Battery Charging Dilemma

As portable devices, especially cell phones, become more powerful and incorporate more and more features, the demand on their batteries also increases. In my observations, we’re lucky to make through the whole day without having to plug our phones in to revive a depleted battery. In doing so, we’re tethered to the charging cord until the device is charged enough to last the rest of the day.

Luckily, the lithium ion batteries used almost universally today can be charged faster by utilizing the proper charging techniques. There are some precautions that need to be taken, but charging time can be significantly reduced for the current lithium ion battery chemistry. (See DigiKey article A Designer’s Guide to Fast Lithium Ion Battery Charging for more details.) This will reduce the time you are tethered to the power cord so you can get back to your normal routine with minimal disruption.