Some chargers slower than others - Nexus 7 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Unfortunately I left my Nexus 7 charger in a hotel room a month ago and it has not yet been handed in. Consequently I have had to buy an off the shelf charger. One I tried stated that it was rated at 2 AMPS, and it does work, but at about 1.5-2x the charging time as the stock charger. I also noted that when using that charger the Nexus system did not say it was charging, although it obviously was.
I just obtained another charger rated at 2.5 AMPS and it performs exactly as the stock charger. Has anyone else noted this - that if the charger outputs less than 2 AMPS the Nexus 7 does not notify the use that it is charging and does so at a much slower rate?
Larry

My understanding - the charger has to let the device know it supports high current mode. Otherwise the Nexus limits it to 500 ma, which is correct for a cable plugged into a computer.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

rmm200 said:
My understanding - the charger has to let the device know it supports high current mode. Otherwise the Nexus limits it to 500 ma, which is correct for a cable plugged into a computer.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is true; the same method applies to samsung chargers. There has to be 5v on one of the data lines as well to let the device now it should change to high-power mode.
Search for a tutorial on what to solder together inside of the charger or buy an official samsung charger of at least 1A (I believe Galaxy S2 chargers have that output).

Related

Dual Nexus 4 or Nexus 4/10 Car Charger

Has anyone found a dual car charger for two Nexus 4's or a Nexus 4 and a Nexus 10 whilst in use?
Most dual car chargers seem to have one output to charge Apple devices at 2A plus another output to charge non-apple devices at 1A which is not what I need.
Thanks
I've managed to find something but it seems to be unavailable in the UK
http://www.discountcell.com/cellular/p/gonexus-10_usbd3-1ablk_3
Monoprice has plenty of these. I love their products and pricing.
It might be possible to charge two Nexus 10 tablets or two Nexus 4 phones using a dual iPad charger and power USB cables as described in the first link below.
The second and third links are items from Amazon which might work.
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_...-at-once-with-qmadix-twin-tablet-charger-4.2/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scosche-reVOLT-Charger-without-Cable/dp/B0077PM3KG
http://www.amazon.co.uk/PortaPow-Ra...TYUE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357754579&sr=8-2
Have you tried to charge your nexus 4/10 with a 2.1a apple USB port? I tried it with both my nexus 4 and 7 and they do not deliver more than 1a. I just ordered the powergen dual USB. It will only give 1a to android devices according to the guys at the nexus 7 forums. 1a is enough to slowly charge my nexus 7 in the car with maps running but im not sure about the nexus 10. We need a car charger specifically made for android tablets that can output more than one amp but I don't know if there are any on the market yet.
neotekz said:
Have you tried to charge your nexus 4/10 with a 2.1a apple USB port? I tried it with both my nexus 4 and 7 and they do not deliver more than 1a. I just ordered the powergen dual USB. It will only give 1a to android devices according to the guys at the nexus 7 forums. 1a is enough to slowly charge my nexus 7 in the car with maps running but im not sure about the nexus 10. We need a car charger specifically made for android tablets that can output more than one amp but I don't know if there are any on the market yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you read the article in my first link above then that says that a dual iPad charger with the correct cable should deliver 2.1A.
Here are some Amazon customer reviews showing that a dual iPad charger can charge a Nexus device at 2.1A when using the correct USB charger cable.
http://www.amazon.com/Qmadix-QM-DMC...iewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
Gaugerer said:
If you read the article in my first link above then that says that a dual iPad charger with the correct cable should deliver 2.1A.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless someone tested it with the nexus 7 or 10 im still skeptical. Anytime you see the 2.1a it's designed for the Ipad. Just read that article and it doesn't say anything about android tablets just ipads. Im sure they do output 2.1a but just to ipads, android devices will only get 1a.
Sorry for offtopic a bit but is it okay to use 2A to charge the N4?
I mean does it kill the battery faster or it is totally fine?
THanks
Gaugerer said:
Here are some Amazon customer reviews showing that a dual iPad charger can charge a Nexus device at 2.1A when using the correct USB charger cable.
http://www.amazon.com/Qmadix-QM-DMC...iewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i just read the reviews, just because it shows AC charging it does not mean its output is 2.1a. AC charging just means that its using a charger or cable that has the D+/- pins shorted. I have a moto 700mah car charger that shows AC to both my nexus 4/7 but only delivers around 6-700 mah. What im saying is that it probably wont output more than 1a to an android device. 1a is more than enough to charge a nexus 4(or any other android phone) with nav on but is a bit too slow for tablets. If you do get this car charger let us know if it does output more than 1a. you can use current widget app to find out how much current the phone is receiving from the charger. Im still looking for a car charger that can deliver more than 1a to an android device.
Emama said:
Sorry for offtopic a bit but is it okay to use 2A to charge the N4?
I mean does it kill the battery faster or it is totally fine?
THanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes it's fine. The nexus 4 will not draw more current than is safe for the battery.
Emama said:
Sorry for offtopic a bit but is it okay to use 2A to charge the N4?
I mean does it kill the battery faster or it is totally fine?
THanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong post
neotekz said:
i just read the reviews, just because it shows AC charging it does not mean its output is 2.1a. AC charging just means that its using a charger or cable that has the D+/- pins shorted. I have a moto 700mah car charger that shows AC to both my nexus 4/7 but only delivers around 6-700 mah. What im saying is that it probably wont output more than 1a to an android device. 1a is more than enough to charge a nexus 4(or any other android phone) with nav on but is a bit too slow for tablets. If you do get this car charger let us know if it does output more than 1a. you can use current widget app to find out how much current the phone is receiving from the charger. Im still looking for a car charger that can deliver more than 1a to an android device.
yes it's fine. The nexus 4 will not draw more current than is safe for the battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply. I've ordered the charger and the USB power cable and I'll report back.
I use this
http://www.myinnergie.com/mCubeDC10/Default.aspx
Bought it when I had an iPhone and it could charge it and an iPad at the same time.
Now I use it with the SGS3 and the Nexus 7, works fine for both and they pick it up as AC.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

