Database Users

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

Why Anker charger and Nekteck Type C to Type A cable only charging at 1550mA max?

I have the Anker PowerPort 2 that has a max of 2.4 amps per port and a Nekteck USB Type C to Type A cable (that's tested and approved by Benson). When trying to charge, the max mA that I've seen is around 1550mA.
Why is that? I was expecting around the max of ~2400,mA

I actually ordered this exact combo on Amazon, curious to test it myself.
Are you using Ampere to measure? If so, before plugging in the cable, you need to note the discharging rate (some negative mA). Then plug in the phone and note the charging rate. You have to add the two numbers together to get the actual amperage from the charger because Ampere can only measure the overall system in/out amperage. So if you were doing something really intensive and plugged into a slow charger, you may see it say "Charging" but have a negative number!

BillyTheRatKing said:
I actually ordered this exact combo on Amazon, curious to test it myself.
Are you using Ampere to measure? If so, before plugging in the cable, you need to note the discharging rate (some negative mA). Then plug in the phone and note the charging rate. You have to add the two numbers together to get the actual amperage from the charger because Ampere can only measure the overall system in/out amperage. So if you were doing something really intensive and plugged into a slow charger, you may see it say "Charging" but have a negative number!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I forgot to mention that stuff! Yes, I am using Ampere and discharge is around -150 to -300mA. The average discharge rate and average charge rate added together (around ~1800mA) still comes up quite a bit short. Hope the combo works out for you. Or at least confirm my findings.

trama09 said:
I forgot to mention that stuff! Yes, I am using Ampere and discharge is around -150 to -300mA. The average discharge rate and average charge rate added together (around ~1800mA) still comes up quite a bit short. Hope the combo works out for you. Or at least confirm my findings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh... I wish that Google engineer would clarify things. Myself and others have been discussing the Type-C spec over here and the documents seem to indicate that a Type-A to Type-C cable that has the proper identifying resistor would be limited to drawing 1.5A. I'm hoping I'm wrong.
Also, try measuring the discharge for a minute or two. I've seen mine settle in around -1000mA if I let it sit awhile. But then, I don't know if that's accurate...

Man, this is such a mess. I got an Aukey 12W / 2.4A Home Travel USB Wall Charger just to see if it there was something wrong with the Anker charger. Nope. The Aukey floats around 1600mA too...
For good measure, I used the supplised USB Type-C to USB A cable - same charge rate. Then I used the charger and C to C - that floats around 2700mA.
Are there any 2.4A chargers that actually charge at that rate?!?!

The USB standard for an in spec Type A to C cable will charge at 1.5A. Only a type C-C will charge at up to 3A. Please Google/search the forum next time before creating an OP. It doesn't matter if you use a Type A to C cable with a 5V. 4A charger it will only give you 1.5A by the USB charging standard. If you use a C-C cable you can get the Max rate

Pilz said:
The USB standard for an in spec Type A to C cable will charge at 1.5A. Only a type C-C will charge at up to 3A. Please Google/search the forum next time before creating an OP. It doesn't matter if you use a Type A to C cable with a 5V. 4A charger it will only give you 1.5A by the USB charging standard. If you use a C-C cable you can get the Max rate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, good idea.
So for Benson's review of the cable, he says, "...you should be able to charge from a range of .5A to 2.4A using this cable." I guess he should've been the one to "please Google/search the forum."

trama09 said:
Hey, good idea.
So for Benson's review of the cable, he says, "...you should be able to charge from a range of .5A to 2.4A using this cable." I guess he should've been the one to "please Google/search the forum."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but he goes on to say in other reviews that the USB A-C standard dictates the output of the cable.
As discussed thoroughly in 2 different OP's which you can find below.
Here is a quote from @Elnrik
"No, when I say proprietary protocols, I mean protocols. Not physical wiring. As in "2.4A, which is negotiated over a BC1.2 protocol like CDP or DCP, is appropriate over the Type-A connector." and "By the way, the maximum current of 1.5A is defined by the BC1.2 specification for CDP and DCP, but in practice, a range of other current values are possible using Apple's proprietary protocol or other protocols that bump up the defacto maximum current with a Type A connector on one end up to 2.4A". ~ Benson Leung. The evidence of 2.4A charging on compliant cables is out there, I invite you to google it for yourself. Unless you wish to continue to willfully ignore that. Up to you."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please direct yourself to these OP's and read through them so you understand where I am coming from.
1. http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6p/accessories/usb-type-c-cables-reviewed-google-t3240861
2.http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6p/accessories/benson-leung-verified-usb-c-cables-t3245685

