The date on the back of the Sciphone's battery matters because it can give you an idea of when the battery might fail as well as provide some insight into why the battery seems to discharge faster and faster over time. The date can provide this information because of inherent weaknesses in lithium-ion technology.
Sciphone Battery
The Sciphone, which is a Chinese imitation of the iPhone, is powered by a lithium-ion battery. You can locate the battery by turning the phone over and gently depressing the button on its back panel. The panel will slide away, revealing the white battery and its two metal contacts. The SciPhone's stock lithium-ion battery provides a steady supply of 3.7 volts with a maximum voltage of 4.2 volts. You should avoid using lithium-ion battery packs that were not designed specifically for the Sciphone as they can cause damage if their voltages are too high.
Lithium-Ion Technology
A lithium-ion battery is composed of two parts: A small, simple computer and the battery cell itself. The computer's complexity depends on the type of device it will be installed in. For example, a laptop battery's computer is much more complex than the Sciphone battery's. The computer may contain a temperature sensor, a voltage converter, a voltage tap and a battery charge state monitor. The battery cell is composed of a positive electrode composed of lithium and a negative electrode composed of carbon. These two are separated by a thin plastic film.
The Date Entry
Every SciPhone lithium-ion battery contains a "Date:" entry. You can find this entry directly above the battery's fire warnings and directly below its "Executive Standard:" entry on its back side. The date entry lists the year and month that the battery was manufactured. Note that unless you bought the Sciphone directly from a retailer, you will have no way of knowing if the battery within it is the original or not. This is important when considering what implications the battery's age may have on the Sciphone's performance.
Why the Date Matters
One limitation of lithium-ion battery technology is that such batteries tend to become less effective with age. A battery's age has a direct influence on the amount of time it can hold a charge because of two main factors: the constant heat generated within causes wear on the computer and the plastic film that separates the electrolytes within the cell degrades over time. You can therefore use the date stamped on the Sciphone's battery as an indication of when you will need to replace it, as few Lithium-Ion batteries continue to work well beyond three years of usage.
Tags: lithium-ion battery, Sciphone battery, battery cell, battery computer, Battery Sciphone, electrode composed
