Don't make this huge mistake when charging your phone

Many of us have the same nightly phone-charging routine. We lay our nearly dead phones on the nightstand, plug them in, and when the alarm goes off we wake up to a full charge. Unfortunately, this practice and a couple of other bad habits can ruin the battery.

People used to think that letting your phone get below a 5 percent charge or even letting it die was good battery maintenance. That's not true and we've got an alternative that could triple your battery's life.

To maximize the life of your battery, you should charge it whenever it falls to 50 percent. According to Battery University, letting lithium-ion batteries die degrades them over time. After letting this happen 300 to 500 times, the battery will not be able to hold a charge as long as it used to. After one to two years the performance will decline.

Evolution of the iPhone:

Nearly half of smartphone owners decide to upgrade to newer versions of phones after one to two years anyway. But if you plan to keep your phone longer, then taking care of the battery is key. Battery University says that if you charge the phone once it hits 50 percent, after 1,200 to 1,500 times your battery performance will decline.

To extend battery life, you should also check out this video for tricks to save your battery.