Do we really need to charge all new gadgets overnight for the first time?

We’re not sure whether you have heard about the urban myth about rechargeable batteries. Some people claim that you must charge over night (7-12 hours straight) for the first time in order to “activate” all the chemicals in the battery, to prolong its life-span. While we could not explain this completely scientifically, and we thought that the “memory effect” on older generation rechargeable batteries was not an issue anymore. Anyway, somebody inquired that through the customer service hotlines of most large phone companies, and here’re their answers:

Nokia: Yes, we also recommend charging 12-14hours for the first 3 times.
Motorola: No, over-charging might have a negative effect on the durability of the battery. (Overheating?)
SonyEricsson: No, that is unnecessary.
LG: Yes.
Samsung: No, the battery has already been activated before coming out of factory, we do not recommend over-charging.
NEC: Yes, but from the information we (customer service) got, we don’t know why.
Philips: Yes, we still recommend that even though the battery has been activated before coming out of factory.
Lenovo: Yes.

So it’s a mix bag, anyone care to try that out at home and tell us the difference? —Sam Chan

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