Ok, I have two similar but also distinctly different issues here...
First, I have 2 different USB-C charging cables (yes, I'm late to the party, the note9 is my first type-C device), and they likely present the (supposedly) best and (presumably) worst option...
Cable #1 is, of course, the OEM cable that came in the box from Samsung.
Cable #2 is a generic USB-C cable I picked up for literally $1 at my local Dollar store.
Both are plugged into the OEM Samsung fastcharge AC adapter (I use 2 different adapters, one from my old Note4 and one from the Note9, but I've noticed this same discrepency on both so I'm asuming hardware revisions are, at most, extremely minor between the two chargers)
Plone us usually only drained to ~50-70% (normally closer to 70%) to try and maintain the battery as long as possible and except overnight, removed as soon as I notice its at 100%
When I plug in with the $1 cable, I almost always get ~1:45 (one hour, forty-five minutes) till full charge
When I plug in the OEM cable it seems to usually be closer to 1 hour to fully charge.
I have not actually swapped them out to be 100% sure, but given the battery % is usually the same, I'm almost certain that the phone is charging faster with the OEM cable.
Does this actually make sense? Is it worth the extra $$$ to shell out for Samsung's own cables? Is it likely to damage the phone? (the last point I'm not quite as concerned with since I usually use wireless charging, but I know with some products instead of a "very slight amount each time but eventually it gets noticeable" you have "works fine 99% of the time, but the 1 time it doesn't work right it kills the device" which is what worries me on a $1000 phone...)
Second issue...
As I mentioned, I use wireless charging most of the time. I have 2 charging pads. One was literally the cheapest one on eBay that shipped from within the USA (which, to be fair, I bought years ago when I was attempting to add aftermarket wireless charging to my note4 and it was just as successful as I had expected it to be, so I didn't want to shell out top dollar for hardware that I knew was unlikely to work for me) the second charger was one I picked up from Wallyworld (I think it's "Onn" brand? whatever Walmart's "store brand" of electronics is) for $10
At first, both chargers seemed equal except for how the phone reacted to being misplaced on it (the larger Chinese one is about the same size as the phone and if not lined up right it would start-stop-start-stop-start-stop, while the Wallyworld one would not even start unless the smaller disk was centered under the phone) but now after using them for a while, the Wallyworld one seems to be charing slower than the cheap Chinese one... and its almost like the "time till full charge" doesn't go down accurately (i.e. "1:45 till full charge" then 45 minutes later "1:15 till full charge") though the battery % does go up it seems slower than it used to be...
Also, I had a weird issue where the phone was "charging wirelessly" but it never charged, several hours later it was at the same or possibly slightly lower battery% than before - on both chargers! Right now I'm chalking it up to the phone software glitching since after charging it over cable and rebooting, the next time they both charged like normal.
Again, does this sound like its a quality issue (where hilariously the cheap Chinese pad is better quality than the Wallyworld one)? Is using these 3rd party chargers possibly screwing up my phone's wireless charging circuit? (this time I'm very concerned with the risk to damage of the phone since I use wireless charging so often --- I'm even looking at buying a car windshield-mount with a built-in wireless charger)
So... thoughts?
Ashton_Durkhun said:
Ok, I have two similar but also distinctly different issues here...
First, I have 2 different USB-C charging cables (yes, I'm late to the party, the note9 is my first type-C device), and they likely present the (supposedly) best and (presumably) worst option...
Cable #1 is, of course, the OEM cable that came in the box from Samsung.
Cable #2 is a generic USB-C cable I picked up for literally $1 at my local Dollar store.
Both are plugged into the OEM Samsung fastcharge AC adapter (I use 2 different adapters, one from my old Note4 and one from the Note9, but I've noticed this same discrepency on both so I'm asuming hardware revisions are, at most, extremely minor between the two chargers)
Plone us usually only drained to ~50-70% (normally closer to 70%) to try and maintain the battery as long as possible and except overnight, removed as soon as I notice its at 100%
When I plug in with the $1 cable, I almost always get ~1:45 (one hour, forty-five minutes) till full charge
When I plug in the OEM cable it seems to usually be closer to 1 hour to fully charge.
