Help Are all USB charging cables the same?

[esmith818]

Can I use the charge cables I have leftover from the OG Droid and X2 in car and home?

 

[syntrix]

Can I use the charge cables I have leftover from the OG Droid and X2 in car and home?

Not all cables are the same.

Your old moto cables will work just fine.

Only use a quality name brand charger, suggested is only the one that comes with the phone or exacxt replacement. Remember when people were using cheap ebay chargers and making the oem droid screen freak out? Sometimes it permanently freaked the phone out.

 

[kam187]

All Micro USB cables are the same. Its like the old 'HDMI cable' debate. Its digital data, unless there's a break or something, a better quality cable isn't going to make any difference at all!

As for the chargers.. Any phone charger from a reputable company, i.e. chargers from previous phones will be fine. As long as they have 500mA or above and 5v output OR have a micro USB connector on them (Which means they must be 5v and minimum 500mA).

For example, I regularly plug a Micro USB cable into an iPhone charger and charge with that.

Cheap, non phone chargers however, may not be regulated, and that could damage your phone.

In short: Any cable or charger from an old phone is fine to use if its Micro USB (same connector). If it has a USB output, it should also be safe to use with a Micro USB cable.

 

[PetiePal]

This is true however the Galaxy Nexus takes a 1amp out. If you use a 500v output charger (the cable here doesn't matter but the charger does) it will charge half as slowly. This was evident by using the Griffin PowerJolt duo in my car. It's a cigarette lighter AC plug that has 2 USB ports. Each is 500v, so my TomTom GPS and Galaxy Nexus charge slower. I did a doubletake when it said 9 hours to charge the phone. Ordered a newer PowerDuo Micro and that charges just fine at normal speed. Both USB ports on that are 1amp out

 

[syntrix]

This is true however the Galaxy Nexus takes a 1amp out. If you use a 500v output charger (the cable here doesn't matter but the charger does) it will charge half as slowly. This was evident by using the Griffin PowerJolt duo in my car. It's a cigarette lighter AC plug that has 2 USB ports. Each is 500v, so my TomTom GPS and Galaxy Nexus charge slower. I did a doubletake when it said 9 hours to charge the phone. Ordered a newer PowerDuo Micro and that charges just fine at normal speed. Both USB ports on that are 1amp out

You meant a 0.5A charger, not a 500v charger, lol. I see what you are saying. Agreed that less than 1.0A and you'll charge slower.

 

[kam187]

Yeah, thats true, you would need a 1A charger to charge faster. However the phone will still only draw 500mA (0.5A) unless the data pins on the USB connection are shorted. This indicates (by standard) that 0.9A is available.

Anything beyond that has to be signalled in a proprietary way (ipad chargers do this for example).

So, its possible that some chargers may have 1A but still only charge slowly. Best bet is to either go with one that someone else has tested and recommends, or go with one form one of the main manufacturers.

 

[PetiePal]

You meant a 0.5A charger, not a 500v charger, lol. I see what you are saying. Agreed that less than 1.0A and you'll charge slower.

Gah I'm getting tired, yes that's what I meant. The Griffin PowerJolt Duo I have is definitely only 500 and ridiculously slow.

 

[DLCPhoto]

This is true however the Galaxy Nexus takes a 1amp out. If you use a 500v output charger (the cable here doesn't matter but the charger does) it will charge half as slowly. This was evident by using the Griffin PowerJolt duo in my car. It's a cigarette lighter AC plug that has 2 USB ports. Each is 500v, so my TomTom GPS and Galaxy Nexus charge slower. I did a doubletake when it said 9 hours to charge the phone. Ordered a newer PowerDuo Micro and that charges just fine at normal speed. Both USB ports on that are 1amp out

With that PowerDuo Micro Griffin charger, does your Galaxy Nexus shows as "AC" charging when it's plugged in, or "USB"? That seems to be what determines whether it is putting out enough current to keep it charged while navigating, etc.

 

[PetiePal]

The car one? It shows as AC for me.

 

[DLCPhoto]

The car one? It shows as AC for me.

Yes, the car charger is what I was referring to. That's all I needed to know. Will go ahead and order one of those.

Thanks!

 

[DLCPhoto]

OK, this gets confusing and inconsistent.

Here is what I think is the Car Charger you're saying will deliver the proper current to the Galaxy Nexus to be seen as an "AC" source (and as far as I can see is the same car charger as is sold in the item you refer to, which includes a regular indoor plug, which I don't need):

Griffin Powerjolt Dual Universal USB Micro

When you check the reviews, however, in particular, this one, it seems that it doesn't deliver a full 1 amp, and is seen by this person's smartphone as a "USB" source.

In your first post, you say that the original "Griffin PowerJolt duo" in your car also didn't deliver the power needed. So which adapter is this one, that didn't work?? The name seems identical. It seems Griffin makes multiple car chargers, with virtually identical names, but which have different features/specs.

