage) at about 40% of capacity. No one actually charges the battery when it gets down to 50%, but that's what SHOULD BE done.

 

[misho_97]

Hi misho_97. As long as you are using the stock charger for your device you will be fine. Increased rate of charge will increase the temp of the battery while charging but all of that will have been considered with the design of the stock charger. Either method of charge will be fine.

Welcome to Android Forums. I hope you enjoy these forums and that they prove to be helpful and enjoyable. Be sure to check out the discussion area we have for your device. That's where the fun begins for most members. If you need any assistance finding that area.. please let us know. We enjoy helping.

Thank you for the fast and comprehensive response olbriar! I'll be asking this forum for further questions for sure!

 

[misho_97]

The charger supplied with the phone will charge the battery at an ideal rate. A USB 2.0 port will charge it at 0.1 A (100 mA), which is not ideal. It's not true that the slower the charge, the better it is for the battery. Ideal charge rate is about 0.7C, where C is the capacity of the battery, so a 3,750 Ma battery should be charged at a rate of about 2.45 Amps, while a 1,500 mA battery should be charged at a rate of about 1 Amp. There's no "one size fits all". (All this has to be degraded if we're talking about wireless charging, because all that heat - about 30% of the charging current - is being converted to heat, which is heating the battery, the number 1 cause of battery failure.)

For maximum life, LiIoin batteries should be charged when they get down to about 50% of capacity, and stored (for long terrm storage) at about 40% of capacity. No one actually charges the battery when it gets down to 50%, but that's what SHOULD BE done.

You just couldn't be more helpful than this!Appreciated : )))

 

[Mehta23]

It's not true that the slower the charge, the better it is for the battery.

Fair enough, I guess school has lied to me yet again or that doesn't transfer to phone batteries, although I have heard the same thing a few times before

For maximum life, LiIoin batteries should be charged when they get down to about 50% of capacity, and stored (for long terrm storage) at about 40% of capacity. No one actually charges the battery when it gets down to 50%, but that's what SHOULD BE done.

I have heard this before, and I should probably start doing it

 

[Mehta23]

Wireless charger actually charges faster than plugging it in via cable.

I've heard the complete opposite of this :/ something to do with induction and the output? Have I been told wrong again? ;p