Over the years, technology has advanced at a breakneck pace, making life easier and more convenient for everyone. Modern phones with trustworthy features like cordless designs are among these technological breakthroughs.
A cordless phone guarantees free movement while on a call without sitting or standing next to the phone base for the entire conversation. The flexibility of cordless allows you to multitask while you’re still on a call.
However, cordless phones use batteries, and when selecting a battery, you may be conflicted about which type is ideal. One question most users seek to establish is: Do you need special batteries for cordless phones?
You need a special AAA rechargeable battery for your cordless phone. However, you should try to purchase the rechargeable batteries that the cordless phone manufacturer has endorsed. Additionally, when choosing an AAA rechargeable battery, examine the terminal.
Original AAA rechargeable batteries have a longer positive terminal that joins with the inside of the battery compartment. Using cordless phone batteries with a capacity range closest to the original battery is crucial.
Cordless phones have up-to-date features like call waiting, call barring, phonebook, and speech, among many others. To fully enjoy the benefits of owning a cordless phone and prevent infuriating instances like a missed call or your call getting cut short, you must invest in the best battery to power your cordless phone.
Also Read:
- Best Cordless Phones
- Panasonic Cordless phones problems and solutions
- Best cordless phones with Answering Machines
Types of Batteries used in Cordless Phones
Initially, the manufacturers used cordless phones’ Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries.
However, the use of Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) to power cordless phones has recently gained favor due to their reliability and durability instead of nickel-cadmium, which tends to lose capacity over shorter periods. NiMH has been credited for the longevity that is crucial for cordless phone operators. There are also Lithium-ion and Lead-acid batteries on the market. These batteries can be found at amazon.com.
For instance, the 2 Pack Panasonic NiMH AAA Rechargeable Battery for Cordless Phones is shown below.
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Nickel Metal Hydride batteries (NiMH) are the best choice for cordless phones as they have a high energy density and long durability. The NiMH batteries have approximately 25% more capacity than nickel-cadmium batteries and hardly require exercise cycles. Furthermore, the Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries are less prone to memory effects, unlike Nickel-Cadmium batteries. The Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries for cordless phones are also environmentally sound.
When replacing the batteries for your cordless phone, ensure that they are of Nickel Metal Hydride type and are AAA rechargeable batteries. Please note the replacement battery’s voltage should be the same as the original battery’s voltage. The voltage should ideally be 1.2V; a battery with a higher or lower voltage may damage your cordless phone.
It would be best to withstand the temptation to replace the original battery with a higher capacity, as this may cost you in the long run. The charger that comes with the cordless phone has an inbuilt charging current that can’t change; hence, when you use a battery with a different capacity on your cordless phone, it may not charge the battery appropriately.
You can also buy a six-pack of the Panasonic Ni-MH batteries at Amazon.com. Click the link below to buy these powerful AAA batteries for your cordless phone.
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How to select the perfect cordless phone batteries
When purchasing a battery for your cordless phone, ensure they are of high quality and can serve you cordless phone for a long time. Choose batteries with intact wires and pin connectors to get the best performance from cordless phones.
Moreover, when buying a new battery, ensure you buy from leading brands with a guaranteed warranty. You should ensure that the battery you buy as a replacement is compatible with the technical specifications of the original battery. If it is incompatible with the original battery, you should not use it on your cordless phone as it may damage your cordless phone.
Also, when buying the replacement batteries, ensure they have a capacity close to the original batteries. The capacities indicated in the batteries are referred to as nominal capacities. The batteries will practically work over 50mAh to 100mAh below or above the nominal capacity.
It is recommended that the batteries used in cordless phones are changed annually (after 12 months). Given proper maintenance, the batteries can last longer than that. However, you should immediately replace the batteries when you notice a reduction in talk time. The AAA batteries are practical and perfect for cordless phones due to their high performance, longer talk time, and standby time between charges.
The video below provides a step-by-step process for replacing AAA batteries in a cordless phone.
What signs indicate that the battery has lost its ability to power your device?
Certain features characterize a battery that has gone bad. These elements will alert you to consider replacing the battery before you are inconvenienced. A good example is when the battery suddenly dies a few hours after recharging. The rate at which the battery of your cordless phone is recharging and discharging is relatively high. In other instances, the battery may not charge to completion during the charging cycles despite leaving it connected to the charging unit for its prescribed charging hours.
Moreover, the battery may overheat when in use or charging. The battery may start to swell up and not fit the battery compartment of your cordless phone. These are some of the signs that warn you it’s time to get a new battery replacement.
Some of the detailed factors include:
Reduced Talk Time: If you have realized your cordless phone’s talk time has reduced compared to when you placed new batteries, it could indicate that the batteries have gone bad or diminished. You may be prompted to charge the batteries often before you use them and still experience shorter conversations before the battery drains again. If you are using your cordless phone for business communications or when involved in long office calls, this could be a massive inconvenience and worrying for the effectiveness of the communication.