I have not actually swapped them out to be 100% sure, but given the battery % is usually the same, I'm almost certain that the phone is charging faster with the OEM cable.
Does this actually make sense? Is it worth the extra $$$ to shell out for Samsung's own cables? Is it likely to damage the phone? (the last point I'm not quite as concerned with since I usually use wireless charging, but I know with some products instead of a "very slight amount each time but eventually it gets noticeable" you have "works fine 99% of the time, but the 1 time it doesn't work right it kills the device" which is what worries me on a $1000 phone...)
Second issue...
As I mentioned, I use wireless charging most of the time. I have 2 charging pads. One was literally the cheapest one on eBay that shipped from within the USA (which, to be fair, I bought years ago when I was attempting to add aftermarket wireless charging to my note4 and it was just as successful as I had expected it to be, so I didn't want to shell out top dollar for hardware that I knew was unlikely to work for me) the second charger was one I picked up from Wallyworld (I think it's "Onn" brand? whatever Walmart's "store brand" of electronics is) for $10
At first, both chargers seemed equal except for how the phone reacted to being misplaced on it (the larger Chinese one is about the same size as the phone and if not lined up right it would start-stop-start-stop-start-stop, while the Wallyworld one would not even start unless the smaller disk was centered under the phone) but now after using them for a while, the Wallyworld one seems to be charing slower than the cheap Chinese one... and its almost like the "time till full charge" doesn't go down accurately (i.e. "1:45 till full charge" then 45 minutes later "1:15 till full charge") though the battery % does go up it seems slower than it used to be...
Also, I had a weird issue where the phone was "charging wirelessly" but it never charged, several hours later it was at the same or possibly slightly lower battery% than before - on both chargers! Right now I'm chalking it up to the phone software glitching since after charging it over cable and rebooting, the next time they both charged like normal.
Again, does this sound like its a quality issue (where hilariously the cheap Chinese pad is better quality than the Wallyworld one)? Is using these 3rd party chargers possibly screwing up my phone's wireless charging circuit? (this time I'm very concerned with the risk to damage of the phone since I use wireless charging so often --- I'm even looking at buying a car windshield-mount with a built-in wireless charger)
So... thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Regarding issue 1, yes there is a difference in cables. Especially with USB C. There are several good brands including Anker and Samsung. Some of the cheaper Chinese ones on Amazon are decent too. Cheap cables will affect charging rate and also transfer rate if you ever use it to copy data.
Issue 2: The ONN ones from Wal Mart are also cheap Chinese crap. I don't know a lot about wireless chargers, but my Samsung one works perfectly and I use it daily at work. From what I understand getting a decent one that has 3 coils makes placement much easier. As they are very picky about placement, my guess is that when it didn't charge you were off slightly. Even with my Samsung one, I have placed it just a mm off and had it look like it was going to charge and then noticed the indicator light was red and my phone wasn't charging. Also getting one with fast charging capability is nice.
As with everything, but it seems to apply even more so to our beloved electronics, you typically get what you pay for. Dollar store electronics and accessories will almost always disappoint, even if not immediately. Same goes for most of the cheap stuff at Wal Mart. Most of the "branded" stuff there isn't even made by the oem. Wal Mart's electronics are cheaper because they are made to "spec" with lower quality components than the real deal.
dragunbayne said:
Regarding issue 1, yes there is a difference in cables. Especially with USB C. There are several good brands including Anker and Samsung. Some of the cheaper Chinese ones on Amazon are decent too. Cheap cables will affect charging rate and also transfer rate if you ever use it to copy data.
