Mobile phone batteries: What are your options?
Mobile phone batteries: What are your options?
There are a range of different mobile phone, video
camera/camcorder and digital camera batteries out there with
varying capacities and battery chemistry. We will explain what
the differences are for each battery chemistry and try to clear
up the jargon used on the labels of mobile phone batteries.
There have been several developments in battery technology and
below, we will outline each battery chemistry's features, pros
and cons and their applications to mobile phones today.
"Memory Effect" in Batteries
Memory affect refers to the need for certain batteries to be
"serviced" by regularly discharging the battery completely
before recharging. Ni-Cad batteries are the main type of battery
chemistry that requires this cycling and newer types of
batteries such as Li-Ion and NiMH do not suffer from memory
affect.
Battery Capacity Ratings
A battery capacity rating refers to the load or current that can
be placed on a specific battery type. The battery capacity
rating is usually measured in milliampres (mAH)
Ni-Cad (Nickel Cadmium) Batteries
In the past, majority of rechargable batteries used in portable
devices such as mobile phones, camcorders and cordless phones
used Nickel Cadmium as the main battery chemistry. Although this
type of battery has drawbacks such as the "memory effect", it is
still one of the most commonly used battery in cordless phones,
CD players, Radios and other portable devices due to their low
cost per battery cycle. The use of these batteries in mobile
phones today is rare due to their memory effect problems and
inconveniences. Despite these obvious drawbacks, it also has
environmental implications due to the metal used to manufacture
these batteries and are fast becoming replaced by Nickel Metal
Hydride Batteries.
NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) Batteries
NiMH batteries are one of the growing battery chemistries today
mainly due to the fact that it does not suffer from memory
effects like a NiCad battery does. Because of this advantage,
they are mainly used in Laptops and mobile phones and sometimes
also as a battery source for video cameras and digital cameras.
This is an important and main feature that makes NiMH batteries
attractive as consumers are not burdened by having to "service"
their batteries by discharging it fully before recharging. They
also have a higher capacity rating compared to Ni-Cad (approx
30% higher) and Alkaline batteries, however their main drawback
is that these batteries self-discharge over a short period of
time which makes them not suitable for storage.
Li-Ion (Lithium-Ion) Batteries
These batteries are quite new to the market and have the lowest
discharge rating compared to Ni-Cad and NiMH batteries. They do
not suffer from memory effect and is one of the most commonly
used type of batteries in mobile phones today. They have an
excellent power to weight ratio which makes them highly
attractive to portable devices such as mobile phones, video
cameras and digital cameras. All our mobile phone batteries we
offer are Li-Ion as they are superior compared to other battery
alternatives.
Li-Polymer
This is relatively new and we are beginning to see more of these
batteries appear in mobile phones today. They are considered as
the best battery chemistry today for mobile devices due to their
high capacity and low weight. Li-Polymer batteries do not suffer
from "memory loss".