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Obsessed with keeping iPad battery at 100%

M

MacAddiction

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 1, 2007
58
8
I've read through the iPad battery recommendations from apple. http://www.apple.com/batteries/ipad.html

Besides the recommended monthly full charge cycle routine, is it best to use my iPad until the battery is lower, say 20% then recharge or just recharge when its not being used? (90% 96% 82% or whatever). I have a tendency to plug it in every time I'm not using it thus my obsession with battery 100%. I tend to stockpile items from Sam's Club, too. :rolleyes:
 
I'm like you.

You just don't know when you may grab-n-go.

If the battery's not full, I tend to get stranded with dead batteries on the go (via the iPhone/Pod Touch), so keeping my iDevices fully charged is habitual.
 
Bad obsession. That Apple page isn't lying to you. You are harming your battery if keep it near 100%.
 
I'm kind of addicted to keeping mine full too. Reason being:

1.) I'm worried about the work it will take to get on a cycle where it runs to near 0% at the end of the day

2.) What if I'm not on the perfect cycle and need it? Is it ok to charge it from 0% to 65%, yank it off, use it down to 30% and then re-charge it to full?
 
ChocolateApple said:
I'm like you.

You just don't know when you may grab-n-go.

If the battery's not full, I tend to get stranded with dead batteries on the go (via the iPhone/Pod Touch), so keeping my iDevices fully charged is habitual.
Click to expand...

billyjoegibsonx said:
Im the same too! But you should really use all the battery up then fully charge to get the best life out it
Click to expand...

btrav13 said:
I'm kind of addicted to keeping mine full too. Reason being:

1.) I'm worried about the work it will take to get on a cycle where it runs to near 0% at the end of the day

2.) What if I'm not on the perfect cycle and need it? Is it ok to charge it from 0% to 65%, yank it off, use it down to 30% and then re-charge it to full?
Click to expand...

Maybe we should start a 7 step program? ;)
 
Charge it over night once it's down to 20%. Problem solved unless you are sleepwalking.
 
I topped it off every day/near constantly the first week I had it. I started feeling a little anxious when the battery fell below 90%. Then I realized there is no need and started letting it go. For a while, I got anxious when the battery fell below about 60%, and I realized there was still no reason to worry, and let it go further. I just plugged my iPad up for the first time in several days. It's at 11%.

The keys are:

a) an hour of heavy use takes it down about 10%. Results may vary, but this is a useful rule of thumb. If your iPad is at 30% and you think you might use it a couple of hours while out and about, you're fine.

b) the iPad battery goes down very slowly when in sleep mode. I'd estimate 20% per day with 3g and background services such as AIM running, but results may vary.
 
I have this problem with my iPhone. Don't know why, but I get full of anxiety if it gets down to 60-70%. Maybe it's because I know the battery life on the iPhone sucks... who knows. I've even turned off the numerical battery indicator so I can't tell the difference between 80% and 90%.

But I have no problem with the iPad being even on 30% or less because I know I've still got hours of use at that point. With the iPhone, 30% is about 1 phone call.
 
ChocolateApple said:
I'm like you.

You just don't know when you may grab-n-go.

If the battery's not full, I tend to get stranded with dead batteries on the go (via the iPhone/Pod Touch), so keeping my iDevices fully charged is habitual.
Click to expand...

Finally someone seems to understand the benefit of a removable battery lol.
 
Matthew Yohe said:
Yeah, too bad.
Click to expand...

Thanks for proving my point. As long as they calibrate once a month, Apple has no other comment on how often it should be charged. Also note they only refer to this as necessary for making the charge indicator read the correct value...
 
If offered a choice of a removable battery with no added cost or painful design tradeoffs, of course I'd take it, but I doubt it's that simple. The actual value of a removable battery is pretty low. I have had plenty of items with removable batteries (currently, my camera and my blackberry), and I have never bought a spare battery to use in them.