We can only use the LG charger?

Since the battery life of the phone is quite poor it's only natural that i would like to charge it when i'm on class or with an usb cable when im using my laptop, using other usb chargers/cables, but on the manual says (of course) that we should only use it with the lg charger that comes in the box or an official nexus 4 charger .
It kinda sounds like bullsh*t until i remember what happened with my motorola milestone, sometimes when i used another charger the screen started doing crazy things, like swipping the homescreens by itself , oppening apps, until i charged it for at least a few minutes with the official charger, some months later my digitalizer died, so you can imagine how traumatized i am, but then i think what's the point of trying to make a standard out of microusb chargers if we can only use the official charger? what do you guys think?
I find battery life to be very good.
I have been using an old HTC charger on mine without issue though. I suspect the 'only use LG charger' is to cover themselves in case you kill the device with a cheap and badly made knock off.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
AW: We can only use the LG charger?
I have literally problems in draining my battery, running Franco's Kernel and Minco v6.
Anyway, using another charger should be no problem. I used the charger of my Asus Transformer and a mobile charger in my car without issues.
sent from my francoed Nexus 4
templope athletes,"
Feel free to use any USB wallcharger you'll find.
I tried some i had laying around (HTC, iPhone 5, iPad) and they all charged without trouble.. :good:
Yeah, I've used a 1A HTC charger with no issue. I accidentally left my lg charger at a friends house and had to use what I had.
the battery life is good, better than s2 with its extended battery, i was wondering about this too as i want to use a sony rx100 at 2amps to charge while im traveling.
on page 168 of the service manual it states the max charging current is set at 900mah, over voltage protection upto 28volts
The current should be controlled by the phone, not the charger. Therefore there shouldn't be a problem with more powerful chargers. The voltage has to be correct, though
The phone certainly regulates the power it takes.
If you are really worried about the chargers just flip them over and read the output ratings. Most of them are exactly the same these days.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
I use my GNex charger with no problems.
P.s- the battery life on this device is outstanding, you just need to find the kernel that works well on your device
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium HD app
Any USB charger will work. Note the output current on the charger though, as that will impact how fast it can charge and whether or not you can have the screen on while you charge. The LG charger that comes with the phone is 5v 1.2a, an iPhone charger (at least as of the 4S when I got mine) is 5v 1a and an Amazon Kindle charger is 5v 0.85a. The USB 2.0 spec calls out a max power output of 5v 0.5a.
EnIXmA said:
I use my GNex charger with no problems.
P.s- the battery life on this device is outstanding, you just need to find the kernel that works well on your device
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for the GNex charger.
[email protected] said:
Any USB charger will work. Note the output current on the charger though, as that will impact how fast it can charge and whether or not you can have the screen on while you charge. The LG charger that comes with the phone is 5v 1.2a, an iPhone charger (at least as of the 4S when I got mine) is 5v 1a and an Amazon Kindle charger is 5v 0.85a. The USB 2.0 spec calls out a max power output of 5v 0.5a.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm confused , the lg nexus 4 charger is 5.0v 1.2A and my galaxy nexus charger which i use sometimes with my nexus 4 is 5.0V 1.0A , what does this mean? what's the difference?
My Nexus 4 is on the way so i cant comment on that but my Sony Xperia S acts differently to different USB leads even on the same charge unit. It might charge at 500mAh or 950mAh (on a charger rated at 850mAh), the screen might be fine or it might act erratic and it all depends on the lead plugged in to the charger
I used Samsung/blackberry chargers and they worked. Not sure if they were as efficient though.
I pretty much use anything but the LG charger and have been doing so over a month. So feel free to use any quality charger you like.
I also charge of my Philips Qi pad and off computer USB ports.
As long as it's providing stable power or anything close to it, it's good.
Just be careful with (fake) cheapo chargers. Those might cause issues with the touchscreen going haywire while charging off them. I've also read that about some car chargers, but so far my cheap 2A 2port USB car charger that came of DX is working fine for me.
YMMV of course. But there is no need to stick to just the LG charger.

