My old phone's battery swelled up after I left it on a cheap wireless charger overnight

I got a generic wireless pad for about $12 last month and used it with my three year old phone. I woke up to find the back of the phone popped off and the battery puffed out. I always thought those chargers were safe if they said 'Qi', but I guess the cheap one didn't manage heat well on an older battery. Has anyone else had a gadget fail because of a budget accessory?

3 comments

3 Comments

avery_smith222d ago

Honestly, I have to push back on blaming the charger. A three year old battery is already well into its decline, and lithium cells can swell from age and use alone. That cheap pad likely just provided the last full charge cycle a worn out battery could take. The real issue is expecting old hardware to behave like new. Any charging method, even the original cable, might have caused the same failure given the battery's condition.

wilson.kelly2d ago

My buddy had this exact thing happen with his old phone battery. He was using a cheap gas station charger and the thing puffed up like a pillow after a full charge. But @avery_smith22 makes a good point, because that battery was already a few years old and pretty tired. It's hard to know if it was the charger or just its time to go. Makes you wonder how much those off-brand pads really push the power compared to the original plug. What's the oldest phone battery you've had still hold a charge?

nancybailey2d ago

Honestly, that's a solid point about old batteries. Tbh though, a good charger should have safety stuff to stop overcharging, even with a worn out battery. Those cheap gas station ones sometimes skip those parts to save money. So it could be both, the battery was old but the charger didn't help. My old iPhone 6s battery lasted almost five years before it wouldn't hold a charge at all.