Short Standby Time: If the duration of your cordless phone that can remain on without being used (standby time) is reduced or shortened, it could indicate that the battery no longer holds the charge effectively.
Frequent Disconnections or Drops: If your phone’s battery is falling, you may experience frequent disconnections or drops during calls. You will realize it is a battery issue when the phone consistently disconnects or drops calls, even when the battery indicator shows a partial charge.
Difficulty Charging: If the battery takes longer than usual to charge fully or you find difficulty charging the cordless phone, it may signal a problem with the battery. The difficulty when charging your phone may arise when your battery capacity reduces or due to issues with the charging mechanism in the phone or charger.
Overheating: Your battery may experience excessive heat during charging or use. If you notice that the cordless phone becomes unusually warm to the touch, especially the battery compartment, it could show a battery problem that needs attention.
Physical damage or swelling: You can inspect your battery for any signs of physical damage, such as swelling, leakage, or corrosion on the contacts. A swollen or damaged battery can pose safety risks and should be immediately replaced.
Inaccurate Battery indicator. If there is erratic behavior on the cordless phone’s display, like showing a full charge one moment and then dropping rapidly to empty, it may show a problem with the battery or its monitoring system.
Frequently Asked Questions-FAQs
What can I do with the old batteries of a cordless phone?
Instead of throwing them away, you can take them to the nearest supermarkets with battery recycling bins and do away with them in those bins; this is a very environmentally friendly way of getting rid of worn-out batteries.
Can I use any rechargeable batteries in my Panasonic cordless phone?
No. Panasonic cordless phones use Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries, a type of rechargeable battery. These batteries must be completely charged to full capacity before using them. However, when you have used the batteries and they can no longer charge, you should replace them with other NiMH batteries. This means your Panasonic cordless phone will not work with just any battery.
Is it okay to keep my cordless phone on the charging device after fully charging?
After completion, no harm can be experienced to the battery when you leave the cordless phone connected to the charging unit. However, just because you can leave it connected to the charging unit doesn’t mean you should. Leaving cordless phone batteries connected to the charging system after being fully charged can result in overcharging, shortening the battery’s lifespan, and damaging it.
What signs do you look for to see whether your cordless phone battery is running low?
A higher percentage of cordless phones will send a unique beep through the handset regularly to alert the user that the battery is running low. This warning is intended to alert the user that the battery’s performance may deteriorate and the quality of calls may suffer. The cordless phone battery may only sustain a call for a few minutes after the beeping starts.
You can buy 8-Pack iMah AAA Rechargeable Batteries 1.2V 750mAh Ni-MH, another excellent unit among the Ni-MH batteries, at Amazon.com. Click the link below.
Phones also have a battery-life indicator, commonly a series of bars or bands that fade out one by one as the battery life diminishes. The words “low battery” or a flashing icon will appear on cordless phone screens as a visual confirmation of the low-battery chirp indication. These visual indications are secondary to the chirp signals because they aren’t visible unless the phone is held away from the user’s ear.
What should I do when my cordless phone battery starts to discharge fast?
With time, the rechargeable battery of your cordless phone may start to lose its ability to hold power, making it discharge fast. Once the battery starts to discharge and recharge faster than normal, that’s a sign that you should get new batteries to replace the old ones. However, the following are some of the things you can do to buy time before you decide to replace it with a new one:
Avoid recharging the battery before it runs out to ensure that your battery will be able to recharge fully and hold the charge for a long time. When you get the alert that your cordless phone battery is running low, connect it to the charger and allow the battery to charge to completion without disturbance. The cordless phone’s battery has a 3-year lifespan; hence, you should replace the battery around that time.
Can you put non-rechargeable batteries in a cordless phone?
No. Cordless phones use rechargeable batteries to provide them with the power for operations. If you use a non-rechargeable battery type, you may not get the needed power for your phone or completely damage it altogether due to differential voltage ratings and since most cordless phones are voltage sensitive.
For instance, a non-rechargeable alkaline type battery will have a voltage range of 1.5v before it starts to completely.
Final thoughts.
Because of its multiple advantages over corded phones, cordless phones have taken over with the rise of new technology. These advantages range from walking around while on a call to avoiding network dead zones by moving to a location with excellent network coverage to the new capabilities of cordless phones that were unavailable with a cord.
You need the best cordless phone batteries to get the most out of these advantages. You won’t fully appreciate the benefits of owning a cordless phone if you use a conventional battery. Thus, when confronted with the question, do you need special batteries for cordless phones? Then, you will have no worries explaining why the cordless phones need special AAA rechargeable batteries.
