Help charging a cell phone...

[gjkiii]

Does it matter which charger I use (brand wise) to charge my GS4? I just got my phone and I have an LG charger and a couple of generics that would work. Is this risky (Its my first high end phone and I do not want to break it). Thank you.

 

[Rukbat]

Read the label. As long as the output is 5 to 5.2 volts, it's fine. The current output (mA) tells you how long it will take to charge the phone (not linearly - the phone will draw a maximum amount of current no matter how much more the charger is capable of providing). So if the original charger is capable of 100 mA, and the phone charges under a set of conditions (temperature, how much charge has been used, etc.) in 5 hours, a charger capable of 50 mA may take 10 hours to charge the phone. But if the phone is set to draw no more than 100 mA, using a charger capable of 500 mA will still take 5 hours.

VERY few phones and tablets use something other than a microUSB connector and ~5 volt charging these days. "Charger", when it comes to cellphones, is almost generic. (Which is different from years ago, when even one manufacturer might have had 4 different charger connectors and 3 different voltages.)

 

[Thom]

Thread moved from Android Lounge to the forum dedicated to discussing your phone.

... Thom

 

[itsallgood]

Yes. If its not rated as high as the stock charger, your phone will take longer to charge and even over heat if your using it while plugged in. Stick with the stock charger if you can.

 

[lotus49]

I have used numerous different power supplies (iPhone, S2, BlackBerry, noname eBay, computer USB port) and never had a problem with any of them regardless of whether I was using the phone at the time or how lomg the phone was plugged in for.

The only difference is how long it takes to charge and the supplied charger performs best in that respect.

 

[BigRedGonzo]

I have used numerous different power supplies (iPhone, S2, BlackBerry, noname eBay, computer USB port) and never had a problem with any of them regardless of whether I was using the phone at the time or how lomg the phone was plugged in for.

The only difference is how long it takes to charge and the supplied charger performs best in that respect.

+1

Exactly what I was gonna say.

 

[gjkiii]

So if I have 3 chargers and each were 5.0 v but one was 2.0A, one was 1.2A and the laste was 550 MA would they all take about the same time to charge?

 

[itsallgood]

6404049[/URL]]So if I have 3 chargers and each were 5.0 v but one was 2.0A, one was 1.2A and the laste was 550 MA would they all take about the same time to charge?

Nope. The higher the output, the faster the charge. The lower the output, the slower the charge.

 

[lotus49]

The maximum current for an S4 is 2A so a 4A charger wouldn't charge any faster but a lower current would take longer in inverse proportion to the maximum current. A 1A charger would take twice as long and a 500mA charger would take 4 times as long.

 

[gjkiii]

Got it. Thanks everyone for their answers. I understand how it works now.