Issue 2: The ONN ones from Wal Mart are also cheap Chinese crap. I don't know a lot about wireless chargers, but my Samsung one works perfectly and I use it daily at work. From what I understand getting a decent one that has 3 coils makes placement much easier. As they are very picky about placement, my guess is that when it didn't charge you were off slightly. Even with my Samsung one, I have placed it just a mm off and had it look like it was going to charge and then noticed the indicator light was red and my phone wasn't charging. Also getting one with fast charging capability is nice.
As with everything, but it seems to apply even more so to our beloved electronics, you typically get what you pay for. Dollar store electronics and accessories will almost always disappoint, even if not immediately. Same goes for most of the cheap stuff at Wal Mart. Most of the "branded" stuff there isn't even made by the oem. Wal Mart's electronics are cheaper because they are made to "spec" with lower quality components than the real deal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off, thank you for your reply and the info
I figured as much about the cables, though I was hoping since, as you mentioned some of the cheaper ones are good. to say they are "disappointing" to me is not 100% true, since, as I said, they're mostly used when I'm away from home and using my phone extensively --- and in those situations, they're perfectly OK - not great, but certainly adequate.
I knew the wireless chargers were lower quality but its very interesting to know HOW they're lower quality (number of coils) and that even the higher-quality ones are still a little picky about where the device is placed (one of the only things I miss about those clunky first-gen wireless charging products was how large their surface was, its a lot easier to toss even a large phone on a charging pad the size of a mouse mat.) I agree that Fast Charge would be a nice feature, but given how long the battery lasts and the fact that the highest intensity activities I do require it to be plugged into the PC (tethering and file transfer) I don't really see it as a huge deal --- I personally could probably charge my note every other day if I let it get down to the ~20% range.
Though I'm still laughing that the <$5 shipped, several-year-old charge pad from China is higher quality than the modern ~$11 Walmart one XD (really says something about Wallyworld's price markup policies)
Thanks again for the info!
Sometimes you luck out with the Chinese stuff. I've taken the gamble before and been very happy. Your old one may use a better coil design. Choetech is an example of a Chinese brand that has a good design and quality and has made something of themselves. Their wireless charger is 3 coil and available for $20 on Amazon.
As far as cables, copper is very expensive these days. I would hazard to guess the cheap cable does not have very good conductors running through it. Personally I am not a huge fan of Samsung cables either. They do work well, but I question their durability as they are quite thin.
I'm glad I was able to help you out.
Related
I like a lot of people use my phone very heavily yet I don't have an opportunity to plug my phone into an AC charger until I return home. A great remedy to the problem is this handly little AA charger.
http://www.igo.com/accessories/powerxtender-charger/invt/ps002640004/
The reason I like it so much is because cheap portable battery packs usually pack under 1000mah of power. Thats not even enough to give you 1 full charge. And the more expensive 2000mah+ packs are often on the large side and well... expensive lol. On the other hand this little bugger is cheap and small enough to sit in my pocket without being a bother. What I find is the best part of it is the fact that you can choose what kind of AA batteries you put into it. I opted for Energizer rechargeable which are rated at 2450mah EACH for a total of 4900mah of power. Thats the equivalent of 3 G2x batteries. Keep 2 more batteries in your backpack/desk/purse thats an additional 4900mah. If that can't get you through the day you have more than just phone issues
Originally bought it for my Vibrant but quickly found it was awkward because the the product doesnt come with a cable adapter. This meant it was hanging and putting much strain on the usb port of the phone. Out of fear of breaking it I stopped using it. However since the G2x charges from the bottom there is absolutely no problem espcially seeing as I bought a 20cm micro usb extension cable so that the charger can sit in my lap or on a table while using the phone.
Just thought I'd share this since we can't get legit replacement batteries yet and even when they do become available they will cost a pretty penny. Got mine from Staples but they can be had on amazon also along with the usb extension able and rechargeable batteries.
This one works very well, too:
Well I'm a new member, so not allowed to post outside link. Therefore goto
Amazon
Duracell Instant USB Charger with Lithium ion battery
Pick the very first one
You don't need to by batteries or an extra charger. You can recharge it via your G2x power supply or any computer.