Lost my charger. Which one to buy?

Self explanatory really. I realise any micro USB charger will fit, but I've read that of the voltage / amperage doesn't match, it can fry the phone. How true that is I don't know, but I don't want to risk it. I asked LG, and they directed me to their spares and accessories website. Initially it looked promising, but it turned out the website was terrible, was no info about anything.
I've had a look to find other 5V 1.2a (the specs of the charger that comes with the phone) micro USB chargers, but not had much luck. Any chance anyone could send me a link to a charger that matches the nexus charger? That would be very much appreciated.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
I read something that said if you use a charger with a higher amp, that won't cause any problems at all. Is that true? So I could use a 5V 2a charger with the nexus 4 (the original charger was 5v 1.2a)?
The reason I'm so concerned is that when I use my HTC Desire charger (5v 1a), the screen stops working properly. I used it all the time when I first got my phone and the battery in the phone died, and I had to get it replaced. I don't want that to happen again, so I don't want to use a charger with different amp output.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
phil35 said:
I read something that said if you use a charger with a higher amp, that won't cause any problems at all. Is that true? So I could use a 5V 2a charger with the nexus 4 (the original charger was 5v 1.2a)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that's true. The phone will only draw the current that it needs. A 2A charger won't "push" the whole 2A to the phone, the phone will just "pull" the 0.8A or so that it needs.
Sent from my Nexus 4
Order the Nexus 4 Wireless Charging Orb - Comes with Wall Charger & USB Cable (probably way Google doesn't just sell the Charger/Cable - to push the Orb)
steviewevie said:
Yes, that's true. The phone will only draw the current that it needs. A 2A charger won't "push" the whole 2A to the phone, the phone will just "pull" the 0.8A or so that it needs.
Sent from my Nexus 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. The amperage rating is what the charger can output based on demand of its load.
Sent from my Nexus 4

