Problems with battery charge are quite common. When you buy a gadget, you can notice that it is usually 30-80% charged. This charge is maintained for a reason: it is the most optimal for the smartphone. In this article, we will look at the topical question: how to charge a new Xiaomi phone properly and what you need to do to make the battery last much longer.
Why the battery drains so quickly
New lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries do not need to be pre-calibrated; they do not need to be discharged to 0 and charged to 100% the first three times(it can be done after some time). However, even new gadgets have problems with power consumption. After the purchase, the battery holds a charge for quite a long time, but after a month of use, its battery life drops significantly. This is due to improper charging of the phone, excessive loads, and many other factors.
Read this article on lithium-ion battery drain and battery life extension.
- Bigger screen – bigger battery. The battery on the old pushbutton phones ran out just as fast as on modern smartphones, only now they use a lot more energy. That’s because we use them every day, all the time, everywhere.
- Background applications that cannot be turned off. This could include the Internet, Bluetooth, GPS, application services for Xiaomi and Google, analytics work, and so on.
- The Android system itself. A modern phone will not last 1-2 days (with constant use), which would be considered the norm. But due to battery wear and tear, this figure may decrease.
- Stresses. When using the phone for a long time, its battery heats up a lot, especially if the ambient temperature is above 30 degrees or the device is used in the sunlight.
Proper charging of Xiaomi and Redmi phone
There is a myth that the battery of a new phone needs to be discharged to zero and then charged to 100%. However, this is not the case. This technology worked well on older devices. All Xiaomi devices have galvanic cells that will keep the battery from charging more than it needs to.
The power controller connected to the board is responsible for charging the battery, and when it reaches 100%, it will cut off the current supply from the USB cable to the battery.
For modern smartphones, the best solution is to keep the indicator at a medium level without fully discharging and fully charging.
First charge after purchase
Immediately after purchase, most users rarely look at the battery percentage and immediately start using it. There is nothing wrong with this, but in this way, it will be impossible to track the further discharge of the battery and understand that it holds a charge normally.
To properly charge a new Xiaomi and Redmi phone for the first time – it is recommended to put it on a full charge immediately after you take it out of the box and turn it on.
- Check the battery level of the smartphone. If it is below 50%, put it on charge.
- Based on the charge level, calculate the approximate charging time (usually indicated in the phone manual or on the website).
- Leave the phone alone until it is fully charged.
- When it will be 100%, unplug it.
- After that, you can configure the system (turn on the mobile internet, add a fingerprint, update MIUI, create Mi account, and check the phone for originality) until the battery is fully discharged.
- The smartphone should disconnect on its own.
- Now plug it in again, but with the battery turned off (it will charge even faster), and wait for the battery to charge 100%.
- Turn the device on and use it.
- Read the tips described above.
If the phone supports Quick Charge – then a full charge will take about an hour. If the model does not support Quick Charge or if you don’t have the right power adapter at hand – charging will take longer.
All subsequent charges
After the first charge, the smartphone can be used as you want. The same applies to the charging methods. But to keep your battery as good as new in six months, use these simple steps:
- When it reaches 15% or lower – put the phone on a wall charger.
- Take it off the charger between 90-95 percent of the charge. After a while, you will know approximately how long the battery takes to charge fully.
- At this rate, try to charge it all the time.
- Read our recommendations.
If, after prolonged use of your smartphone, the battery charge is getting worse, it’s time to perform the first calibration of the battery.
Battery calibration
After the phone has been working successfully for some time, it probably began to work a little (or a lot) less on its battery. This happens because of heavy loads: heavy games and applications, using the phone during the heat, daily charging several times, and so on. That’s why about once every 1-2 months, it’s worth doing this instruction:
- Discharge the phone to 0%. When you try to turn it on, you should see a full discharge sign in the form of an empty battery.
- Please put it on charging from a regular outlet, preferably using the complete wire and power supply.
- Wait for a full charge, and turn on the phone.
- Continue to use, adhering to the recommendations described below.
10 Tips to Extend the Life of Your Smartphone Battery
Below I will talk about the 10 most important things that will help extend a modern smartphone’s battery life, not only Xiaomi and Redmi. These are the ones that most experts agree on in these recommendations.
Do not leave your phone on charge at night
In the comments, there is often a question: “and is it possible to leave Xiaomi overnight on charging?” You can not. More precisely, it is not recommended, as even with special power controllers, the battery is subjected to a certain kind of “stress” and this can become a problem in the future.
Modern smartphones charge quite quickly, and when they are connected to the power grid for a long time, they deteriorate faster. This is especially important for models with batteries older than a year. Therefore, the device should not be left on overnight.
There is no point in leaving the smartphone plugged into the outlet at night, as it will run down by 2-5% in the background during normal battery operation.
