What can happen to your iPod if you charge it alot?

Well, this is a bit of a common thing. The more you charge your battery when you don’t need to, the faster it will decay.

So the battery will just die faster and faster if you keep doing that. Sounds like you need a new battery.

And why “Chatroom” for topics?

^Is correct.

Thanks peoples. I don’t know why I put chatroom it said I needed a topic and I didn’t know what to put.

No problem, you’re new. Just put something like iPod, or Computer next time. It helps people to find your question.

Ok

Aw, check out @dverhey, being all helpful and shit.
Group hug. :)

Yeah :)

I’ve got an iPhone and Apple recommend performing a complete discharge/recharge of the battery once a month. I don’t know if it is the same for iPods.

What does that mean

It means that you should allow it to run until it quits and then recharge it completely.

Lithium batteries develop a “memory” after a time. In order to prevent this they must be totally drained so that they then recharge to full rather than only partial capacity

I’m unsure what types of batteries are in iPods since I just have the phone.

OH MY GOSH!!! YOU ARE ALL WRONG!!!!

Lithium batteries do not develop a “memory”... you’re thinking of the old NiCad batteries that are hardly in use anymore.

Your iPod (and most every other high technology item that employs Lithium-ion polymer batteries) should remain plugged in as much as possible.

A full discharge and recharge cycle is what wears the battery out. Keeping it plugged in and recharging it as often as possible is recommended by the manufacturer!

Think about your laptop computer… do you keep it unplugged and drain it as much as possible? No… you leave it plugged in and working until you need to go somewhere. It’s designed to work that way. And so is your iPod.

@robmandu Wow, looks like Apply can’t make their mind up! My comment was regarding the iPhone because I looked into this when I got mine. Perhaps the iPod is different, but this link: www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html says….

“For proper maintenance of a lithium-based battery, it’s important to keep the electrons in it moving occasionally. Be sure to go through at least one charge cycle per month (charging the battery to 100% and then completely running it down).”

@froamer, I can get behind that even. It’s a completely different message than most of the rest what with “memory” and “always completely discharge”, etc. Ugh.

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Regardless of people’s stance on this kind of thing, I very much like to see some sort of reference as to the veracity of the answer/advice. A link is ideal (which is why I always try to provide one)... but if it’s just based on a person’s own anecdotal observations or inferences, I think that should be made clear. People come to Fluther for answers, not guesses.

@robmandu I’m no expert, but I would like to get to the bottom of this to get the best life out of my iPhone battery. Another search found this on www.iphonesignal.com/batterylife.html

“For the iPhone to be able to retain 80 percent of the battery life it is still better than most mobile phones, and by avoiding the temptation to plug your iPhone in all the time, and ensure you charge the battery at least once per month you are looking at over a year before battery capacity even begins to reduce.”

There is so much conflicting information on this it is difficult to draw a conclusion. This site seems to know what it is talking about: www.batteryuniversity.com but suggests you should avoid frequent full discharges.

One thing they all agree on though is to keep it cool (out of the sun, don’t leave it in the car, don’t charge it in a case, etc.)

I think I’ll stop worrying about it and use my iPhone to fit my life rather than fit my life around my iPhone.

@froamer, my litmus test for that kind of information is if the site makes any kind of inference to “memory” when the Li-ion battery charges.

If they do, I know it’s because they’re erroneously basing their statements on 80’s era NiCad batteries.

And you’re right… there’s a great deal of conflicting info on the subject.

@robmandu So in your view it is better to charge little and often which is advice I think I will follow (thanks) since it will always be full if I have to go out unexpectedly. All I have to do now is decide if I should do the once a month discharge that Apple reccommend.

@froamer, yah, that’s what I do with all my Li-ion devices (except maybe cameras, since most of those you must physically remove and plug in).

And in my typical use, I end up fully discharging at least once a month anyways.

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My ultimate suggestion is to do what you’ve said. Live your life. Plug in your stuff. Don’t sweat the details. I just don’t like seeing folks go out of their way to follow a specific recharge pattern for the wrong reasons.

With Li-ions, the idea is that they’re very adaptable. And they’re intended to be charged closer to what your average person can do without having to think about it overmuch.

@robmandu thanks – that’s what I will do! I’ll report back in a year ;-)

Oh ok thanks ok thanks

It happened again I just charged it yesterday and I need to do it again!

It very well could be that your battery is nearing the end of its life expectancy. Any chance you can take it to an Apple Store and have them look at it?

I don’t know maybe but I just got it for Christmas