This was my favorite (coming from g1)
Too bad theres no new version for the micro usb's now..
http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-9878...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1304363010&sr=1-16
This can be added on, though it wouldn't be very convenient since its a slide in/out connector
http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Mini-USB-Micro-USB-Charger-Adapter/dp/B0018L4GOQ/ref=pd_sim_cps_1
hire4blood said:
This one works very well, too:
Well I'm a new member, so not allowed to post outside link. Therefore goto
Amazon
Duracell Instant USB Charger with Lithium ion battery
Pick the very first one
You don't need to by batteries or an extra charger. You can recharge it via your G2x power supply or any computer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I almost bought one of those until I saw how low the capacity on it is. Looks tiny though which is nice.
J&R has Veho 5Ah external battery for $35 and I have 2 of them.
Just use regular microUSB cable to charge the phone and leave the original cable secure.
I'm thinking about getting the i-up 13,200mAh pack.
regP said:
I almost bought one of those until I saw how low the capacity on it is. Looks tiny though which is nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They have a bigger version for 32$ as well. The 22$ version gives me a full charge from around 30%.
Just received my Pebble XT 5000mah pack. Won't be able to put it through its paces till next tuesday. Upon first impression, i think im in love with this thing already. its small enough to sit in pocket without having much presence. extremely lightweight. and the cord is long enough to be able to have the charger in your pocket and phone in hand (thank you lg for putting the usb port at the bottom). All info I have read indicated that it really does output 5000mAh of power so even a heavy user such as myself will have no problem getting through a full day of use.
Just wondering how everyone's batterys are working out for them?
Also how many full charges did you get?
Also any likes or dislikes of product they decided to buy?
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App
Just wanting a update???
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App
That looks like something that might be good out camping or something where you needed to charge your phone without touching it. But I would figure actually picking it up and putting that much weight on he usb port a very bad idea... This should come with a extension cord to charge while using, even texting or something would be pretty difficult to hold both...
motorola p793
Check this site for power packs, all kinds 5000mah for around $20
http://www.tvc-mall.com/details/660...r-Cell-Phone-Tablet-PC-PSP-etc-IPHONE-4-7095/
Micro usb 1900mah
http://www.tvc-mall.com/details/Por...AZR2-V8-HTC-BlackBerry-and-etc-Black-MCH-615/
ImaxPower IMP500 (5000mAh) External Battery
I've used an IMP500 Rechargeable (5000mAh) external battery pack for a few years with great sucess. They make them as large as 11000mAh (or more?) and even have solar-rechargeable options. Just take a look at New Trent or other similar products on Amazon or eBay.
The best part about the IMP series is that they have multiple adapters for iPhones, mini/micro USB, PSP, DS, and other devices so you can charge your phone and anything else you might be carrying around with you.
Link to NewTrent for info on models
I'd recommend buying elsewhere because you can find them for 30-50%+ off.
I am thinking about ordering this:
http://www.amazon.com/G2x-T-Mobile-..._24?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1304350783&sr=1-24
But was wondering if I should spend the money and get a LG issued micro usb and car charger.
Anyone have experience with these chargers?
Hmmm that's alot of stuff for such a cheap price. Makes me wonder the build quality of that stuff. I might stay away from that. Just my opinion though. But to answer your question, I use a micro-usb cable I got from newegg. I also use the car charger I got with my MyTouch Slide a year ago.
First thing I thought was "too good to be true" and in my experience cheap stuff brakes stuff.
Yeah I think the quality of those accessories is probably quite low. If you want a good micro-usb cable I ordered 3 of these about a year ago and still use them today and they work fine on the G2x for data transfer and charging:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&cm_re=micro_usb_cable-_-12-189-164-_-Product
I still have my micro usb charger I used for my blackberry curve (2 yrs old). I would assume that would work. I wonder if the old wall charger would work as well.
