In an era where we increasingly rely on our smartphones, battery life and the ability to charge them when needed are crucial to avoid being stranded. However, chargers or power outlets aren't always available, so we resort to improvised recharging methods.
Perhaps the most common places to charge cell phones, besides conventional wall outlets, are the connections found in vehicles. However, using this method to recharge smartphones can be much more harmful than it seems.
Insufficient energy
The main problem that can occur when charging your cell phone in the car is damaging its battery. This happens because car USB ports usually provide very low amperage–about 0.5A. This value is considerably lower than that of a standard wall charger, which ranges from 1A to 3A.
The main purpose of this USB port is to connect devices to the multimedia system. Due to this usage, its energy transfer level is low. Generally, it can maintain the connection, but it's not designed to charge a cell phone while it's in use. This can lead to problems such as:
- Slow and inefficient charging: the phone takes a long time to charge. If you use apps that consume a lot of battery, such as GPS, consumption may exceed charging speed. In the end, your battery may have less charge than when you started charging, even when plugged in.
- Charging with fluctuating power: a car's electrical system was not designed to be a charging station for sensitive electronics.
When starting a car engine, voltage spikes can occur and native USB ports don't always have circuits to filter these instabilities. This increases the risk of a short circuit on the motherboard, which also increases the phone's charging time. In the long run, this is harmful to the cell phone battery.
Old battery
Another risk you might run by charging your cell phone battery in the car is draining the vehicle's battery itself. Of course, new, fully functional car batteries shouldn't be depleted just by a cell phone charging, especially with the car moving and the vehicle's power source constantly being recharged by its movement.
However, if your car has an old battery that needs replacing, it's quite risky to use its power source to charge anything, including smartphones, as the charging demand may be higher than the car battery can handle.
Say you are stranded and have no other means to charge your phone, except in a car, what then? Here are some tips to follow.
Tips for charging your cell phone safely
1. Invest in a good car charger
The safest way to charge your cell phone in the car is by using the 12V cigarette lighter socket. When it comes to cigarette lighter adapters, the situation improves somewhat, but not by much. Those with outputs higher than 2.0A can charge a mobile device reasonably quickly.
Tip: Invest in a charger from a recognized brand and of good quality.
2. Use original or certified cables
This applies to any expensive equipment. There's no point in spending a lot of money on cars, smartphones, chargers, and then having cables of dubious origin. Poor quality cables limit charging speed and can overheat, posing a risk.
3. Avoid charging your cell phone using the native USB ports
Only use your car's USB port on the dashboard for data devices or to mirror a multimedia system. To recharge your phone battery, a 12V outlet with a good adapter (i.e. a cigarette lighter) is the best option.
4. Connect your cell phone after starting the car
To avoid voltage spikes during ignition, get into the habit of starting the car first before connecting your cell phone. It's simple, but it protects your device.
5. Avoid sun and heat
The car's dashboard in the sun can become an oven, and excessive heat is one of the biggest enemies of phone batteries. Avoid leaving the device charging in direct sunlight. Use a cooling stand to help keep it cool, especially when using demanding apps.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the best thing you can do is charge your phone using a regular wall outlet, either before you leave your house or after you arrive. Even though it's convenient, charging your smartphone with any kind of weak power source may not only not work very well, but it can also damage your device's battery.
Read more on M-KOPA
- What causes a cell phone to get hot?
- Tips to avoid overheating your phone
- How to identify genuine versus fake charger cables
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