Is it bad to recharge my Kindle everyday?

[Julius Caesar]

I read a lot and always set LED at full blast with my Kindle Paperwhite for maximum enjoyment. I don't want to be interrupted with a drained battery which is why I always charge the battery whenever I don't use my Kindle.

Will charging the battery multiple times per day bad for the battery? Will it shorten its life expectancy?

[HarryT]

No, it'll do no harm - lithium batteries don't mind being "topped up".

I'm surprised you use the lighting on full intensity - that's way too bright for me!

[l_macd]

All batteries have a life expectancy measured in charge cycles, so yes, continually recharging it will shorten the life of the battery in your Kindle - its a pretty high number though so even using it as you are it'll still last for a few years I'd think.

Even if you read a lot and have the light full the whole time you should be able to wait a few days to a week before it needs to be recharged, it might do no harm but there's no need to keep it topped up the way you re doing and it is probably better for the battery to let it drain (though not completely) between charges. (edit perhaps I'm wrong about this considering what HarrryT has posted?). Though you won't kill it if you use it as you are doing......

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by l_macd

All batteries have a life expectancy measured in charge cycles, so yes, continually recharging it will shorten the life of the battery in your Kindle -

This isn't true. As I said in my previous post, a lithium battery doesn't mind being topped up - it still only counts as 1 charge cycle if you do 10 charges of 10%, 2 charges of 50%, 3 charges of 33%, or whatever. There are lots of web sites which explain how lithium batteries work if you don't believe me .

[l_macd]

No that's cool, I'm happy to believe you ;-)

I thought it'd still have some impact but am happy to be corrected.... so just ignore my incredibly ill-informed post Julius!

[HarryT]

It will have an impact in the sense that, if you never give the battery a reasonable discharge, the battery meter isn't going to be terribly accurate - it's a good idea to let the Kindle run down at least a couple of times to the "Low Battery" warning in order to properly calibrate the meter. But it really shouldn't affect the actual lifespan of the battery.

[sirmaru]

It doesn't affect the battery but a full discharge at least once will make the battery meter more accurate.

I saw this on another web site: "The lifespan of your lithium-ion battery should last between 400-500 charge and discharge cycles. Depending on your usage, this usually amounts to 2-3 years. After that, your battery will have a reduced capacity charge and only hold 80% of a new cell. So in actual fact, your lithium-ion battery can last a good while longer than 3 years."

That site does not mention whether those cycles are full or partial. However, after the 400 to 500 charges one can still get an 80% charge and for our Paperwhite readers it will not really be that noticeable.

In addtion, most of us will be buying a new Kindle every year so, even if we charge every day, that would only be 365 charge cycles - well within the 100% capacity.

The referenced site is here:

http://gemini-lights.com/explore/how...um-ion-battery

I charge my PW every 15 days and get between 10 and 12 hours of specific reading cycles. I charge my KFHD7-32 every 12 days and get between 4.5 to 7 hours of specific use for app functions and reading.

I notice that the smaller day cycles are associated with the larger use hours and visa versa. Thus, you could get 20 hours of battery use on both if you used 8 hour reading sessions. Most of the time my reading sessions are much, much smaller.

[Julius Caesar]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

most of us will be buying a new Kindle every year so, even if we charge every day, that would only be 365 charge cycles - well within the 100% capacity.

The problem is there is no guarantee that Amazon is going to continue making e-reader with an e-ink screen. People prefer a tablet computer with an LCD screen than a dedicated e-reader with an e-ink screen. Paperwhite might be their last e-ink device. That is bad news for me since I absolutely can't stand staring at an LCD screen for a long time without getting an eyestrain.

If Amazon no longer makes e-ink device, by the time my Paperwhite lost its battery capacity for good, I could no longer buy a new Paperwhite or other e-ink readers.

[jbcohen]

As far as I have been able to understand both I_macd and HarryT are correct. The problem here is that macd's information is out of date, prior to 1995 (I think it was 95) macd's information was correct. Batteries used to have something called a charge memory where the battery would recall where the battery was charged from and if you did not discharge the entire charge from the battery they would not charge fully as well as the life of the battery measured in recharge cycles. The problem is that since 95 there has been a new type of battery on the market where this information is no longer true. Batteries no longer have any memory of where they were charged from and as a consequence you can partially discharge the battery or fully discharge it, it makes little difference. No longer are the batteries measured in recharge cycles, its really a good guess as to how long your battery will last. Since the change over in types of battery comes before the introduction of the first generation kindle none of macd's information applies to any generation of kindle in any way.

[GoSharks]

Originally Posted by Julius Caesar

If Amazon no longer makes e-ink device, by the time my Paperwhite lost its battery capacity for good, I could no longer buy a new Paperwhite or other e-ink readers.

I'm not sure about the PW, but you are able to replace the batteries in earlier generations of kindles...I have replaced the batteries in both of my K2i's and they are still going strong!

[Julius Caesar]

Originally Posted by GoSharks

I'm not sure about the PW, but you are able to replace the batteries in earlier generations of kindles...I have replaced the batteries in both of my K2i's and they are still going strong!

You can't pry open a Kindle Paperwhite without risking scratching or damaging it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phO4QkHWsVE&t=1m37s

[GoSharks]

Originally Posted by Julius Caesar

You can't pry open a Kindle Paperwhite without risking scratching or damaging it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phO4QkHWsVE&t=1m37s

True, not as easy as previous models but doable. Give it a couple of years and I'm confident that there will be an aftermarket kit!

[sirmaru]

3D batteries will probably be replacing our current 2D batteries by next Fall. They will be 1/10th the size of present batteries and 20 times the time between recharge cycles.

Thus, we are now in the last stages of the 2D batteries and it is highly probable that Amazon will incorporate them in the next generation of Kindles. Obsolesence will be the big killers of our Kindles - not battery use.

Here is a link to the discussion of the new 3D batteries:

http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/Artic.../JM/c0jm04396f

Also, color eInk screens are also right around the corner. The next generation of tablets may incorporate color eInk screens combined with 3D batteries.

How many folks today still read eBooks on their Kindle 1? My old Sony PRS 505 was so obsolete that no one would accept it even as a gift. I was forced to donate it to the nearest public library who may have even discarded it when I left.