Those chargers are pretty much worthless. You need a high amp charger. The phone comes with a 1amp or 1000mA charger. If you buy a cheap charger that's 500mA for example you take more time to charge your phone. If the charger is really weak then you might not charge at all or even drop you battery levels while connected and using your gps in your car.
Note these are Blackberry and Motorolla OEM products that will work with your G2X. I use these and they are fine. They are both under $5 each at Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/BlackBerry-Fo...PN0S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304613708&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Vehi...Q9CA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304613757&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/BlackBerry-Cable-Micro-1-0m-Black/dp/B001QATRCA/ref=zg_bs_wireless_10
Cheap doesn't mean bad. All that stuff costs nothing to make anyways.
I buy stuff like that all the time off amazon.com.
I buy stuff like that all the time off amazon.com.
I can tell you you get what you pay for.
I buy stuff like that for coworkers and everthing is still working fine except car chargers breaking because of rough handling of the chargers. Evething else is alive and kicking.
If you decide to get it let me know how the car charger, Charges the phone, and make sure to post pictures because some times picture are diffrent from what is posted on the web.
I personally got this charger from T-Moble (granted, it was $30), 4.8v 1A... and integrated it into my car:
Code:
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/AddOns/Accessories/AccessoryDetailPopUp.aspx?accessory=f2105fae-0bb1-47f2-b53b-a8acc9e98c56&inCart=True&catCode=-1
I removed the LED since it's hardwired to the car.
Grated, if you want to move the charger from car to car it's not ideal to hard-wire it... but eh.
Be careful what you buy.
I ordered a Micro-USB cable from an Amazon vendor. It was the one in this package:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XGBBY6
Package seemed good enough. Good deal. The case was serviceable (I won't use it fulltime, but for what I paid, I wasn't expecting much-- it's good for putting my phone in for when it's in the car, sitting on the dash, so that it doesn't slide around while I get GPS maps). The car charger works pretty well. But the USB cable...
I was experiencing battery drain from my phone while it was plugged into my desktop PC's USB with the aftermarket cable.
The next day I tried it with the one that shipped with my phone from LG and it works just fine.
For reals, has anyone experienced battery drain with an aftermarket cable while it was plugged in?
eatabagel said:
Be careful what you buy.
I ordered a Micro-USB cable from an Amazon vendor. It was the one in this package:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XGBBY6
Package seemed good enough. Good deal. The case was serviceable (I won't use it fulltime, but for what I paid, I wasn't expecting much-- it's good for putting my phone in for when it's in the car, sitting on the dash, so that it doesn't slide around while I get GPS maps). The car charger works pretty well. But the USB cable...
I was experiencing battery drain from my phone while it was plugged into my desktop PC's USB with the aftermarket cable.
The next day I tried it with the one that shipped with my phone from LG and it works just fine.
For reals, has anyone experienced battery drain with an aftermarket cable while it was plugged in?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well typically USB doesn't have enough juice to power the phone while you are using it. It might in some cases but with WiFi, the screen, GPS, or whatever... you probably won't be charging the battery much if at all, and in fact might be losing power.
The same with USB chargers. The better chargers provide more power where most only provide the standard 5v (just like a desktop) so with heavy usage (GPS, screen, bluetooth) you might not gain anything.
I'm not sure about PC's because computers follow the standard of 5v and I don't think they will send more over the cable. A bad cable will have more resistance and probably not do as good of a job but overall should work.
The answer is any microUSB cable will work because it is a standard. Chargers (home and car) should provide more power to give it a faster charge.
Some Chargers are able to do "fast-charges" which I know the G2x can handle. I have a Microsoft Zune charger and it devastates my battery charge times. I'll be full in like 30min.
Typically batteries like a slow progressive charges though, which seem to last the longest. Oddly enough, I get the best battery life by charging my phone via my USB port on my Cable Box (haha).
As long as the charger's output is 5V then you're good. The higher the milliamp output on the charger the faster yourphone will charge.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
player911 said:
Well typically USB doesn't have enough juice to power the phone while you are using it. It might in some cases but with WiFi, the screen, GPS, or whatever... you probably won't be charging the battery much if at all, and in fact might be losing power.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My phone charges just fine when I'm using while connected to my computer via USB.
