solar cell - Effects of continous slow charge on a battery?

If you connect a solar panel to a phone battery, but the solar panel provides about 1/4 (or 25%) of charge (mA) compared to the battery's original charger. Will this slow power charge the battery (albeit at a very slow rate)?

If so, what would be side effects of the battery being left on this slow charge all day every day?

EDIT: This question is for charging the battery separately from the phone and so extra precautions as highlighted below are needed to control V and mA, etc.

I want to charge the battery while it's still in the phone. Solution is also below in the answers and comments.

Answer

I assume that you mean that the current is about 1/4 of the original current.

Phone batteries will almost invariably be Lithium Ion (LiIon).
LiIon are normally charged at a maximum of "C" = the rate in mA numerically equal to the capacity in mAh.
So, for a 1200 mAh LiIon battery C = 1200 mA.

Assume your battery is 1000 mAh.
Actual values can be scaled if this assumption is wrong.
Normal maximum charge rate = C = 1000 mA.
Solar charge rate = 1000/4 = 250 mAh.

Assume it is a 3.6V nominal battery. This is the voltage of a single LiIon cell.
Max allowed voltage = 4.2V. Charge it with more than 4.2V and it's lifetime will be severely impaired OR the battery will self destruct.

IF the battery voltage when charging is less than 4.2V the 1000 mAh battery can be safely charged at 250 mA with no ill effects.
Once the battery voltage reaches 4.2V on charge the current MIST be controlled to keep Vmax at 4.2V OR the charging must be terminated. IF you continue to charge at too high a rate when Vbat reaches 4.2V so that Vbat keeps rising the battery and perhaps its surrounds and perhaps you will be damaged.

It is not enough to just limit Vmax to 4.2V. If a LiIon battery is connected to 4.2V indefinitely it will be damaged.

In the case of a small solar panel and a LiIon battery three main choices exist.

1. 
   

   Feed the PV panel voltage into a LiIon charger and use that to charge the battery. A number of camera chargers have 12 VDC inputs and can be charged from an external voltage source - with the charger electronics looking after charging complexities. or

   
   



2. 
   

   Charge to 4.2V and then terminate charging completely - do NOT "float" at 4.2V. or

   
   


3. 
   

   Build your own LiIon charger using one of the many purpose built ICs made to do just that OR 'roll your own' with an opamp, voltage reference, control switch (MOSFET usually) and more.
   Option 1 is easiest.