The New iPad ( known also as 3
rd -generation iPad or iPad3) boasts a built-in, 42,5-watt-hour rechargeable, lithium-polymer battery sealed up in an aluminum-and-glass shell, hard to open for customers (while the power of the original iPad / iPad2 battery is 25 Wh). In fact iPad 3 (as well as iPad 2 and original iPad 1) integrates separate 3.75V lithium polymer cells.
Apple claims that a properly maintained iPad battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 1000 full charge and discharge cycles. So, the question is how to treat iPad battery to extend its life? Following are a few simple iPad tips, first five are the most important:
- Make sure that you fully recharge iPad's battery at least once per month (fully recharge means charging the battery to 100% and then completely running it down).
- Don't drop the battery charge to low.Each battery cell has its own safe-voltage-limit (~ 3 V). Except the cells in the battery are perfectly matched for capacity and voltage, whereas you both charge and discharge them as a whole battery, there is a chance that sooner or later individual cells will be driven outside their safe voltage range even if the pack, as a whole, stays within it. The cells will start out balanced and tend to stay that way.It can cause the failure of the battery as a whole and/or, worst case, results in its explode or catching fire.So,a good counter is to charge your iPad or iPad 2 when the battery is 15%. The red indicator that will pop-up on your iPad screen is a good signal to start the recharging cycle.
- To prevent failure, never store the battery fully discharged. Apply some charge before storage, and then charge fully before use.
- When possible avoid frequent full discharges. Instead, charge the battery more often. There is no concern of battery's memory when applying unscheduled charges. A high residual charge before recharge is a benefit rather than a disadvantage for chemistry of Li-Pol battery on all iPads. The best way is to keep battery between 40% and 80% charged. After LiP battery of iPad is charged to 80% capacity it switches to trickle charging with a potential to cause plating of metallic lithium, a condition that renders the cells unstable. One more incentive to keep battery of iPad between 40-80 % is the rate of the charge loss when gadget is not in use. The charge loss amounts up to 6% per year when battery is fully charged but only 2 % per year when it is half-charged. Nevertheless, short discharges with following recharges do not secure the regularly calibration needed to synchronize the fuel gauge with the battery's state-of-charge. A deliberate full discharge and recharge every 30-40 charges fixes this problem.
- Do not overcharge iPad. Overcharging iPad by leaving it charging for the whole night shortens the battery lifespan.
- Avoid iPad from both overheating (> 35° C )and undercooling (< 0° C). The optimal temperature for IPad is 22° C. The elevated temperatures hasten permanent capacity loss for iPad battery. The worst condition is running iPad with a fully charged battery at elevated temperatures. While the battery is kept fully charged, the inside temperature during operation rises to 45°C. So if your iPad exposures direct sun run it at about a 40% state-of-charge.
- Free iPad from its leather or any other case when charging the battery. These cases prevent adequate ventilation, and cause extra temperature rise while charging.
- To safe battery's power: turn off Wi-Fi when you don't needed it, and/or adjust screen brightness, and/or minimize the use of location services, and/or turn off push notifications, and/or turn off push mail, and/or increase Fetch New Data interval, and/or turn off push mail , and/or turn off the sound effects (if they are frequent and as they are activated by default). This can be done by going to iPad / iPad 2 / iPad 3 "Settings".
- Be aware that disabling PING service in the Restriction area of iPad Settings will dramatically improve the life of its battery.
If you have just bought your new iPad and are in doubt whether to charge it before first use look at percentage meter for the battery level indicator at the top-right corner of the status bar on the screen. If indicator reading is more than 40% (in 99,9% cases it is true) then use your new iPad as you want until battery level drops to 20 %. Then apply your first iPad charging following above advices. To enable the percentage meter for the battery level indicator at the top-right corner of the status bar of your new iPad take the following steps:
- Tap Settings
- Tap General (this will trigger the General submenu on the right-half of the screen)
- Tap Usage on the General submenu of the Settings.
- Scroll down the usage submenu to find Battery Usage.
- Set Battery Percentage ON
- Return to the Home screen
It takes around 250 minutes to completely recharge the iPad 2from nearly empty with the use of included Apple 10W Power Adapter. First 130 - 140 minutes of charging power an iPad to 80% capacity, then 120 - 110 minutes charge gadget fully , if iPad is not used while charging. So, it is better to carry a standard Apple power supply , if you use your iPad on a business trip and vacation.
Some times there is a need to use iPad in the course of it's charging and you start asking yourself questions like this "can I use the iPad /ipad 2/ iPad 3 while charging the battery". The short answer is YES, you can!
Note, that most of above advices are also applicable to iPhone and iPod Touch