It's the amperage that counts when it comes to filling up your battery. I've used .5, .6, .8 and 1 amp wall adapter and car chargers. The 1 amp charges much faster but, if I remember my USB spec, that's all that was allowed until Apple came along PCs are typically restricted to 500 milliamps (.5 amp) so it's a little slower but still enough to charge it., even under use. I suppose if you have GPS seeking satellites and the display turned up all the way you may draw more than 500 milliamps but I'd be surprised.
EDIT: if you're really interested in this stuff, check http://batteryuniversity.com/ and https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus#Power
One of the things I loved most about my Nexus 4 was just how quickly it charged. And unlike my SGSII before it, it could even gain a charge while being actively used for Waze. Really great.
With the 5 I'm back to where I was. And thanks to tools I picked up during the 4, I'm able to see why more easily. Seems on the exact same chargers I used my 4 on, I'm easily pulling 400+mA less than the 4 did from the same device and same cable.
I haven't had time to draw a correlation yet, but last night at home on a multi-out adapter from Monoprice I was able to pull over 1200mA which is more than I've ever seen ANY of my devices pull before. But today, on the same model at my office, but with a different cable, I'm pulling around 200mA. Same as what I was getting in my car, which would frequently dip into the negatives, and that was WITHOUT Waze running. Also of note, in ALL of these locations it's being listed as "USB plugged" instead of "AC plugged." I'd say that accounts for the difference there, but the 1200mA draw was listed the same way, so I doubt it.
So, has anyone else noticed this yet and found any correlations between devices, cables, etc., so we can figure this out? Using more power than it takes in will not be something I can survive with and will definitely make this phone a less-than-ideal upgrade over the 4 in the battery life department. But it's pretty clear it's not impossible to get a good charge.
(and yes, before anyone asks, all of my adapters have jacks with a minimum of 1A out, and each also has a 2.1A port. Surprisingly, unlike my 4 which tended to draw LESS power from the 2.1A port, the 5 appears to be unconcerned by the difference, pulling the same poor number from both)
Yes, i agree with you. I just check today, charging my phone from the pc and it seems fast charge isn't doing its thing.
duckied said:
Yes, i agree with you. I just check today, charging my phone from the pc and it seems fast boot isn't doing its thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I haven't even dared test it from a PC yet. All I can say is from wall warts and car chargers it's terrible. I can't imagine how bad it is from the limited PC ports. Although it's probably exactly the same, since it seems to be identifying all my wall outlets as USB connections.
using my lg g2 charger and it charges my nexus 5 super fast. 1 hour charge will give me almost full battery
spadeace9 said:
using my lg g2 charger and it charges my nexus 5 super fast. 1 hour charge will give me almost full battery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not too surprising. I've read other reports that it charges nice and fast with the stock charger, which is likely the same as the G2 charger since they share most of the same hardware. But that doesn't help with car charging or those of us who've consolidated into multi-port chargers.
When I get home I'm going to mix and match some cables and devices and try to narrow in a bit more. This sounds like the Nexus 7 (2012) goose chase all over again.
The USB/AC detection is done with a definied resistance. Some chargers don't meet those exact resistances (cheap resistors have a big tolerance) -> the phone detects it as USB.
The cable can make big difference, I've tested several different cables on the N4 once, charging rate was between 600mA and ~1100mA (which should be the max) on the same charger.
Maybe the resistance in the charger is right inside the resistance tolerance, so the slight difference in resistance between the cables is enough.
Since the N4 most probably uses a different charge IC than the N5 (I haven't checked tho), it could be that the N4 had a wider tolerance than the N5.