Use a native charger
All smartphone manufacturers recommend using only the included USB cable and power supply. It’s not even a marketing move. It all depends on the amperage of the charger itself. In new models, more often use the “fast charging” mode. And for it to pass properly – you need to use only the original components. A few important points:
- If the original charger is broken, you can use any other analog until you buy a new charger. It is important to note that the power supply must be identical in characteristics to the native one.
- If possible, try not to use cheap cables or units.
- The input and output power of the third-party power supply you use for charging should be identical to the original.
- When replacing the complete charger components – buy them only from authorized Xiaomi outlets in your area or on Aliexpress from a trusted seller.
Do not overheat the phone
Sometimes you want to play some game on your smartphone, use it to create videos with an app, or connect it to a VR headset. But such things make the processor of the device work at full speed and thus cause it to overheat. You should always remember that when the phone is overheating, all the “heat” goes straight to the battery, and it doesn’t like being in this state. This will affect its longevity, the consequences will not show immediately, but over time you will notice the loss of charge much faster than before.
The normal temperature of the smartphone should be between 35-38 degrees.
Thanks to the craftsmen from Xiaomi, their smartphones are equipped with a built-in thermometer (in the app “Security”). You can immediately check the device’s heating through the settings and even cool it (by resetting the active applications).
Do not use at minus temperatures
If used properly, your smartphone will last you for many years. Do not expose it to too low temperatures. The device should be operated down to -20 degrees Celsius. At lower temperatures, a jacket pocket or special “insulators” is recommended.
Do not use old outlets
This is a little extra point, which is also an important part of all the tips. If your house/apartment still has old outlets (Soviet-style), or they are in “bad” condition, hanging on the wires, connected through multiple carriers – it is recommended to give up the idea of using this place for charging.
Unplugging immediately after charging
It has already been mentioned above, but I’ll say it again: the phone should be unplugged immediately after reaching 100% charge. But it is better not to bring it to full charge. Why it is not recommended to do this – read above.
Do not charge from a USB computer
The current draw from a laptop or desktop USB is much lower than native power supplies (current is about equal to the first models of touchscreen phones). Such charging will take a very long time, the phone will overheat, and the battery will ruin faster.
The USB ports on most computers are not designed to charge batteries above 2000 mAh. As far as we know, Xiaomi has not released a smartphone with a battery below 3000 mAh in the last few years – so this method is better not to use.
The computer port can be used to charge small gadgets: fitness tracker, smartwatch, speaker, headphones and the like.
Charge your phone in small “portions”
Some experts agree that lithium-ion batteries (installed in Xiaomi and Redmi) are better for charging in small portions. That is, do not wait for the discharge to 10% and then put it on charge up to 90%, and if possible(when the device is not used) – charge it, for example, from 40% to 80%.
It is worth specifying that using this advice for multiple charging phones is not recommended in one day. If the smartphone supports fast charging – this is not a reason to discharge it more. You must find the golden mean or prepare to replace the battery in six months.
Do not use it while charging
Partially repeats the point described above. If you use the device while charging – the battery gets hotter, and the processor works at full power, and brings the battery to the “stress” state. If you overheat a lot – the adhesive layer between the display and the protective glass can melt, and a “yellow spot” will appear on the screen, which will only increase while using the phone.
If you need to do something on the phone – disconnect the USB cable, wait a couple of minutes (for the phone to “cool down”) and use it.
Not to bring the battery to a full discharge and charge
As we mentioned above, there is no magic number 100 and 0! It is recommended to keep modern touch phones at 10-90% of charge. Then there will be no problem with battery wear and tear.
To avoid initially harming the battery, stick to the instructions described above. The exception is the initial charging immediately after purchase and preventive discharging every 1-2 months.
FAQ
What is Quick Charge?
The new Xiaomi has a fast charging feature, which is Quick Charge. The perception is that it harms the battery, but this is not true. If your smartphone has such a function, you can safely use it.
After purchase, Xiaomi discharges very quickly, what to do?
If the purchase was made in a local store – perhaps the seller has sold you a bench sample, which stood there unknown for how long (better to exchange for a packed phone). If online – call/text support to resolve the issue, as there is a time to exchange the device or get a full refund.
How often can I use an external battery?
PowerBank does not cause any damage to the phone battery. You can use it an unlimited number of times. Some new models from Xiaomi even support fast charging functions.
Why does the charge indicator on the phone shows incorrect data?
It happens because of improper charging. If you fill the battery of your phone all the time only on a small volume, the gadget will change the indicator’s data, calculating them from the new discharging parameters. To remove this problem, once a month, you need to discharge the phone fully.
Now you know the important recommendations for the Xiaomi smartphone and how to charge it properly.