I have the Aukey 2.4Amp charger. I use the OnePlus cable.
If you use one of the OnePlus cables or adapters you get the 2.4A.
Yea, I know not certified, etc........

tech_head said:
I have the Aukey 2.4Amp charger. I use the OnePlus cable.
If you use one of the OnePlus cables or adapters you get the 2.4A.
Yea, I know not certified, etc........
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well you can risk damaging your phone charger or cable that way. There are plenty of certified cables out there to use at 1.5A. If you don't like that then get another Type-C charger and c-c cable.

tech_head said:
I have the Aukey 2.4Amp charger. I use the OnePlus cable.
If you use one of the OnePlus cables or adapters you get the 2.4A.
Yea, I know not certified, etc........
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I had a couple OnePlus cables early on - weeks before I had the 6P. When I saw that they weren't certified and could do damage, I stopped using them right away. Wasted ~$8 unfortunately.
Pilz said:
Well you can risk damaging your phone charger or cable that way. There are plenty of certified cables out there to use at 1.5A. If you don't like that then get another Type-C wall charger and c-c cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Waiting for (more) legit reviews for quality Type-C chargers. Should be soon.

Pilz said:
Well you can risk damaging your phone charger or cable that way. There are plenty of certified cables out there to use at 1.5A. If you don't like that then get another Type-C charger and c-c cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The charger is rated for 2.4A.
Unless you have a crap charger it's got current limiting circuitry. Not likely ro damage it using it for its rated output.
I doubt I'll burn the cable up.
I have a MSEE so I know how power supplies and cables work.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

tech_head said:
The charger is rated for 2.4A.
Unless you have a crap charger it's got current limiting circuitry. Not likely ro damage it using it for its rated output.
I doubt I'll burn the cable up.
I have a MSEE so I know how power supplies and cables work.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The point I have been making is that the resistor in the Op cable is incorrect. This means the phone will attempt to pull 3A even though the charger/cable aren't rated for it. This would clearly cause an issue. I haven't seen any out of spec cable hold a 3A rating with the correct resistors and actually deliver it from a A-C cable. I'm nor saying your wrong I'm simply stating that this has been brought up by many people who are just as qualified. I've taken some EE course myself being an engineering student an all, but this doesn't mean I know enough to make a 100% correct assessment of the cable/charger situation. If it wasn't an issue we would see reports of chargers burning out so there is an issue somewhere
---------- Post added at 04:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:04 AM ----------
trama09 said:
Yeah, I had a couple OnePlus cables early on - weeks before I had the 6P. When I saw that they weren't certified and could do damage, I stopped using them right away. Wasted ~$8 unfortunately.
Waiting for (more) legit reviews for quality Type-C chargers. Should be soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Choetech was reported to deliver the specified 3A about an hour ago in the accessories subforum. You can check there with the member who has it under the 'type c chargers' OP

Quick Charge specs? Outlet?

So what do we call the "Quick Charge" that was used for the Nexus 6P? I know it wasn't the same as the quick charge in other phones at the time and it was kind of proprietary when it came out.
The reason I ask is because I need a new charger, but I was curious if there was a wall outlet (with usb ports) that would do the same thing.....Most of the wall outlets say 2.1amp 3.1amps or 4amps, which I assume is divided between the 2 ports if both are in operation. I also have a Nexus 9 so I'd like to be able to charge that.
Any tips or info on what specs I need to look for?

GatorsUF said:
So what do we call the "Quick Charge" that was used for the Nexus 6P? I know it wasn't the same as the quick charge in other phones at the time and it was kind of proprietary when it came out.
The reason I ask is because I need a new charger, but I was curious if there was a wall outlet (with usb ports) that would do the same thing.....Most of the wall outlets say 2.1amp 3.1amps or 4amps, which I assume is divided between the 2 ports if both are in operation. I also have a Nexus 9 so I'd like to be able to charge that.
Any tips or info on what specs I need to look for?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can look over in the Accessories sub-forum where there is plenty of charger and cable discussion, but basically the 6P does not support the quick charge standard and ANY charger or cable that uses a USB-A port will NOT rapid charge your phone. You need a charger that either has a USB-C female outlet or integrated (non-removable) USB-C cable that supports the USB-C 5V-3A standard. That is the only way the phone will rapid charge. The N9 does not support the quick charge or turbo charge standards either. Mine came with 1.5A charger. You just need a good 5V charger that puts out at least 1.5A and the tablet will safely limit the input amperage. Since you have two devices to charge, you may consider a charger that has both a USB-C and USB-A port.