I would hate to order one and have it work no different from the older one I now have, which is seen as a "USB" source.

Thanks.

 

[speede541]

All Micro USB cables are the same.

Cheap, non phone chargers however, may not be regulated, and that could damage your phone.

Not necessarily. A cheaper USB cable may not utilize a heavy enough gauge of wire to handle currents over .5A. I had an unbranded cable work fine charging a BlackBerry (using one of those Power Jolt chargers), then literally overheat, melt and destroy itself while charging another device that took higher current.

Then there's also the matter of jumpers or resistors that may be present across the USB pins to indicate to the phone and/or charger that it is capable of handling the increased Amperage. This was implemented in later USB standards to protect against using lesser USB cables (that met the original 500mA USB spec) from melting, like mine did.

And as for the chargers regulating output, the phone's internal charging circuit has to perform this function, too -- to a much finer degree. A charging brick / wall wart needs to be pretty F'd up to break the phone. But I 100% agree with you: Use a reputable brand to avoid problems.

Here is what I think is the Car Charger you're saying will deliver the proper current to the Galaxy Nexus to be seen as an "AC" source (and as far as I can see is the same car charger as is sold in the item you refer to, which includes a regular indoor plug, which I don't need):

Griffin Powerjolt Dual Universal USB Micro

When you check the reviews, however, in particular, this one, it seems that it doesn't deliver a full 1 amp, and is seen by this person's smartphone as a "USB" source.

In your first post, you say that the original "Griffin PowerJolt duo" in your car also didn't deliver the power needed. So which adapter is this one, that didn't work?? The name seems identical. It seems Griffin makes multiple car chargers, with virtually identical names, but which have different features/specs.

I would hate to order one and have it work no different from the older one I now have, which is seen as a "USB" source.

Thanks.

I have one of these Power Jolt 2-port chargers. EACH PORT is claimed to put out 1A, so it's 2A total (contrary to what a previous post wrote). But there are also various versions of these out there, some of which only put out the higher current to certain devices.

For what it's worth, when I plug my Nexus into my Power Jolt, using the stock Nexus USB cable, I get only the "USB Charging" (<500mA / low 'n slow charge rate) indication.

 

[DLCPhoto]

I have one of these Power Jolt 2-port chargers. EACH PORT is claimed to put out 1A, so it's 2A total (contrary to what a previous post wrote). But there are also various versions of these out there, some of which only put out the higher current to certain devices.

For what it's worth, when I plug my Nexus into my Power Jolt, using the stock Nexus USB cable, I get only the "USB Charging" (<500mA / low 'n slow charge rate) indication.

Thanks for the input. And yeah, there is plenty of confusion, because there are so many similar devices made by Griffin, with virtually identical names. And I even wonder if Reviews for one version are being posted under a similar but not identical product.

The SKU for the unit I'm looking at on Amazon, and which seems to be the one that PetiePal uses and is seen by his Galaxy Nexus as an "AC" source, is GC23089. Is that the unit you have, or a different one?

 

[speede541]

Mine says it's a P2275 from 2010. Not sure of that correlates to your sku.

 

[DLCPhoto]

Mine says it's a P2275 from 2010. Not sure of that correlates to your sku.

Thanks. Hard to say - can't find anything specific for "P2275" except a link where somebody modded one for greater power. The photo he posted looks just like the photo of the one I'm looking at. Could be they changed something from 2010 to 2011.

I just found that my local Target carries it. I'll head over there and try it out. If it just shows as "USB" charging, I'll return it and go back to the drawing board.

 

[PetiePal]

OK, this gets confusing and inconsistent.

Here is what I think is the Car Charger you're saying will deliver the proper current to the Galaxy Nexus to be seen as an "AC" source (and as far as I can see is the same car charger as is sold in the item you refer to, which includes a regular indoor plug, which I don't need):

Griffin Powerjolt Dual Universal USB Micro

When you check the reviews, however, in particular, this one, it seems that it doesn't deliver a full 1 amp, and is seen by this person's smartphone as a "USB" source.

In your first post, you say that the original "Griffin PowerJolt duo" in your car also didn't deliver the power needed. So which adapter is this one, that didn't work?? The name seems identical. It seems Griffin makes multiple car chargers, with virtually identical names, but which have different features/specs.

I would hate to order one and have it work no different from the older one I now have, which is seen as a "USB" source.

Thanks.

Ok so here's the difference...

There was the original Griffin PowerJolt Duo, it was either sold by itself or with another power brick (which is about double the size). The car plug was also very big and had either a green or blue LED light on the front.

The newer versions were the Griffin PowerJolt Duo MICRO. You'll see them listed as 2 1-amp output ports, which should sufficiently charge your smartphones. There is some discrepancy as to iPads as they take a 2.1 amp output, and people think that the 2 ports of 1amp apiece = 2 amps, which they don't it's still only 1-amp output.