About AC adapter and its amperage

Hi all,
Ok, so I finally managed to order a 16Gb Nexus 4 and hopefully it will be with me in 1 week or so.
And I was wondering one thing regarding the AC adapter: I believe (pls correct me if I am wrong) that the original AC adapter’s output voltage is DC 5V, 1.2A.
I will need an extra AC adapter to keep it at work and I was planning to use one of those:
- The Sony Xperia P AC adapter will output 5V, 1,5A
- The Samsung Galaxy S AC adapter will output 5V, 0,7A
It is clear that neither of those 2 chargers will match exactly the specifications of the original Nexus charger (same voltage, but different amperage).
So, here goes the questions:
1) Is there any problem if I use a charger that will output the same voltage but with different amperage?... if not, which one would you use and why?.
2) how the amperage affect to the charging process?.
Thanks all in advance
PS: sorry for terrible English
You can use any charger up to 2 amps.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Evergreen74 said:
Hi all,
Ok, so I finally managed to order a 16Gb Nexus 4 and hopefully it will be with me in 1 week or so.
And I was wondering one thing regarding the AC adapter: I believe (pls correct me if I am wrong) that the original AC adapter’s output voltage is DC 5V, 1.2A.
I will need an extra AC adapter to keep it at work and I was planning to use one of those:
- The Sony Xperia P AC adapter will output 5V, 1,5A
- The Samsung Galaxy S AC adapter will output 5V, 0,7A
It is clear that neither of those 2 chargers will match exactly the specifications of the original Nexus charger (same voltage, but different amperage).
So, here goes the questions:
1) Is there any problem if I use a charger that will output the same voltage but with different amperage?... if not, which one would you use and why?.
2) how the amperage affect to the charging process?.
Thanks all in advance
PS: sorry for terrible English
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must use a 5V AC USB Adapter and better no LESS than 1A
for Fast Charge.
AC Adapter I Use:
iPad AC Adapter 5V 2.1A at Work
PlayBook AC Adapter 5V 1.8A at Home 1
Original Nexus 4 AC 5V 1.2A at Home 2.
Our Nexus 4 will Draw around 0.8A when Batt lever at 0% - 80%,
then around 0.5A at 80%-95%, Final State 95%-100% will draw 0.2A roughly.
When 100%, Nexus 4 will use the AC power & the Current "A" show on phone
will like 2mA (0.002A) when idling.
** 1A = 1000mA
As previous poster said, do not go under 1.2amp.
I run the OEM charger in my bed room, a USB charger to my computer, and a 2.1amp charger in the car.
Sfkn2 said:
As previous poster said, do not go under 1.2amp.
I run the OEM charger in my bed room, a USB charger to my computer, and a 2.1amp charger in the car.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do you say not to go under 1.2A? Charging from a laptop is at .5A. I've been using a 1A charger since day one. Haven't experienced any issues with it.
Charging at a lower amperage shouldn't hurt anything, just charge slower. All you have to do is make sure it's a 5V charger. Amperage shouldn't matter but a lower amp charger will charge slower. As for a higher amp charger, the phone will only draw the amount of power it needs to charge so using 2A charger won't hurt anything either.
Also 2mA is 0.002A not 0.02 A
wilsonlam97 said:
You can use any charger up to 2 amps.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since the charger doesn't actually regulate the charging itself (the phone does this) it doesn't matter how many amps it can supply, could be 100 amps, no worries. As long as it is 5V, the phone will draw as many amps as it needs.
Since the supplied charger is 1.2A rated, it's fair to assume that the phone will never actually try to draw any more than that, so there will be no benefit in going higher.
Going for a lower current charger will likely extend the charge time.
I use a 2.1 amp daily without any issues.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Wow guys!!... thanks all for your answers!!
So, if I understood correctly, the amperage will only affect to the charging time, meaning that by using the Xperia P AC adapter (1,5A) the battery will be charged faster that using the Galaxy S one (0,7A)... right?
Pls allow one last question: a few yeard ago, I think I read in some forums that a slower charging process could help to keep the batteries in the best conditions for a longer time... is this still true with modern batteries??
Again, THANKS all for your help!!
Evergreen74 said:
Wow guys!!... thanks all for your answers!!
So, if I understood correctly, the amperage will only affect to the charging time, meaning that by using the Xperia P AC adapter (1,5A) the battery will be charged faster that using the Galaxy S one (0,7A)... right?
Pls allow one last question: a few yeard ago, I think I read in some forums that a slower charging process could help to keep the batteries in the best conditions for a longer time... is this still true with modern batteries??
Again, THANKS all for your help!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the .7A charger will take a little longer to charge you phone.
On the other answer, I think NO but I'm not as familiar with LiPo batteries. I would venture to say that .7A vs 1.2A (max the phone will draw but I think someone above mentioned it's even less than that when the battery is very low) is not going to make a bit of difference in your battery life.
One thing I do know about LiPo's is you do not trickle charge them. So while plugged in it will charge at the rates mentioned above until full and then it QUITS charging all together. Once the phone discharges the battery to a certain level, it will charge it back up again. Probably at 98-99%.
There may be one other thing to consider when selecting a third party charger. In the Nexus 7, the device looks for pins 2 & 3 (data) of the USB plug to be shorted in order for it to draw full current. If this pins are open (or have a load across them as is the case with iPhone/iPad chargers), the Nexus 7 will assume it is plugged into a computer and limit its draw to 500MA.
Not certain the Nexus 4 behaves the same way but would assume so.
setzer715 said:
Yes, the .7A charger will take a little longer to charge you phone.
On the other answer, I think NO but I'm not as familiar with LiPo batteries. I would venture to say that .7A vs 1.2A (max the phone will draw but I think someone above mentioned it's even less than that when the battery is very low) is not going to make a bit of difference in your battery life.
One thing I do know about LiPo's is you do not trickle charge them. So while plugged in it will charge at the rates mentioned above until full and then it QUITS charging all together. Once the phone discharges the battery to a certain level, it will charge it back up again. Probably at 98-99%.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
setzer715, thanks for the answer... I think I will be using the Xperia P charger at work...
Thanks all for your help!!
I want to make this case clear. According to my Charging log,
Here is some key point.
Nexus 4 Max Draw Rate at Fast Charge Mode is around 800-900mA,
even you use a Charger that rated at 1A (iPhone Tofu), 1.2A (Original),
1.8A (Playbook), 2.1A (iPad).
Fast Charge Mode must be with Charging Cable with 2&3 pin Shorted,
or the charger itself have the 2&3 pin already shorted.
Therefore, 1A is a Sweet spot for getting Charger & Charging Time for
Li-Po/Li-Ion/Ni-MH Batt charging.
If you use under 1A Charger, eg 700mA or 500mA, it will take much longer
to charge the batt but no harm as well. Just too slow only.
The stock charger that came with my phone sucks, I use one from my epic 4g touch (gs2)and it charges much better
DEVICE: Nexus 4
KERNEL: Franco r95
ROM: PROJECT Extinct Life Event
jlear3 said:
The stock charger that came with my phone sucks,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why you say so...? What's wrong with it...?
Talon88 said:
Why you say so...? What's wrong with it...?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Left a phone on a charger all night with a long (10ft) cable and it couldn't even charge the phone over night. I know a 10ft cable will slow things down but my gs2 plug has no problem charging my phone. Search around and you'll find a few fail stories about the stock LG charger.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

