[Captivate General] iNFRiNGE:
Here is some information that should be useful to everyone in one way or another if not then you should have told us your secret months ago. lol :p

A Li-ion batteries life is on a time clock from the day it's produced and how it is used, maintained and the number of cycles it goes through reduces it's life. Even when not being used at all the clock is ticking and life is shortening.

So if any of you are like me I know many of you are far worse than me when it comes to the amount of stress put through it with flashing and extreme general use. Hopefully this will shed some light for us as to what we can do to try and prolong the life of our batteries.

The majority of the following information is from the book “Batteries in a Portable World – A Handbook on Rechargeable Batteries for Non-Engineers” (2nd edition) and Battery University™

Special thanks to the books author and sponsor of Battery University™,

Isidor Buchmann

CEO and Founder, Cadex Electronics Inc.

How to Prolong the Life of Li-ion Batteries

Battery wear-down on lithium-based batteries is caused by two activities: actual usage or cycling, and aging. The wear-down effects by usage and aging apply to all batteries but this is more pronounced on lithium-based systems.

The Li-ion batteries prefer a shallow discharge. Partial discharges produce less wear than a full discharge and the capacity loss per cycle is reduced. A periodic full discharge is not required because the lithium-based battery has no memory. A full cycle constitutes a discharge to 3V/cell. When specifying the number of cycles a lithium-based battery can endure, manufacturers commonly use an 80 percent depth of discharge. This method resembles a reasonably accurate field simulation. It also achieves a higher cycle count than doing full discharges.

Simple Guidelines

Charge the Li-ion often, except before a long storage. Avoid repeated deep discharges.

Keep the Li-ion battery cool. Prevent storage in a hot car. Never freeze a battery.

Avoid purchasing spare Li-ion batteries for later use. Observe manufacturing date when purchasing. Do not buy old stock, even if sold at clearance prices.

Hints to long battery life

3.92V/cell is the best upper voltage threshold for cobalt-based lithium-ion. Charging batteries to this voltage level has been shown to double cycle life. Lithium-ion systems for defense applications make use of the lower voltage threshold. The negative is reduced capacity.

The charge current of Li-ion should be moderate (0.5C for cobalt-based lithium-ion).The lower charge current reduces the time in which the cell resides at 4.20V. It should be noted that a 0.5C charge only adds marginally to the charge time over 1C because the topping charge will be shorter. A high current charge tends to push the voltage up and forces it into the voltage limit prematurely.

Memory Myth or Fact?

Lithium batteries are not affected by memory, but the chemistry has its own peculiarities. Current inhibiting pacifier layers affect them through plate oxidation. This degenerative effect is non-correctable on a lithium-based system

Calibration

A more serious issue is maintenance requirements, better known as capacity re-learning. This procedure is needed on a regular basis to calibrate the battery.

Why is calibration needed?

The answer is in correcting the tracking errors that occur between the battery and the digital sensing circuit during use. The most ideal battery use, as far as fuel-gauge accuracy is concerned, is a full charge followed by a full discharge at a constant 1C rate. This ensures that the tracking error is less than one percent per cycle. However, a battery may be discharged for only a few minutes at a time and commonly at a lower C-rate than 1C. Worst of all, the load may be uneven and vary drastically. Eventually, the true capacity of the battery no longer synchronizes with the fuel gauge and "a full charge and discharge are needed to ‘re-learn’ or calibrate the battery."

How often is calibration needed?

The answer lies in the type of battery application. For practical purposes, a calibration is recommended once every three months or after every 40 short cycles.

What happens if the battery is not calibrated regularly? Can such a battery be used in confidence?

Such a battery is able to function normally, but the digital readout will be inaccurate. If not corrected, the fuel gauge information simply becomes a nuisance.

Just Tell Me WTF I Should Do!

Charge your battery as often as possible, partial discharges are actually better for your battery

Once your battery is charged to 100% avoid leaving it plugged in any longer if you are not using a OEM charger.

Your battery should never get hot from charging if it does this is a sign it may be damaged.

If fuel gauge starts acting up calibrate your battery.

Yeah but how the f^$% do I calibrate my battery?

Charge phone up and then delete your battery stats.

Unplug your phone from your wall charger and let your battery drain all the way down until phone shuts off.

While still off charge phone to 100% and then boot up as normal.

There is so much more that it's mind boggling but I think this covers the main parts and beyond for everyone. So far it appears that the bump method is not necessary nor are the numerous other steps.

I can only laugh when I think that the reason the method of calibration I was using was actually working is due to the fact that the "wipe batt stats, drain battery completely and charge to 100%" is basically the last step and all that is essentially needed. :p