Apple Ipad 2 battery charging debate


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Old 03-14-12, 03:24 PM
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Apple Ipad 2 battery charging debate

Help us out with this one. My wife likes to recharge her Ipad2 once it gets around the 50% level. I am telling her she should wait until it is almost out of charge. Which is correct? Which is better for the device?

Thanks
 
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Old 03-14-12, 04:01 PM
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The whole notion of draining batteries originates in the 80's when Ni-cad batteries had "memory" issues.
Today that problem is not a factor.

Pretty much all rechargeable batteries, perform best when they are charged at about the 50% discharge level.
When they are discharged fully the process of charging will generate more heat within the battery shortening its life.
 
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Old 03-26-12, 10:21 AM
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The iPad 2 uses a lithium-ion polymer battery. Generally these batteries can be charged at anytime without the need to fully discharge.

Apple has a few guidelines on their website about how to get the most out of a lithium ion polymer battery here

hope that helps you get some clarity in to this.

Jay
 
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Old 04-06-12, 12:51 AM
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Lightbulb

Fully charging them each time is much more important than draining them all the way. Even though the battery may look like one cell on the outside, cells are likely layered internally into a "pack". Fully charged, all the batteries in the pack obtain an equal or "conditioned" state to one another.

I haven't looked at the battery specs of the ipad specifically, but my e-reader, wheelchair, and laptop batteries work that way, and their instructions all say to always fully charge them. The wheelchair has the most obvious issues when its batteries are repeatedly short-charged. I wonder what funky things electric cars do?
 
 

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