Lithium ion batteries have a limited lifespan, they degrade slowly from the day they are manufactured. Battery life will depend on how you charge and discharge the battery and the temperature at which the battery is maintained. A manufacturer will rate a laptop battery to the point where it is 50% of its original capacity. At this point, you should consider replacing the battery.

Lithium-ion batteries are not as durable as nickel-metal-hybrid or nickel-cadmium designs and can be extremely dangerous if misused. They are usually more expensive.

Lithium-ion batteries can be formed into a wide variety of shapes and sizes, to efficiently fill the available space in the devices they power, but lithium-ion batteries are lighter than other equivalent secondary batteries.

Energy is stored in these batteries by the movement of lithium ions. Lithium is the third lightest element, which is a substantial weight saving compared to batteries that use much heavier metals. However, most of the electrodes are effectively “housed” for the ions and add weight, and in addition the “dead weight” of the electrolyte, current collectors, housing, electronics and conductivity additives reduce the charge by unit mass to little more than other rechargeable batteries. The strong suit of lithium ion chemistry is the high open circuit voltage compared to aqueous batteries (such as lead acid, nickel metal hybrid and nickel cadmium).

One important thing is that lithium ion batteries do not suffer from the memory effect. They also have a low self-discharge rate of approximately 5% per month, compared to more than 30% per month for nickel metal hydride batteries and 10% per month for nickel cadmium batteries.

Here’s a quick checklist of the dos and don’ts of caring for your lithium batteries:

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  1. When you receive a new NoteBook or Tablet PC, let the battery fully charge overnight.
  2. Condition a new battery by using it until it is completely discharged and then fully recharge it. Doing this once a month will help you accurately calibrate your battery.
  3. Always make sure the battery is recharged as soon as possible after it is completely discharged. A battery will be permanently damaged if it is left for a long period of time in a completely discharged state.
  4. Remember that a lithium ion battery will slowly deteriorate; a new battery will always perform better than one that is 6 months old.
  5. Remember the average battery life it is rated for a certain total number of charge / discharge cycles (see User Manual or Quick Start Guide for rating). For example, a battery that is rated for 3 hours and 500 charge / discharge cycles will still be considered within specification, even if it only lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes after 500 charge / discharge cycles.
  6. Heat is a battery’s worst enemy. Allow plenty of air to circulate around the Notebook / Tablet PC so that the battery stays as cool as possible during charging and also when in use. If provided, use the built-in ‘legs’ underneath the laptop to lift the laptop and improve air circulation.
  7. Remove the battery if you are going to store it for several months (the battery should be approximately 50% charged or more).
  8. If you use a NoteBus or if you charge your laptops or tablets in a confined space, allow adequate ventilation to keep the batteries as cool as possible.

Not to do

  1. No: Expose the battery to excessive heat or cold (that is, outside the ambient temperature range of 10 to 35 degrees Celsius).
  2. No: Store the battery in a fully charged state (store batteries with approximately 50% charge).
  3. No: Allow a nearly discharged battery to remain unused for more than about a month. The battery will slowly discharge until it is completely discharged and this will permanently damage the battery cells.
  4. Do not carry your laptop / tablet inside a carrying case; the battery may overheat.
  5. Do not charge your laptop / tablet when they are stacked on top of each other; the battery may overheat.

Remember: your battery slowly degrades all the time, even if it is not used. Keeping the battery as cool as possible will significantly slow down this degradation.