 

[PetiePal]

Just checked Amazon and mine arrives today and you best believe I'll be replacing it first thing I'll check back with you guys later

 

[DLCPhoto]

Well, I just returned from Target - the Griffin Dual Powerjolt USB Car Charger I just bought - labeled with SKU GC23089, and also with the P2275 - only shows in my Verizon Galaxy Nexus as "USB" charging, not "AC". Bummer. I returned it.

As far as I can tell, this is the same car charger that is sold with the Griffin Technology PowerDuo Universal Micro sold at Amazon, which includes the outlet plug for indoor use, but I can't be 100% certain.

I cannot find a Griffin charger labeled as "Griffin PowerJolt Duo MICRO", other than as sold in the combination with the indoor AC adapter.

So I'm back to Square One. I have been unable to find a 'free-standing' USB Car Charger (that is, one that only has plugs for your USB cable(s), and no permanently attached cable) that will be seen by the Galaxy Nexus as being an "AC" source and which would therefore provide sufficient current to continue charging even with the GN fully active, navigating, etc.

The only way I've seen to accomplish this is to perform a soldering fix on units such as the Griffin one I bought, which I'm reluctant to do at this point.

To restate, the only car chargers I've found that will be seen as "AC" charging by the Galaxy nexus, are the ones with a built-in Micro USB cable/connector, such as the Stock Verizon one, the "Just Wireless" ones sold at Walmart, etc. These have the "coiled" cable which I would like to avoid for simpler routing of the cable.


So - does anybody have a 'free-standing' USB car charger, which can be used with a regular USB cable, and still provide current that is seen by the GN as "AC" and therefore provide the maximum charging power??? If so, please provide a link, full description, etc.

It shouldn't have to be this hard!!

 

[speede541]

I believe this gets back to how the USB standard is written, so modification will be necessary unless you can find a manufacturer who is willing to violate it... but that would make it a questionable product.

Guess I'd better warm up the soldering iron.

 

[PetiePal]

I believe this gets back to how the USB standard is written, so modification will be necessary unless you can find a manufacturer who is willing to violate it... but that would make it a questionable product.

Guess I'd better warm up the soldering iron.

Confirmed the car charger only shows up as charging by USB but it is still LOADS faster than the older PowerJolt Duo was. The micro charges must faster so it's still an amp out, and the voltage difference between AC and this has to be minimal...

 

[PetiePal]

Update!

I finally received my 4 USB to MicroUSB I ordered from Amazon.

THESE ARE THEM They have the data pins shorted to one another effectively disabling them. When the data pins are not detected as viable any charging block or whatever will charge your phone at the full AC level. I've confirmed the entire original PowerDuo Universal Micro package charges as "AC" now. A little trickery to get it to work as advertised but having to buy a $4 cable was quite an easy fix.

 

[PetiePal]

Now to add some weirdness to the mix...I took the Griffin charger and then connected the Samsung branded cable that CAME with my Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and it showed charging from USB! This makes sense in that the Samsung cable is for data AND power, however for whatever reason when used with the Samsung power bring it charges as full AC.

Perplexing!

 

[Richy_T]

Definitely not all cables are the same. I've been playing with charging between a Captivate and a Razr max today using the dual charger and cable that came with the Razr and a cheapy ebay cable. Plugged in on its own with the "official" Razr cable, the Captivate charges at 1100mA, with the cheapy cable, 200mA.

It has to be a resistance issue I'm sure. I suspect the phone charging circuitry detects when it's pulling the voltage down below 5v and reduces the current it draws to prevent burning out the power supply. With a high-resistance cable, that'll happen at a much lower current even though the power supply isn't working hard.

I also had some problems with the cheap cable getting a data connection with front/monitor ports and had to plug in around the back.

That makes me think I may have some bad cables at home too, some of them OEM (not cheapy). I may have to build a test rig...

 

[DizzyMP]

I seem to remember when the G Nex first dropped some people were having issues transferring files to and from their laptops via other USB cables, then when using the supplied cable it would work. Which makes me believe there is something different about the cable that came with the G Nex.

 

[ritchea]

I purchased two of thesehttp://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-A-Male-Micro-B-Cable-Feet/dp/B004GF8TIK/ref=pd_cp_cps_2 for our gnex's. I also ordered a mini ac surge protector that has two usb ports (2.1a & 1a I believe). Using their (both are mediabridge) cable directly into either usb port of the protector, I was only able to get usb charge. (It did provide full charge to ipad.) When using the samsung wall wart (one official and one "oem" knock-off), the cables provide ac charging. Mediabridge informed me of the solder hack but said that they would be coming out with a cable that would provide full ac charge with their surge protector and their usb car charger. The cables work well for charging and data transfer. If you needed a longer cable than what came with your gnex, this works. FWIW, LG micro cables/chargers do not work with this gnex. Apparently, LG chooses not to build to "standard".