# Replacement battery for cell phone



## latebuyer (Nov 15, 2015)

Has anyone got a replacement battery for a cell phone before? What does it cost to get it installed? Is it worth it to do?


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

I bought one on Amazon a few years ago for my Samsung phone. It lasted about two months. Instead of springing for another battery I simply bought a new, unlocked cell phone on Amazon.


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

ian said:


> I bought one on Amazon a few years ago for my Samsung phone. It lasted about two months. Instead of springing for another battery I simply bought a new, unlocked cell phone on Amazon.


Yeah, to me, if it's time to replace the battery (that the company originally selected to last the useful life of the phone), then it's time to get a new phone.

ltr


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Check out the iFixit kits. You can typically get a battery for $25 and maybe $5 more for the tools if needed. I typically swap mine after a few years and it is known to speed up some phones (iOS for example slows performance as battery performance degrades) Like anything you really need to read reviews on amazon because they sell good and bad stuff.

You can also get much better battery performance if you look up settings for battery optimization. You will probably find a lot of stuff is wasting your battery doing things you never wanted in the first place. Also if you are like me and charge your phone overnight and in the car etc thinking it is good for the battery - turns out it's not


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## dubmac (Jan 9, 2011)

latebuyer said:


> Has anyone got a replacement battery for a cell phone before? What does it cost to get it installed? Is it worth it to do?


I purchased a replacement battery for my cell phone (A Hawei smartphone) from Amazon. The battery cost $16.43 (including shipping) - but it took around 6 weeks to get delivered. I tried to install it myself - but ended up having it installed for around $50 at the loal cell phone repair shop. I ended up with what is basically a perfectly good cell phone for another 2 years. All in, around 65-70 to replace - and wait 6 weeks). The $500 I saved goes into TFSA.


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## richno (Aug 15, 2016)

+1 for looking for a replacement battery. 

One can probably order a replacement online for $15-20 - but whatever town you’re in, you can likely find a business that will replace the battery on your phone for $40-$50. 

A new lease on life for for your older phone - fending off replacement for another year, maybe two!

You could also try burning down your battery completely to 1%, or even 0% and then charging up to %100 completely - helps to alleviate ‘battery memory’.


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## gardner (Feb 13, 2014)

latebuyer said:


> Has anyone got a replacement battery for a cell phone before?


I try to own Samsung models that have a user-replacable battery and have bought new batteries for them over the years.

My wife's iphone needed a new battery and we took it to an independent phone kiosk in a mall where for $80 they replaced the battery while we shopped. The new battery has performed very well and gave the phone a new lease on life.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

richno said:


> You could also try burning down your battery completely to 1%, or even 0% and then charging up to %100 completely - helps to alleviate ‘battery memory’.


I thought the same as you but watch this video I just posted above


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

m3s said:


> I thought the same as you but watch this video I just posted above


That thinking may go back to NiCad batteries. Now most phones would have Lithium Ion batteries and it seems they may have different characteristics?

My, now quite old, Lenovo Thinkpad T520 (probably one of the last IBM Thinkpads) has a Lithium Ion battery. It has a battery saver function. What it does automatically when plugged in, is allow the battery to discharge to 75% then it recharges to 100%. However, on the Lenovo site this is what they now say for Ideapad/Thinkpads: _For systems preloaded with Energy Management, OneKey Optimizer or Lenovo settings (preloaded or downloaded from Windows store), it is strongly recommended to select Optimize for Battery Lifespan mode or Conservation Mode and keep the AC adapter connected all the time. This mode will enable the battery to be fully charged to 80% or 60% of its design capacity._

Apparently newer Thinkpads using Windows 10 can limit the charge to say 80% if battery is only occasionally used. (I am still on Windows 7). This link seems to confirm that limiting total charge will help extend battery life: https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht104070

Mind you, I bought my T520 Thinkpad used 5 years ago. It's about 8 years old and has original battery. 

My Moto E Gen 2 phone must be 4 or 5 years old. It usually gets plugged in at night and even days, if I am not using it. Can't say what battery life is, but I don't have a problem. Maybe I would if it had heavier use 

I am in the market for a new phone, so my wife will get this one soon


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Yea I had a Sony Vaio in 2010 with similar battery optimization settings. It was a horrible laptop otherwise

My phone batteries are usually toast after only a few years. I've always plugged them in overnight for sleep tracking that would otherwise drain the battery. I also plug them in when driving for nav and music

But really $25 and about 30 mins tops every 2 years isn't a big deal


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