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Cable and charger comparison: Samsung, Asus, Blackberry, Monoprice, Anker, PowerGen

I thought I would like to share with others my findings about the USB cable issues and the charging issues also reviewing few products.
I know that it would probably be best with some real table lab equipment but I have tested it with a usb multimeter device : PortaPow USB Power Monitor / Multimeter / DC Ammeter
Showing me Amps and volts.
It is true what is said that the device can detect to a degree the charger
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=53917336
So I used combo of software and hardware testing. I also tested with a S3 and S4 rooted (custom roms), and nexus 7 2013 (unique to this charger that it specs the 5v at 5.2! @ 1.35A and it does push more, to other devise as well)
Not all cables are equal; even not all OEM will work past 1A. It seems that most OEM’s cheat by using a shorter micro USB cable to get better charging results, this is the question many ask why so short cables, the OEM’s are only now slowly moving to thicker power wires IE 28/24 in there OEM usb cables.
Now my findings about the PortaPow USB Power monitor and any of the kind, is that it seems to effect the charging Amps of the device and also effect any smart chargers (will talk about below)
In the past I used to use exclusively the “Battery Monitor Widget” by 3c, lately I went and got also “Galaxy Charging Current Lite” for whatever reason my S3 shows as incompatible? Thought it should work on it, my S4 installed and shows max and reference/average
Test 1: S3 Genuine 100% OEM cable (I know because I bought the S3 new @ t-mobile)
Test 2: Claimed Genuine Samsung Micro USB cable 5 feet ECC1DU6BBE
Test 3: Nexus 7 2013 usb cable (is claimed to be a 28/24 AWG)
I was skeptical about the Claimed Genuine cable, and though it looks and feels just like the real thing, it varies in the logo and length. Performance wise has shown consistently of a 0.1-0.15A lower than the Genuine Samsung cable that I have from S3. This was done with the USB power monitor and with the Galaxy Charging Current Lite app, it even said 860mAh vs 760mAh when I tested the cables, but genuine cable did push up more power and the software was wrong as I have seen over 1.13A with USB Power monitor, but as said the real Genuine cable was better.
The Nexus 7 2013 micro USB cable that is short, performed the best, gave the max Amps out of all the cables. I will test my Monoprice 28/24 cables and update this thread.
Quick tests of chargers:
Car charger form Amazon,
PowerGen White Dual USB 4.2A (20W) Car charger Designed for Apple and Android Devices
I quickly tested to see if this thing will push past 1A and it did at the time I was testing with nexus 7 and its cable with the usb power meter, and It was pulling around 1.13A
Next up single wall charger, I saw this and had to buy!
Blackberry Folding Blade Charger for Playbook rated at 5v @ 1.8A! priced under $5!!!
I tested this one with the software on my S4, it quickly showed after few min pulling 1.4A and Galaxy charger showed maxed out 1900 on all!
I think this one wins for the cheapest and sturdy charger, just shy of 2A!, will become my work charger, the cable is nice and thick along with pretty good length 6ft+!
Next up I had to get me a family charger (4-5 port)
I get tired of short cables on wall chargers, so I went and got
Anker® 40W USB Desktop Charger
This charger claims a total of 40w for 5 ports! With intelligent device detection PowerIQ.
This charger so far (1 day use) has been great, I connected the S3 and the power meter showed 1A, I connected the S4 with the meter and was only getting 1.13-1.3A, the software did not show max, so here is the issue seems the usb monitor will cause the charger to not read the devices to there 100%, after taking it out and connecting it directly the galaxy charger showed maxed 1900mAh
The USB cable used was the nexus 7 one.
What I love about this charger, no lights! Perfect for me for overnight charging, also has standard power cord, the unit itself is quite compact too, now I can have short usb cables 1.5ft or 3ft ones and not worry about reach, as the charger can stay next to your devices, simply use conventional power cable extender on the charger unit, not on your usb devices!
I will conclude that it seems now since we are pushing past the usb spec for charging, that the shortest cable is best, be it 28 awg or 24 awg, and of course OEM’s already knew that, I am pretty sure that the OEMs are switching to 28/24 awg cables
Links:
PortaPow USB Power Monitor / Multimeter / DC Ammeter
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DF2485S/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Samsung ECC1DU6BBE 5-Feet Micro USB Charging Data Cable - Original OEM - Non-Retail Packaging
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DVBB0XQ/ref=oh_details_o01_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Anker® 40W USB Desktop Charger
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GTGETFG/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Blackberry Folding Blade Charger for Playbook (Black)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004OZMWUS/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
PowerGen White Dual USB 4.2A (20W) Car charger Designed for Apple and Android Devices
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0088U6OZY/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

