YOU ACCIDENTALLY LEFT your microUSB charger back at the hotel… 500 miles away. Now it’s time to buy a new
one. You pick up a cheapie from your nearest electronics retailer and hey, what
gives? What used to take 3 hours to charge now takes 12.
one. You pick up a cheapie from your nearest electronics retailer and hey, what
gives? What used to take 3 hours to charge now takes 12.
Turns out
not all chargers are created equal, even if they look similar. Here are some
quick buying guidelines that’ll save you time and ensure you’re using a charger
that’s optimized for your device’s power requirements.
not all chargers are created equal, even if they look similar. Here are some
quick buying guidelines that’ll save you time and ensure you’re using a charger
that’s optimized for your device’s power requirements.
First, some background. Charging power is based on three things:power (P, measured in Watts), current (I, measured in amps or milliamps), andvoltage (V, measured in volts). The amount of power is determined by the
equation P = IV. In other words, power is the product of current multiplied by
voltage. Because larger devices like tablets have substantially bigger
batteries than smartphones, chargers designed for the former tend to deliver
energy at a higher rate (a higher current).
equation P = IV. In other words, power is the product of current multiplied by
voltage. Because larger devices like tablets have substantially bigger
batteries than smartphones, chargers designed for the former tend to deliver
energy at a higher rate (a higher current).
For example,
consider these charging scenarios for the Retina iPad mini. You could use a
Lightning connector plugged into a computer (via USB), an iPhone charger
connected to a wall socket, or an iPad charger connected to a wall socket. A PC
USB charger delivers 2.5 Watts of power (5
volts at 500 mA). An iPhone charger delivers 5 Watts (5 volts at 1000 mA).
A Retina iPad mini charger delivers 10 watts(5.1 volts at 2100 mA).
consider these charging scenarios for the Retina iPad mini. You could use a
Lightning connector plugged into a computer (via USB), an iPhone charger
connected to a wall socket, or an iPad charger connected to a wall socket. A PC
USB charger delivers 2.5 Watts of power (5
volts at 500 mA). An iPhone charger delivers 5 Watts (5 volts at 1000 mA).
A Retina iPad mini charger delivers 10 watts(5.1 volts at 2100 mA).
While all of
these will charge your iPad, using the USB connected to a PC will charge your
Retina mini four times slower than if you used the iPad charger it came with.
Conversely, if you use a tablet charger for your smartphone, it’d charge up
faster than normal (Note: Some devices like the iPhone will only draw up to 1A
of current no matter the charger). If you play
mix-and-match with these types of chargers like this, don’t worry – you’re not going to blow up your phone or
anything crazy like that. And the myth that charging your device at a faster
rate will reduce the life of your device’s battery is
false. For some older devices, the higher specced charger just won’t work at
all, while newer devices will just charge faster.
these will charge your iPad, using the USB connected to a PC will charge your
Retina mini four times slower than if you used the iPad charger it came with.
Conversely, if you use a tablet charger for your smartphone, it’d charge up
faster than normal (Note: Some devices like the iPhone will only draw up to 1A
of current no matter the charger). If you play
mix-and-match with these types of chargers like this, don’t worry – you’re not going to blow up your phone or
anything crazy like that. And the myth that charging your device at a faster
rate will reduce the life of your device’s battery is
false. For some older devices, the higher specced charger just won’t work at
all, while newer devices will just charge faster.
Ultimately,
it’s really the amperage that determines how fast a charger will supply power
to your device. If you want quicker charging, look for a wall or car charger
that delivers 2100 mA of current at 5 volts (or whatever voltage the device
you’re trying to charge is specced at).
it’s really the amperage that determines how fast a charger will supply power
to your device. If you want quicker charging, look for a wall or car charger
that delivers 2100 mA of current at 5 volts (or whatever voltage the device
you’re trying to charge is specced at).
If you’re
grabbing a new charger off the shelf, there are a couple other things you
should consider. One of them is the logo that identifies compliance with
international standards. These can be faked. The CE mark is a popular one, and
as someone in thisforum thread unfortunately discovered, his substandard charger
sported a fake CE mark. The C and E in the actual logo should each be
approximately a half circle, and if you continued the circle of each letter
fully, the two circles would just link together in the middle.
grabbing a new charger off the shelf, there are a couple other things you
should consider. One of them is the logo that identifies compliance with
international standards. These can be faked. The CE mark is a popular one, and
as someone in thisforum thread unfortunately discovered, his substandard charger
sported a fake CE mark. The C and E in the actual logo should each be
approximately a half circle, and if you continued the circle of each letter
fully, the two circles would just link together in the middle.
If a charger has incorrect capitalization for the current and
power output it’s supposed to deliver (think “MA” instead of
“mA,” for milliamps), that could be a sign that the charger isn’t up
to snuff too. Having no manufacturer label on the device could also be a red
flag.
power output it’s supposed to deliver (think “MA” instead of
“mA,” for milliamps), that could be a sign that the charger isn’t up
to snuff too. Having no manufacturer label on the device could also be a red
flag.