How to Get a Cell Phone Battery
The chief benefit of cell phones is their portability. Yet this benefit is only as good as its power source: once the cell phone's battery wears out, so does your ability to communicate wirelessly. Use the following guide to assist you in finding a cell-phone battery.
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Instructions
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Get a New Cell-Phone Battery
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1
Determine the type of battery your cell phone requires. Use either the handset owner’s manual, found inside the original box, or remove the battery itself from the cell phone. All cell phones are equipped with one of three types of batteries: the older, bulky nickel-cadmium (NiCad) battery, the nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery or the newer, lightweight, and smaller lithium-ion or lithium-polymer (LiIon) battery.
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2
Contact a local cell-phone retailer that supports your service carrier (i.e. T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon). Have your phone’s make and model handy. Inquire about the battery and obtain information regarding battery features (i.e. power capacity), availability and prices. Contact other local wireless retail stores to compare information.
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3
Contact mass-merchant and big-box retailers, such as Best Buy, Target, or Wal-Mart stores. These stores carry a sizable amount of cell phones and accessories and generally do not discriminate between brands: They feature most cell-phone carriers and their merchandise. Ask about battery features, availability and prices.
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4
Search online retailers using your battery type (Lithium-Ion or “LiIon”) as the main keyword. Include the cell phone's make and model (Motorola RAZR V3) for additional search results.
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5
Check out any available battery outlet store, either locally or online. These stores feature batteries and battery accessories from all major manufacturers, as well as custom-application and hard-to-find batteries. The merchandise is usually at a discounted price.
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Compare all the information to decide which retailer will prove the most advantageous when purchasing the cell-phone battery and purchase the battery.
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Tips & Warnings
Ask your cell phone battery manufacturer or local wireless retailer about the possibility of refurbishing your old cell-phone battery. Whenever possible, the refurbished battery will save you both time and money.
If you want to give your cell phone more talk time, and more standby time, ask about a high-capacity battery.
Look for, or ask about, the manufacturing date of the battery you select. The life of a Lithium-Ion battery, and therefore its capacity to hold power, is determined by oxidation. Oxidation begins at the time it is manufactured, not the first time it is used.
Quality-made “aftermarket” batteries have performance values equivalent to batteries made by the original manufacturer. Aftermarket batteries are made by a company other than the original manufacturer. They typically cost less and can be found in higher capacities than the batteries made by the original manufacturer.
Be certain you are in need of additional power before purchasing a high-capacity cell-phone battery. These batteries are larger and thicker than their standard counterparts and, therefore, may not fit into your cell phone without a larger cover to contain them. They also add weight to the handset.
Use caution when selecting an aftermarket battery over an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Although OEM batteries are commonly more expensive than aftermarket models, the original manufacturer abides by stronger standards for the battery’s material, assembly, and related components.
Beware of cheaply priced cell-phone batteries. These batteries are not always new and/or never used. Instead they may be remanufactured or reclaimed batteries that have substandard components. In such cases, the lowest-price battery may not always be the wisest choice.