if people are interested, I can designate some time and take few pics of the monoprice cables, and show why they fail, its obvious but need a good pic to show the reason, maybe we can find a way to fix them?
the cables are great, the connectors look great at first but are not so great

I just ordered the Anker 40W USB Desktop Charger on Amazon with same day shipping for $5.99. Thanks for your review!

been using the Blackberry Folding Blade Charger for awhile now. indeed the closet and fastest ul get to the original charger
it can be had on ebay 2 for 4.99

kinubic said:
been using the Blackberry Folding Blade Charger for awhile now. indeed the closet and fastest ul get to the original charger
it can be had on ebay 2 for 4.99
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could not find 2 for 4.99 I did find 2 for 8 or so... are you sure its the "Blackberry Folding Blade Charger for Playbook" this one is specifically 1.8A
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-New-OEM-...Phone_PDA_Cables_Adapters&hash=item58afbd2941
looks like Amazon still is selling them as well

drutort said:
I could not find 2 for 4.99 I did find 2 for 8 or so... are you sure its the "Blackberry Folding Blade Charger for Playbook" this one is specifically 1.8A
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-New-OEM-...Phone_PDA_Cables_Adapters&hash=item58afbd2941
looks like Amazon still is selling them as well
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes the seller is mobilepros1
just checked his store seems his not selling it anymore
not sure if u can see this but this was the listing
cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemVersion&item=221456227839&view=all&tid=1395101280012

kinubic said:
yes the seller is mobilepros1
just checked his store seems his not selling it anymore
not sure if u can see this but this was the listing
cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemVersion&item=221456227839&view=all&tid=1395101280012
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ah yes I searched item#221456227839
that was even better bargain heh

the USB cable is as important as the plug. I use an ANKER 4-port plug with a factory S4 cable. It runs at 1900, same as if I used the factory S4 plug. I ran a whole experiment too. I had a USB cable IDENTICAL to my S$ cable, and it only charged at 320 with the same ANKER or S4 plugs. My S4 has a popup telling me to use a better charger

External charger

I have tried several non- Samsung chargers with my Tab S and found them very slow charging. These are good brands like Anker, not junk.
I notice that the charger says 5.3 volts at 2A. Most chargers are only 5V. I picked up a 5.3V Samsung charger and found it worked fine.
Anyone else had similar problems?

Many chargers put out over 5 volts while only listing 5 vols on them. I tested a bunch i had and about one third did.

cable
it's not the charger - it's the cable
in original cables there's a tiny electrical resistor - the phone detects it. if it's not there, the phone will only charge with 1 or 1.1 ampere.
some non-original cables seem to have this resistor too, as the work fine.

I will have to try to confirm this. It makes sense, but I thought I tried tye Samsung cable with the 5.0V adapter and got very slow charging.

Same here. Samsung 5V, 1A charger. Very very slow. No matter which cable I chose.

I'd expect a 14 charger to be slow. I ordered in some 5.3V Samsung chargers and Samsung cables and they do work very well. Still haven't had time to check in my 5.0V chargers with the Samsung cable to check. I thought it wasn't as good.
I've got an Anker 5 port charger that definitely doesn't work well with a coiled cable I got from Amazon.com.

