why do AA batteries take so long to charge

[sony mavica]

compared to most other batteries eg ones in tablet pc mobile phones mp3 player and ones that come with cameras only take like anywhere from an hr to a couple of hrs to charge where as most AA batteries i have used take like 10hrs or so

its so annoying because i have lots of devices and cameras i want to use but charging them for like 10hrs and only lasting like 2hrs or so before i have to recharge them for another 10hrs again

[Skimask]

Better learn about the various battery chemistries out there...lithium vs. UNickel based, etc.
Apples and oranges...

[eugenenine]

You can charge AA NiMH faster but then you get a lower number of charge cycles bringing the total down to near Lithium Ion averages.

[BravoV]

Google for battery university .. and get a cup of coffee.

[NiHaoMike]

If you buy something other than the cheap stuff, you can find some AA batteries (and chargers) that charge in as little as 8 minutes. 15 minutes is more common, however, and 1-2 hours appears to be the best compromise between lifetime/cost and speed.

[Skimask]

Am I the only one that caught the likely difference between "tablet pc mobile phones mp3 player and ones that come with cameras only take like anywhere from an hr to a couple of hrs to charge" are likely lithium types, and "where as most AA batteries i have used take like 10hrs or so" are likely NiCd or NiMH types.

[IanB]

compared to most other batteries eg ones in tablet pc mobile phones mp3 player and ones that come with cameras only take like anywhere from an hr to a couple of hrs to charge where as most AA batteries i have used take like 10hrs or so

If you use the right charger then AA batteries like Eneloops can be charged in about 2 hours. It only takes 10 hrs or so to charge them because you have a slow charger that takes that long. The reason is that slow chargers are very cheap, easy and safe to make. If you want a faster charger, here is an example of one: (the Panasonic BQ-CC55)

https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Advanced-eneloop-Individual-Indicator/dp/B01G4T230U

its so annoying because i have lots of devices and cameras i want to use but charging them for like 10hrs and only lasting like 2hrs or so before i have to recharge them for another 10hrs again

Remember that AA batteries can be swapped out for fresh ones when needed. If you keep a set of freshly charged batteries on standby you can therefore recharge your device instantly, which you will never achieve with phones or cameras that have built-in batteries. Don't wait for 10 hours, just replace the batteries!

[Shock]

Look for the 15 min fast charge NiMH batteries they have been around since the early 2000's.

[NottheDan]

Am I the only one that caught the likely difference between "tablet pc mobile phones mp3 player and ones that come with cameras only take like anywhere from an hr to a couple of hrs to charge" are likely lithium types, and "where as most AA batteries i have used take like 10hrs or so" are likely NiCd or NiMH types.

Nope.

[eugenenine]

As already mentioned the 8-10 hours charging is an old slow charger.  in fact those can also lower the life of the batteries by over charging.  Not as bad as the 15 minute battery cookers that should be avoided as well.  A good charger should charge AA NiMH in 1-2 hours without overheating them.

[AustinR]

Generally, the rule of thumb has been the faster it charges, the fewer cycles it can go through.

Depending on battery type, charge cycle life can also be dependent on charging characteristics.