September 8, 2023, 6:23 am | Read time: 2 minutes
The abbreviation mAh stands for the physical unit milliampere-hours. It is primarily used for batteries in mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets, but also for batteries in digital cameras or rechargeable batteries. For power banks, the mAh rating indicates the capacity of the energy bar.
Information on Power Supply
The abbreviation mAh indicates how much current (milliamperes, mA) a battery has or how long it can power a device. For example, with a rating of 1000 mAh, a battery can power a device for one hour with 1000 mA. The formula is current times hours. In other words, if the device consistently uses 100 mA, the battery would last ten hours. If the device requires more, the battery life decreases accordingly.
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That’s the theory, as battery life depends on several factors. Cold, for example, reduces battery life–an experience every winter vacationer has had when the smartphone is in an outer pocket of the jacket.
As the battery ages, it also loses efficiency because it no longer charges fully. Ultimately, the device’s features primarily determine the battery charge’s duration. For example, an LCD consumes more energy than an OLED or AMOLED screen.
More mAh Does Not Mean Longer Battery Life
For a smartphone, it’s also important how much energy the processor or active apps require from the battery. Therefore, you can’t generally say that a high mAh value indicates long battery life. If the smartphone quickly “drains” the battery capacity, the next charge is not far off. In contrast, an energy-efficient phone will run longer on the same battery.
That’s why you can’t compare the mAh ratings of an iPhone with those of an Android smartphone, as iPhone processors generally operate more efficiently than the chips used in Android phones.