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Battery doesn't charge to 100%
Former Member
Does anybody know why the batter doesn't charge up to 100% even after few hours of charging? Also I have just realized that, it shows 98% on the screen with the watch face but 97% on the screen with icons?
Often the watch rounds at the end of the charge cycle, so if you unplug it as it reaches 100% it will be ~95% when unplugged. I usually let it charge an extra 10-15 min after it says 100% and it seems fine thereafter. While I know discharging to zero is not optimal for longevity of the battery, I have not heard that charging less than 100% is useful.
I just received my new vivoactive 3 yesterday, and I found that when plugged into my computer with USB, it didn't get past 99%, even after several hours. However, when I plugged it into a wall outlet with a power adapter, it charged to the full 100%.
Li-ion does not need to be fully charged, as is the case with lead acid, nor is it desirable to do so. In fact, it is better not to fully charge, because high voltages stresses the battery. Choosing a lower voltage threshold, or eliminating the saturation charge altogether, prolongs battery life but this reduces the runtime. Since the consumer market promotes maximum runtime, these chargers go for maximum capacity rather than extended service life.
My Android phone behaves in a similar way, except that it's a little smarter in that it tries to predict when I will disconnect the charger, and charge to 100% just before then. Unfortunately, my habits aren't that regular, so I've had to switch this feature off. However, my Android phone usually keeps the charge at an indicated 80% or thereabouts. I'm not sure that charging to 95% is any healthier for the battery than charging to 100%. But that might depend on the battery, and other factors.
In short, I don't know whether the VA3 is being clever with its charge management, or just not charging fully. Sometimes it does charge straight to 100%, sometimes it appears to get stuck at 95%.
I just received my new vivoactive 3 yesterday, and I found that when plugged into my computer with USB, it didn't get past 99%, even after several hours. However, when I plugged it into a wall outlet with a power adapter, it charged to the full 100%.
I have experienced the exact opposite. I've left my va3 on a wall charger overnight, only for it show 98%. Plugging it into my computer via USB for a bit gets it to 100%.
