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You may have heard some phone users complain that one power bank or the other damaged their phone and then concluded that power banks damage cell phone battery. Does using a power bank damage your smartphone battery?
I have been asked a direct question on this subject:
Mr Mo what’s your take on this? There is this belief in some quarters that power bank usage deteriorates battery life/performances faster than the conventional charging. How true is this? Is it scientifically proven?
The direct answer to the above question is this: there is no scientific backing to the idea that the use of a portable charger, AKA power bank, leads to faster deterioration in battery life of your smartphone or any kind of device for that matter.
- How power banks work
- Does using a power bank damage your phone battery?
- What other things may damage your cell phone battery?
How power banks work
Power banks are designed to discharge power to your cell phone or other device at specific voltages and power ratings. These follow standard ratings that your device already uses. Using a power bank will not damage your mobile phone battery in any way.
However, as with every other electrical/electronic equipment, a substandard device is capable of causing damage. Substandard cables in homes result in fires. Substandard tyres will expose you to increased danger of vehicle accidents. Substandard cement blocks and concrete mixes will result in collapsed buildings and structures.
In the same way, a poor quality power bank can damage your cell phone battery and cause it to degrade faster than usual. A portable charger of questionable quality can potentially deliver a lower or higher voltage than your smartphone is designed to handle, and this can damage not only your phone’s battery but possibly other electrical circuits in it.
A power bank that is properly designed and built to high quality standards poses no harm to your smartphone, music player, or tablet. Absolutely none.
Also, note that you need to use a power bank with a power rating that matches your phone’s. Using a power bank that discharges a higher voltage than what your phone is built to handle is a dangerous thing and can damage your phone battery.
Good quality power banks often have advanced systems built in to protect your smartphone or other device from overcharging, overheating, over-current and over-voltage. These more intelligent portable chargers are designed to recognise and protect your phone.
Does using a power bank damage your phone battery?
What will damage your phone battery are substandard power banks. So what should you do? Avoid buying ridiculously cheap, nameless and faceless portable chargers, especially if you own a good quality smartphone. Those items are usually of substandard quality and are more likely to damage your cell phone battery.
It is simple logic: if your smartphone is worth anything to you, you should be using good quality accessories with it, especially when it comes to power and battery charging accessories. Also note that using a damaged portable battery can result in problems for your phone. If you power bank begins to bulge, that is an indication that it has a swollen battery. Danger. Stop using that portable battery to avoid damage to your phone and your person. You don’t want a fire outbreak on your hands.
Lastly, when buying a power bank for use with your devices, be sure to check the power ratings to confirm that it discharges voltage and power that is specified for your phone. This is important.
If you see someone complain that a power bank damaged their phone, chances are that they charged said phone with an inferior quality or faulty power bank. Using a power bank in itself does not damage your cellphone battery in any way.
What other things may damage your cell phone battery?
As a bonus point, here are a few more things that can damage your phone battery. Using or charging your phone in extreme temperatures is bad for the battery. More adavanced phones will cut off the charging the process if the environment gets too hot or cold.
Also, note that if you have used a phone for over two years, chances are that you have exceeded the full charge cycles, after which the battery begins to deteriorate. At that point, you either replace the battery or buy a new phone.
Author:Mister Mobility
Digital Skills and Communication Coach | Mobile Phone Connoisseur since 2001 | Tech Blogging since 2004
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Take the 2015 iPod Touch, put in a new chip and change the storage options; what do you get? The Apple iPod Touch 7th generation .
Introduced on May 28, 2019, the iPod Touch 7th generation has been announced 4 years after its predecessor hit the world stage. Its arrival comes as a surprise to many, as it has been generally believed that Apple had abandoned the iPod Touch product line.
The new iPod Touch looks exactly like its 6th generation predecessor that was launched in 2015. All the rumours that it would have a bezel-less design like the new generation iPhones are out the windows. The iPod Touch 7th generation is old school bezel-zilla all the way.
The iPod Touch 7th generation in silver. Announced May 2019.
As a matter of fact, you will be hard pressed to tell the difference between the 2015 model and this newest iPod Touch model. The minor differences are on the inside. It has the Fusion A10 processor and a 256 GB internal storage option. That is it. Everything else is the same. That means there is no Touch ID nor Face ID on it either, though there is a Home button.
The Fusion A10 chip isn’t cutting edge either. It is the same chip inside the iPhone 7, released in September 2016. But for what the iPod Touch does, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Think of an iPhone without a mobile radio chip and telephone facilities. That is the iPod Touch. You can connect to the Internet via WiFi, download apps from the Apple Store, browse the Web, use email, make FaceTime calls, and play music. The last item is the iPod Touch’s core competence.
The 4-inch display is small by 2019 standards, but remember that this is a music player by design. What do you need a big screen for? And you can use a 3.5mm audio headset with it, thankfully. You can take photographs on this too, with its 8 megapixel camera at the rear side.
Included in the box are EarPods with 3.5 mm Headphone plug and a Lightning to USB cable.
How much is the iPod Touch 7th generation?
While older iPod Touch models had 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB storage versions, the iPod Touch 7th generation adds a 256 GB version to the mix and eliminates the 16 and 64 GB versions. So you have the 32 GB model costing $199, the 128 GB model selling for $299, while the 256 GB version sells for $399.
Why would anyone want to buy the iPod Touch in 2019? Perhaps someone who wants a dirt cheap “iPhone” without the need to make use of network data. If you live in a region with lots of WiFi hotspots spread around, that’s a good call.
Personally, I would consider getting one to keep in touch with Apple’s ecosystem. I’d squirm a bit at the prospect of spending $199 (about ₦75,000) on a device I would barely use though. But passion and the love of adventure have been known to influence people into the craziest of decisions, so don’t rule anything out.
Discontinuation: The iPod line is cancelled by Apple
On the 10th of May 2022, Apple announced the discontinuation of the iPod line entirely. The iPod had lived from 2007, the very same year that the first iPhone was released. The last iPod Touch 7th Generation will be sold whenever stock runs out.
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Author:Mister Mobility
Digital Skills and Communication Coach | Mobile Phone Connoisseur since 2001 | Tech Blogging since 2004