[Review] Tronsmart Quick Charge 2.0 54W 4 Port USB Car Charger

I have many chargers, but this one seems to be a winner for multiple ports with the added quick charge 2.0 port.
http://www.amazon.com/Qualcomm-Cert...mer-Included/dp/B00ZF7XLJU/ref=cm_rdp_product
I've had some more time reviewing this charger since I use it on a daily basis in my car. My original review is still true and can be found below. I've added a couple images of the product to show the quality of the finish as well as a size comparison between a couple other multi-port chargers I have. While this charger is the largest of my stash, it also provides the most charging ports while incorporating a quick charge 2.0 outlet. The size is a double edged sword in my opinion. Many 12v outlets are recessed, so the longer adapter of the Tronsmart charger can be quite beneficial. I know it would help in my Toyota Camry, but not so important in my Honda Odyssey. Due to the longer adapter size, I'm concerned I will one day drop something on it and damage my 12v outlet.
Anyways, on to the review.
Pros:
+4 USB charging ports (1 QuickCharge 2.0 + 3 auto detect 2.4Amp)
+Slim simple design
+No bright annoying LED
Cons:
-none to report (possibly the size)
The Tronsmart 4 port car charger is simply amazing. I have tested it thoroughly over the past week and have decided to use it as my primary car charger! I own many many car chargers, but there are very few that provide 4 powerful charging ports in such a compact design. This charger is rated at 54 watts, but all you really need to know is that it will charge all of your devices with ease. The primary advantage this car charger offers is the 4 port design with 1 being Qualcomm Quick Charger 2.0 certified. This means it is designed for long term use as new phones and products are just now being developed to work with this technology. The remaining 3 ports are not to be forgotten either, rated at 2.4 Amps each. They are also smart charging ports (Tronsmart calls them Volt IQ ports) which basically means the port will automatically sense and charge the connected device at its maximum rate.
I tested this charger using a variety of devices (Samsung Galaxy S6, S5, iPad, iPhone 6, and battery banks) and they all accepted the charge immediately and at similar charging currents as I've seen on with other chargers. My Galaxy S6 registers this charger as fast charging when connected to the Quick Charger 2.0 (blue) port. I used a Portapow V2 USB current meter to verify the charging rates while all four ports were in use. I alternated devices between the ports and the results are consistent with advertised rates. Through my experience testing many chargers, I've come to learn that the charging limitation comes down to either the charger, the USB cable, or the device itself. Rest assured that this car charger is not the limiting factor when you are maximizing your charging speeds.
I received this product at no charge in exchange for an honest review. I am using this charger on a daily basis as my primary charger, so I will update if I notice anything out of the ordinary. Please also let me know if you have any specific questions and I will do my best to answer them.

I agree. I also received this charger from Tronsmart, and it's been great!.
(Mine was sent for free, in exchange for my writing an honest review. [http://www.amazon.com/review/R9A6YSQ37WQZE] And, if I didn't like it, I wouldn't hesitate to say so. After all, it's a $20.00 item. Definitely not worth being a shill for that. Fortunately, I like it very much.)
The charger seems to be one of a number of quality items being manufactured in China, and repackaged under the Tronsmart, Anker, and Aukey brand. (Most of those items were purchased, including others from Tronsmart). But, this isn't a bad thing, as I've used many accessories from each over the past couple of years, and they've delivered good performance at a good price.
My setup is a Nexus 6, while my wife uses (my old) Nexus 5. We both drive Honda CR-Vs. My N6 charges quickly using the Qualcomm QC 2.0 port, although it also charges well with the Volt IQ "intelligent" ports as well. My wife's N5 charges quickly, too, albeit without the QC 2.0.
What I like about this charger is that it's still relatively small, despite having the 4 ports. This is VERY HANDY when my kids are in the car for a long drive, and their own tablets are sucking down battery life. When used with a longer USB cable from Tronsmart (or, Anker, which I've also purchased), they can charge from the back seat.
I bought a single-port Tronsmart QC 2.0 car charger, as well as a two-port Aukey (one port QC 2.0, one a "smart" charging port), and though they all work well, this is the one I have stuck with. Dependable, good quality, and very reasonably priced. If you have more than two devices to charge in the car, you can't really do much better than this at this price-point.

Nice car charger, I have bought a note 5. And also find that tronsmart has the dual 2.0 ports car charger. Both of the ports have QC 2.0. I will get it when it is available at amazon

haic said:
Nice car charger, I have bought a note 5. And also find that tronsmart has the dual 2.0 ports car charger. Both of the ports have QC 2.0. I will get it when it is available at amazon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The model you are talking already list on amazon, check it here:
http://www.amazon.com/Tronsmart-Qua...TF8&qid=1441770789&sr=8-12&keywords=tronsmart
it's great this model comes with two micro usb cables.