In the case of the iPad, because its battery life is so strong anyway, I think in almost every scenario, you're outsmarting yourself to get an external battery pack etc. It would take an unusual situation for you to run out of battery life on your iPad unexpectedly. For other devices, it's a lot easier for that to happen. I can hardly keep my Nexus One charged, for example.

As for the person who quoted Apple's page re: battery cycling ... what you were responding to was about whether failing to cycle "hurts" the battery. What you quoted was about cycling helping the battery meter stay accurate.
 
Matthew Yohe said:
Bad obsession. That Apple page isn't lying to you. You are harming your battery if keep it near 100%.
Click to expand...

no, this is not true. Apple only states to bring it through a full charge cycle once a month. Charge to 100% and then Run it to zero, then plug it in till it's at 100% again. At all other times it doesn't make a difference.
 
It does seem odd that Apple has softened its wording on their recommendations, compared to their previous statements on the matter.

I'll concede that in reference to iPad, they don't specifically mention the "it’s important to keep the electrons in it moving" line anymore (as they do with their notebooks/iPod/iPhone), and I'll assume that they just are prescribing to just use it as you see fit.

So, do that.
 
I'm like this with my Macbook iPhone and iPad :D can't bear to have it sitting without it being plugged in to keep battery full. I'll take iPad off the dock then connect the cable lol to keep it full :rolleyes:
 
The only advantage of a removable battery would be to ensure you don't run out of power on a 8-12 hour plane flight.

The downside of a removable battery would be the extra two layers of plastic it would add to the thickness of the device, not to mention the bulk added by a battery latch and a docking connector for it. I like the thickness the way it is.

By the time your ipad's battery dies, you will probably be ready to buy the iPad 2G instead of forking out $100 for a new battery.
 
I think that it is all a matter of trust. In the early days I would recharge each night - more lately I forget to plug it in until the battery reminder kicks in at 20% and I recharge after that. Never tested completely how long I get at 20% but never run out of juice yet.
 
Update:


OMG. My iPad is at 47% (first time I've let it go this low in two weeks of ownership) and I'm still doing ok.....no palpitations or sweaty palms yet. Just running the tunes and surfing......

Great discussions here. I've gleaned that as long as I do the "cycle" once per month.....I can do just about anything as far as charging. I've been a MAC guy since 1989 and its just tough to trust a battery. I'll have to say, this battery is freaking amazing especially compared to my iPhone 3G! Hoping the new iPhone battery is like this one.
 
I'm not at all worried about the battery life. The device is said to keep at 80% for 1000 charge cycles. That is about 10,000 hours of use no matter when you charge it.

I don't believe that keeping the battery topped off will lessen that life span, but if it does will it really matter that much. If after heavy use (10 hours a day - everyday) for two years I still have this iPad, and have not upgraded to the 2nd or even 3rd generation, I have to spend $99 to get a new battery (which one comes with a whole new, or newly refurbished iPad anyway) instead of having to spend that money at the two year three month mark, or two year six month mark, that is a small consideration for having a fully charged iPad ready to go and start my 10-12 hours of continuous use at my discretion. Why would I purposely not charge it over night when it's at 30, 40, 50 percent and then only be able to use it until noon if I suddenly have the need or desire to actually use the device I paid for, without being tethered to to a socket.

I know this device is relatively new for all of still, but there's no need to baby it that much. My first gen iPod Touch is still going strong after years of considerably heavy usage and and being constantly topped off.

Use it the way it was intended. Enjoy it.
 
Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Birds are meant to fly,

Fish are meant to swim,

SUVs to roll over,

And....

The iPad is meant to be used!

That high capacity battery is there for your personal convenience and satisfaction!

It absolutely DOES NOT require pampering or carefully planned maintenance. Just Use It! Charge it to 40%, 70%, 100%..... it won't matter all that much in the end.

By the time it starts to falter in the far-off future, you'll be happily using the 3rd, 4th or 5th generation iPad Pro.

Have a little faith in Apple's engineering. They wouldn't have made it non-replaceable if it was at all likely to fail until well after you no longer care.

Posted from Moms House,
Keri
 
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