Many of us are in the habit of charging our cell phones overnight, but keeping your phone plugged in for so long can have some unintended negative consequences. According to Android Authority, the excess heat created from leaving your phone plugged in for extended periods can cause lithium-ion batteries to age faster and lose some of their capacity over time.
But Witty, the creator of a new charging device on Kickstarter, is looking to change that with their namesake smartphone accessory, which can help double a battery's longevity in Androids, iPhones, and any other smart device that charges via USB.
The Witty acts as the middleman between your charger's cord and outlet. Once it's hooked up, simply plug your charger into the wall as you normally would, and turn the Witty on by pressing its power button. Using its “intelligent charge controller,” the device is able to cut off electricity to your phone once it's 100 percent charged, avoiding overheating and helping to preserve the battery's lifespan.
According to the campaign, most smart devices do cut off a charge once they're at 100 percent, but they don't disconnect the battery from constant electricity, which is where the extra heat that harms the battery comes in. Witty estimates that an average battery will degrade by 12 percent every year, while their device can help reduce that by half.
You can head here to get your own Witty starting at $26. The campaign is open until March 23.
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