How to toggle A/C quick charge?

When I'm charging my phone at home, I don't really need quick charge. And battery temp goes up to 40'C every time.
Is there something I can do to disable/enable quick charge via power outlet?

thom168as said:
When I'm charging my phone at home, I don't really need quick charge. And battery temp goes up to 40'C every time.
Is there something I can do to disable/enable quick charge via power outlet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can get a USB cable that's not certified for Quick Charge 3.0, then swap it when you don't need quick charge. the phone should find out and the brick will output 5v.

Use a generic 2.4 amp charger instead of the ZTE charger. That's what I do. I keep the ZTE charger in my work bag in case I do need quick charge.

Choose an username... said:
You can get a USB cable that's not certified for Quick Charge 3.0, then swap it when you don't need quick charge. the phone should find out and the brick will output 5v.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's bollocks, sorry. Quick Charge is designed to work with all USB cables that have at least 4 wires (power + data for the QC handshake).
Sent from my ZTE A2017G using Tapatalk

Shadee13 said:
That's bollocks, sorry. Quick Charge is designed to work with all USB cables that have at least 4 wires (power + data for the QC handshake).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried with an OP3T Dash Charge cable and it didn't work, dunno

Like I posted, use a generic charger, not a QC compatible one. It will just charge at 5 volts. That's all the charger will output.

Choose an username... said:
I tried with an OP3T Dash Charge cable and it didn't work, dunno
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dash cables could be an exception. I'll have to borrow my friend's and test it out.
Otherwise all standard USB cables should work.
If you're interested, you can look up the QC 2.0 spec. Texas Instruments published a pretty thorough explanation of it.
Sent from my ZTE A2017G using Tapatalk

Is there no way to charge faster than ~250mA using "conventional" charging methods?

Is there no way to charge faster than ~250mA using "conventional" charging methods?
sorry for the newbie question, but i am loving this phone so far EXCEPT i have never been able to charge it to more than 60% so far because i dont have the original charger. and every single other method i've tried charges it around 200mA (measured by ampere) and it only goes up around 10% after 10 hours of charging
previously, i use a LG G3 and i get 1000mA via various methods like:
-plugging it into the computer's USB3 or USB2 port on the charging only mode
-using older "fast" chargers that range between 1.5A to 2.0A
I'm using a standard USB-C cable (bought from amazon) with the above
if i dont get the "newer" chargers, is there any way i can still charge the essential to a "reasonable" speed?

You can use one of the power delivery chargers (Anker, Aukey, etc) on Amazon. They will fast charge the PH-1. The charger for Chromebook Pro and MacBook also works well. Might also be able to get a replacement charger from Essential depending on where the phone was originally purchased. They sent me a free replacement charger and cable after the original charger stopped working.
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk

seabro01 said:
You can use one of the power delivery chargers (Anker, Aukey, etc) on Amazon. They will fast charge the PH-1. The charger for Chromebook Pro and MacBook also works well. Might also be able to get a replacement charger from Essential depending on where the phone was originally purchased. They sent me a free replacement charger and cable after the original charger stopped working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://shop.essential.com/products/fast-charger
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA Labs

avd said:
https://shop.essential.com/products/fast-charger
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm assuming "if I don't buy one of the newer chargers" means they don't want to purchase the official charger from Essential.
Sent from my ONEPLUS 3T using Tapatalk

It sounds like you need a new cable or power brick, the cable being the likliest point of failure.

geminihc said:
sorry for the newbie question, but i am loving this phone so far EXCEPT i have never been able to charge it to more than 60% so far because i dont have the original charger. and every single other method i've tried charges it around 200mA (measured by ampere) and it only goes up around 10% after 10 hours of charging
previously, i use a LG G3 and i get 1000mA via various methods like:
-plugging it into the computer's USB3 or USB2 port on the charging only mode
-using older "fast" chargers that range between 1.5A to 2.0A
I'm using a standard USB-C cable (bought from amazon) with the above
if i dont get the "newer" chargers, is there any way i can still charge the essential to a "reasonable" speed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using the following and all work fine:
LG G6 factory charger
Essential Factory Charger
Aukey wall charger with Quick Charge 3.0
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FJ5TMC2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
AUKEY Amp USB Charger with USB C Port & 4 USB Ports
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DZ4KHYQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You need to buy a charger that supports Quick Charge if you want to charge rapidly.
Otherwise figure on nothing more than about 500mA.
At 500mA from empty figure 6 hours to charge.
Buy a charger.