Does anyone know if smartphone batteries are suitable for mini quadcopters? The voltage is compatible for my project but perhaps there are other considerations?
I would think not. Most have an odd charging connector and the discharge rate would probably be lower as well.
In a nutshell, no. The reasons are that while the have a fairly high energy density ratio, they are not designed to be charged over .5c rate (typically). This is to get many discharge cycles to maintain capacity over years, which is what a smartphone owner may do. Say, a real 1000 cycles vs. 100-150 for purpose built model lipos while maintaining 80% original capacity. Also, smartphone batteries have very lightweight connections to the cell which limits max discharge amperage. Most of these reasons are due to phones use li-on, whereas models use li-po. They are nearly the same but they each have there own advantages and disadvantages. Now while my reasons are typical, there are exceptions such as the batteries which are Qualcomm 2.0 fast charge. But the much higher price makes it pointless to consider this.
Look at li-fe or multi copter specific batteries. Hobbyking has tons of what you might be interested in.
Batteries for quadcopters are rated for discharge rate, commonly 20C to 60C, higher being better. A 1000mA 40C battery is rated to provide up to 40,000 mA current. A smart phone battery, if similarly rated, would likely be 1C or maybe 2C.
Thanks, you confirmed my suspicions.