NEO
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Got this informattion and would like to share it here. I'm not sure how i should recharge Li-Ion battery since i like to drain it completely. This fact below says that it is not a good idea to do so. What is your opinion?
NEO
Nickel-Cadmium (NiCad)
This is the oldest of the three technologies, but you will still find quite a few batteries of this type still around. Cadmium is extremely toxic, and so this type of battery has been slated for extinction in the near future. If you have a NiCad batteries, you can expect fairly long service life from them if you treat them with respect. NiCad batteries suffer from a phenomenon known as "The Memory Effect". It received this name because over time the battery seemed to "remember" how long you used it between charges and then wouldn't hold a charge much longer than that. This effect is cause by the build-up of bubbles in the electrolyte as a result of "topping up" the battery.
Topping up the charge on a battery seems to be the way we prefer to treat our rechargeable batteries, but NiCad technology is not particularly happy with this practice. In order to prevent the memory effect from killing your batteries prematurely, you should make a habit of running your battery down COMPLETELY at least once a week. This can be done by leaving the phone on overnight. NiCads thrive on full discharge/recharge cycles.
Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH)
This technology replaced NiCad as the battery-of-choice about 4 or 5 years ago. It provided similar capacity to NiCad, but it did not contain the toxic Cadmium. This new technology promised improved performance and less memory effect. Unfortunately, it did not do away with the memory effect completely. NiMH batteries can withstand many top-ups without suffering from such pronounced memory effect, but in the end they will suffer the same fate as NiCads. For that reason, you should also run NiMH batteries through the occasional full discharge/recharge cycle, but you only have to do this once every 2 or 3 weeks.
Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
This is the newest battery technology, which finally does away with the memory effect once-and-for-all. In fact, Li-Ion batteries prefer to be topped up, and their life expectancy will be diminished if you fully discharge them. They also offer more power per unit of weight, so Li-Ion batteries usually lead to smaller and/or lighter cell phones. Their preference for topping up fits well with most people's usage patterns, which makes them an ideal choice.
As I understand it, the downside to Li-Ion technology is a shorter life cycle. However, given how most people treat their batteries, chances are very good that a Li-Ion battery would give longer service life than either of the other technologies. For those of you who treat batteries with respect, and go to the trouble of charging them in a manner that is in keeping with their "needs", then Li-Ion batteries will probably need replacing sooner than NiCad or NiMH batteries.
Li-Ion batteries also have the longest "shelf life". This refers to the length of time the battery will retain its charge without being used. All three of these rechargeable technologies have poor shelf life compared to dry cell batteries, so care should be exercised when putting a phone in a glove compartment for emergency-only use. This is especially true if you do so in the winter, since extremely cold temperatures will severely shorten the shelf life of the battery. If this is how you intend to use your phone, I would strongly recommend keeping a car adapter in the glove compartment with it. Charge the battery every couple of months to ensure it has plenty of usable power when it's needed
NEO
Nickel-Cadmium (NiCad)
This is the oldest of the three technologies, but you will still find quite a few batteries of this type still around. Cadmium is extremely toxic, and so this type of battery has been slated for extinction in the near future. If you have a NiCad batteries, you can expect fairly long service life from them if you treat them with respect. NiCad batteries suffer from a phenomenon known as "The Memory Effect". It received this name because over time the battery seemed to "remember" how long you used it between charges and then wouldn't hold a charge much longer than that. This effect is cause by the build-up of bubbles in the electrolyte as a result of "topping up" the battery.
Topping up the charge on a battery seems to be the way we prefer to treat our rechargeable batteries, but NiCad technology is not particularly happy with this practice. In order to prevent the memory effect from killing your batteries prematurely, you should make a habit of running your battery down COMPLETELY at least once a week. This can be done by leaving the phone on overnight. NiCads thrive on full discharge/recharge cycles.
Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH)
This technology replaced NiCad as the battery-of-choice about 4 or 5 years ago. It provided similar capacity to NiCad, but it did not contain the toxic Cadmium. This new technology promised improved performance and less memory effect. Unfortunately, it did not do away with the memory effect completely. NiMH batteries can withstand many top-ups without suffering from such pronounced memory effect, but in the end they will suffer the same fate as NiCads. For that reason, you should also run NiMH batteries through the occasional full discharge/recharge cycle, but you only have to do this once every 2 or 3 weeks.
Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
This is the newest battery technology, which finally does away with the memory effect once-and-for-all. In fact, Li-Ion batteries prefer to be topped up, and their life expectancy will be diminished if you fully discharge them. They also offer more power per unit of weight, so Li-Ion batteries usually lead to smaller and/or lighter cell phones. Their preference for topping up fits well with most people's usage patterns, which makes them an ideal choice.
As I understand it, the downside to Li-Ion technology is a shorter life cycle. However, given how most people treat their batteries, chances are very good that a Li-Ion battery would give longer service life than either of the other technologies. For those of you who treat batteries with respect, and go to the trouble of charging them in a manner that is in keeping with their "needs", then Li-Ion batteries will probably need replacing sooner than NiCad or NiMH batteries.
Li-Ion batteries also have the longest "shelf life". This refers to the length of time the battery will retain its charge without being used. All three of these rechargeable technologies have poor shelf life compared to dry cell batteries, so care should be exercised when putting a phone in a glove compartment for emergency-only use. This is especially true if you do so in the winter, since extremely cold temperatures will severely shorten the shelf life of the battery. If this is how you intend to use your phone, I would strongly recommend keeping a car adapter in the glove compartment with it. Charge the battery every couple of months to ensure it has plenty of usable power when it's needed
