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The battery on my iPhone 3GS popped while charging a few years ago breaking the main board and separating the screen from the body. I was about to sell it to finance reduce the total cost of ownership of my 4S which I had just bought! Needless to say I wasn't happy. I have been pretty unlucky with my iPhones, my latest 5S is developing TouchID issues and my toddler daughter managed to phone someone from my locked phone this weekend.
Thanks for the info on dual carbon batteries. It appears that Lithium Ion batteries can generate excess heat, catch fire or even explode, and that is the predominant battery type in smart phones, laptops and tablet devices today.
Dual carbon are lithium ion batteries, look at the technical presentation not the publicity by hacks.
There are many kinds of lithium chemistry in batteries. Some are very resistant to burning. Even tolerating short circuit events like driving a nail through. THat is why your post here had little activity for over 4 years.
Charging a Lithium Ion battery without a charge controller is a formula for disaster, but with the really inexpensive charge controllers available these days I think the chances of this happening a vanishingly small. Most LiPo batteries have an on board chip so they can be mistreated pretty badly before anything happens. Of course I am not sure what Apple is using for charge controllers. But I'd bet that the failure rate in extremely low.
Though for my own projects I have started using LiFePO4 batteries. Almost the same energy density and much more tolerant of overcharging. You can buy them in the CR123 size and not have to worry about soldering leads as well. However I have never had a problem with any of my LiPo batteries, and I have a lot in various Arduino projects I have made.
I am working in embedded systems sector and recently started working on IoT projects. I can tell you Lithium Ion batteries are definitely not the solution for powering devices of the future.
My fall back for batteries for my maker projects is LiFePo4. Instead of 3.7V they run at 3.2V. One good thing is that while Lithium batteries go from 4.2 to 3.7, LiFePO4 stay close to 3.2 then drop off rapidly when they are discharged.
They tolerate over charging and full discharging really well. You can buy CR123 cells with them. So you can use a battery holder and replace with fresh ones or build in a charger circuit and leave them in place.
I will say I have had very good experiences with LiPo batteries though. Despite all the media, the 'foil' cells that go into most wearables have a built in over-current chip and they are used with small charge controllers.
My fall back for batteries for my maker projects is LiFePo4. Instead of 3.7V they run at 3.2V. One good thing is that while Lithium batteries go from 4.2 to 3.7, LiFePO4 stay close to 3.2 then drop off rapidly when they are discharged.
They tolerate over charging and full discharging really well. You can buy CR123 cells with them. So you can use a battery holder and replace with fresh ones or build in a charger circuit and leave them in place.
I will say I have had very good experiences with LiPo batteries though. Despite all the media, the 'foil' cells that go into most wearables have a built in over-current chip and they are used with small charge controllers.
No arguing with the scope of lithium ion batteries at all Tom
And as you said you are well versed with ins and outs of using LiPo batteries you better know their potential. I am just wondering their implementation scope for internet of things applications in the coming future.
Foil cells cannot provide the needed juice for most of these applications i think.
