Submitted by Micow11 t3_ygs545 in explainlikeimfive
Can I use any volts/watts charger for my phone?
Submitted by Micow11 t3_ygs545 in explainlikeimfive
Can I use any volts/watts charger for my phone?
No. There may be auto-ranging chargers, but not all are. The charger voltage needs to match two things, the source voltage and frequency (in the US 120 vac at 60 Hz) and the device voltage (3 volts, 9 volts, whatever). The wattage of the charger has to be at least the wattage required by the load.
>Can I use any volts/watts charger for my phone?
No.
In general:
Or TL;DR:
I like this answer the most.
If your phone has a USB charge port- as most do- the voltage will be standard, at 5 volts. By default all USB chargers will provide this amount of voltage. If it's got the capability, when you connect it the phone may be able to use higher voltages, like 9 or 20 volts.
Your phone may want more power than a basic charger can deliver, in which case it'll charge slowly- and in some cases, such as a cheap or old charger, may overload the charger causing it to heat up or fail- usually by burning a component.
A higher-power charger may allow your phone to charge with higher current levels (more power), and charge more quickly. This would only apply to USB-C type chargers, the ones that are reversible. Older chargers are more limited in power delivery.
If your phone doesn't use a USB port for connecting a charge cable, you must use a charger with the correct voltage and current for it. I'm not familiar with any modern phone that does this, though.
The combination of charger and phone may not be able to communicate so no, you can’t just use any. For example Older iPhones will not be able to take an iPad charger. Check before you use. Having said that a lot of chargers and phones in recent years are more tolerant. There’s an optimal charging watts/voltage for each device. If you’re not sure, less watts is better so you don’t damage it. It’ll be slower but safer. A lot of smartphones are very similar now though, and are tolerant of the supply - usually 0.5A/2.5W/5V I believe
>If you’re not sure, less watts is better so you don’t damage it
The wattage of a charger is stated as a maximum, but the actual wattage used is determined by the load. The charger wattage should always be at least as much as the load's.
I stand corrected thanks
greatvaluemeeseeks t1_iua538y wrote
Fast chargers talk to the device its charging to see what it's capable of accepting and will only supply what the device is capable of.