I bought this charger and am mostly happy with it. It does charge at fast charger rates most of the time. Sometimes I have to plug it in a second or third time before the phone recognizes it as a fast charger. The problem I have with it, is it won't stay in the car outlet. It is so skinny, and the side spring contacts cause it to continuously eject from my jeep power outlet. It will pop out just far enough that it will stop charging with out noticing it. Might have to rig it with tape or something.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

I bought the Tronsmart 2-port Quickcharge 2.0 Car Charger... Holy good god, Its become essential in my car for charging my S6 using GPS/Music Streaming. Never had any issues with my S6 or girlfriends Note 5.

Cable that truly fast charges from 0% to 100% at 78min?

Hello
I need to replace the usb cable that connects to the original charger that comes along with the phone.
There are cables out there that are sold as original Samsung cables but don't fast charge the phone in 78 minutes from 0% to 100% even if they are connected to the original charger.
So is there a cable that truly fast charges the phone exactly like the original in 78 minutes?

The cable has nothing to do with it. Use a regular functioning USB cable with a Quick Charge 3.0 charger (such as the Samsung charger with the lightning bolt on it, or the Anker Quick Charge series) and the phone negotiates with the charger. The cable is just a medium. I prefer the Anker PowerLine+ cables for their durability; the stock Samsung cables are fragile.

socal87 said:
The cable has nothing to do with it. Use a regular functioning USB cable with a Quick Charge 3.0 charger (such as the Samsung charger with the lightning bolt on it, or the Anker Quick Charge series) and the phone negotiates with the charger. The cable is just a medium. I prefer the Anker PowerLine+ cables for their durability; the stock Samsung cables are fragile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Τhanks a lot socal87. I was thinking the same thing as you but i got worried from negatives reviews in amazon ( saying that the cable they bought wasn't fast charging the phone).
Also in another well known forum, there were comments like the following :
"Samsung plays with the extra pins on the microUSB connector to tell the phone different things - like USB/AC charge, or fast/normal charge."
"My troubleshooting with 7 different cables showed me that the the very new Samsung charger cables that came with non-fast-charging phones did not fast charge when connected to the fast charger adapter portion. It appears that the cable does in fact matter. I tried many combinations of cables and adapters during my testing."
I will buy an Anker cable as you suggested. In another forum i read than indeed the Anker cables do the job right with fast charging. Thanks again.

Of course the cable has to do with the charging of the phone, try charging with a cheap $2 cable from eBay and try yourself.
Best cables (that i use) are from Monoprice, get their Ferrite core one, best cable out there, charges my phone to 90% in around 70-80 minutes with normal charging (no Fast Charging)

Try any original cable from HTC Nokia Samsung Motorola you can find one in repair place ask him for used original one or new...

Τhank you all for your suggestions. I have already ordered an Anker powerline cable from Amazon and i face any problem i ll buy one of those you suggested.

Blitzwolf does be more better distance charge of 1m at Maximum average 2,1-2,4A of 9V/2A or 5V/3A

You can find Samsung original cable in any official service. I have paid 5$ for a 2m long cable and it takes about 1.h20m to charge from 1%

A fake wireless charger

Hey guys,
So I got this Samsung wireless charger that is supposedly 'original' from Aliexpress.
There's actually a fan inside and it does say that it's fast wirelessly charging on the phone. However it is not that fast - 15% in 40 minutes. What speeds do you get with your wireless chargers? I'm using the original wall adapter from Samsung (9V 1.67A one).

Koostis said:
So I got this Samsung wireless charger that is supposedly 'original' from Aliexpress.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it cost less than from the samsung store then its not original, it does take 4 hours to charge the phone with the cheap wireless charger.

Of the ones I've used even with my S5, I found the cable and power supply are critical. Lastly the placement on the charger. All of mine have come from an Aliexpress seller. I can't tell you exact times but I know they charge as fast as the phone will allow before overheating. Not to say some sources aren't bad. Just my luck has been good. I even converted some of my S5 vehicle charge pads, simply by adjusting the charge center, and have continued to use them. Anyway, try different cables and usb supplies. if the phone doesn't get warm or better it isn't charging fast.