I'm not sure: What's best for preserving iPod battery's life?

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Hi again.

Just want to hear from you fellow TBers since I'm not sure about this: Every time I arrive home, one of the first things I do is connect my iPod to the PC, so it's fully charged every time I go out. But some people say that it's best to let the battery run out of charge before charging it again. Others say that both extremes aren't good for the battery life and it's best to charge it after a certain time of use, but not until it's completely discharged. Of course, my interest is to extend my iPod battery's life the most. Thank you in advance for your input!

[RWP]

Looks like all ipods have Lithium Polymer / Ion batteries. Li-Po batteries will last longer if they not fully discharged on a regular basis. That would not be the case with a nickel cadmium battery, but they are old technology now. So you are doing the right thing by keeping it charged all the time.

[KeithBMI]

I've heard that it really doesn't matter with Lithium Ion batteries.

From Apple.com:

You can disconnect and use your iPod before the battery is fully charged, and you don't have to wait until it's completely empty before charging it again. This is because lithium-ion batteries, such as those used in iPod, have none of the memory effects seen in nickel-based rechargeable batteries.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1384

[L-A]

Actually, they have a very small memory effect. It's not that important in the long run, though. I hear it's recommended to let it play until it can't be turned on without being plugged in, maybe once a week.

That's what I do with my iPod and laptop. My 1st gen Nano can still play for about two hours at a good volume. At some point, it's simpler to replace the battery. I doesn't cost that much.

[tplyons]

My 2nd Gen Nano gets charged whenever it's not in my car, and I'll probably grab it to bring it in every few nights when my hands aren't full. Haven't noticed any adverse effects to doing this, still gets great battery life.

[warnergt]

Nickel cadmium batteries haven't had a "memory effect" for decades but the belief lives on. It's a myth.

Also, fully discharging a battery is risky as it can actually end up charging one of the cells backward which can damage it. Keep your batteries topped off.

Instead of explaining it here, I'll give you a link:
Do nickel-cadmium batteries develop "charge memory" if not fully discharged?

[WickedPissah]

Don't use the backlight.

[Thunderscreech]

My iPod of going on 4 years now has seen lots of injustice, but it's outlasted all of it's compatriots. They've all be stolen/relegated to parental disuse. It still holds a charge, too. Thing is a tough little trooper.

[doctorjazz]

Yeah, +1 about the parental disuse thing. My mom has a collection of unused iPods that are basically a tour through iPod history. There's the original 5 gig model from when they first came out, the one with four buttons across the top, and an older iPod video. I suppose that whenever Apple comes out with some newest iteration that I absolutely must have and my current iPod becomes hopelessly outdated, she'll have a 1st gen Touch in there too.

[varunkapahi]

on a similar note, my nokia phone's battery says it is Li-ion. so it means i dont have to wait for it to get discharged totally before i should charge it again for maximum battery life?

[Lady Kayri]

Another hint: don't keep your Ipod someplace cold; if you use it while running around outside when it's cold, keep it in an inner pocket where it stays fairly warm. Unlike old regular batteries, which my dad used to stick in the fridge to keep charged when not yet used, cold tends to eat up the power in the newer batteries. Learned this the hard way with my Canon SLR batteries on one occasion - spares were in my camera bag instead of an inner pocket, and when I went to put them out, they had all dropped to less than half full...