different charger amp levels

I recently bought the nexus 4 and have been having a blast with it. For a little while I lost the USB charger in my house, so I started using my iPad charger for it. Since the stock nexus 4 charger has an output of 1.2 amps 5v DC and the iPad charger has 2.0 amps 5v DC would prolonged use of the iPad charger possibly affect how long the battery last since it charges it faster then normal, or am I just being stupid and its fine to use the higher amperage charger?
There is a lot of threads explaining this but I'll explain the best I can higher amp equals quicker charge however gets the battery hotter so the battery life could be affected
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
It is the phone that decides how much current to "pull", not the charger that "pushes" it.
So it's fine to use a higher-rated charger.
Sent from my Nexus 4
steviewevie said:
It is the phone that decides how much current to "pull", not the charger that "pushes" it.
So it's fine to use a higher-rated charger.
Sent from my Nexus 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This info is correct. You have nothing to worry about.
Unless you go stupidly over. Like 13 amps will probably overload and Fry the charging circuit.
But at 2 amps you will be fine
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Current is not pushed... it is drawn. You could have 20 Amps available (like a typical 120V outlet). Whatever current the device plugged into it needs it will draw... nothing more.
With that said, Apple chargers do not short pins 2 & 3 (data pins) of the USB connector. Instead, they put a resistive load across them to communicate the charger specs to the device. Nexus (and most OEM Android) chargers short these pins. Some android devices, Nexus 7 for example, sense the load on Apple chargers' data pins and assume it is a computer and drops the load to draw only 500 MA. I have not tested the Nexus 4, but would assume it behaves the same way as a Nexus 7.
Okay thanks guys. I did notice it was a little warmer, but i think that might have been from the emulator on that i was using. Just wanted to make sure i was killing the overall possible battery life.

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