What should help are those charge cables , the one I'm using from Porta Pow can only be used for charging therefore ignoring the charger resistance -> phone should always detect it as AC(even on a PC). Another good thing about those cables is the big wire diameter. Or a kernel where you can force AC charging regardless of the actual source.("fast charge")
That all sounds pretty logical. Considering I got much better results with the Monoprice premium cables I used last night (which oddly, are much THINNER than the cheaper ones), I'm going to experiment with those this evening and see if that makes all the difference.
As for kernels, I'm not planning to root this one if I can help it. I managed to get through the life of my 4 without rooting, too. I know it's heresy on XDA not to root, and until I got Nexus devices I would have agreed. But since stock Jelly Bean I haven't felt that burning need to "take back" control of my phone. I seem to already have plenty.
I observed the same inconsistencies with the N5's charging behavior and did some qualitative tests. I've attached a screenshot with my findings.
The phone is clearly capable of charging rapidly. My primary focus is getting a high current off the car charger. Is there a way to force AC charging mode vs. USB charging, or should I focus on more quality cables / adapters?
Just did some additional testing of my own and found some interesting results. I didn't take perfect notes, but here's what I got:
With the Monoprice 4-port Wall Charger 2.1A 8856:
Cheap Monoprice cable: bad charging, fluctuating between -80A and 200A.
Cheap unknown cable: same as above.
Monoprice premium 3ft cable: 900-1200A.
Monoprice premium 6ft cable: 700-900A.
With the Monoprice 1A car charger 6765:
Bad charging with all cables tried.
With the Monoprice 2.1A car charger 8858:
Bad charging with all cables tried, with exception of Monoprice premium 3ft cable which had same low end, but occasionally bumped over 300A.
With 3.1 (split between two ports) charger purchased on Amazon (my standby for my Nexus 4:
Bad charging with all cables tried.
With Monoprice 2-port USB Car Charger 3.1A 10071:
Cheap Monoprice cable: Bad charging
Cheap unknown cable: Bad charging
Monoprice premium 3ft cable: 700-900A
So it looks like high-end Monoprice paired with high-end Monoprice pays off. Unfortunately there's a rather serious catch with model 10071: it KILLS GPS. At least it did on my Nexus 4, and other reviews reported it as well. I can't be certain yet about it on the 5, but the little experimenting I did in the parking lot showed some anomalies I didn't like. Which means I apparently get to choose between GPS killing my battery, or charging my battery killing my GPS.
Also tried Nexus 7 2012 charger with its own cable and got bad charging, too.
TurboFool said:
Just did some additional testing of my own and found some interesting results. I didn't take perfect notes, but here's what I got:
With the Monoprice 4-port Wall Charger 2.1A 8856:
Cheap Monoprice cable: bad charging, fluctuating between -80A and 200A.
Cheap unknown cable: same as above.
Monoprice premium 3ft cable: 900-1200A.
Monoprice premium 6ft cable: 700-900A.
With the Monoprice 1A car charger 6765:
Bad charging with all cables tried.
With the Monoprice 2.1A car charger 8858:
Bad charging with all cables tried, with exception of Monoprice premium 3ft cable which had same low end, but occasionally bumped over 300A.
With 3.1 (split between two ports) charger purchased on Amazon (my standby for my Nexus 4:
Bad charging with all cables tried.
With Monoprice 2-port USB Car Charger 3.1A 10071:
Cheap Monoprice cable: Bad charging
Cheap unknown cable: Bad charging
Monoprice premium 3ft cable: 700-900A
So it looks like high-end Monoprice paired with high-end Monoprice pays off. Unfortunately there's a rather serious catch with model 10071: it KILLS GPS. At least it did on my Nexus 4, and other reviews reported it as well. I can't be certain yet about it on the 5, but the little experimenting I did in the parking lot showed some anomalies I didn't like. Which means I apparently get to choose between GPS killing my battery, or charging my battery killing my GPS.
Also tried Nexus 7 2012 charger with its own cable and got bad charging, too.
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There's a pattern obviously, the 6ft to 3ft drop seems high but is ok I guess.
I've never seen such a picky device when it comes down to charging, usually it just works as expected ^^
Have you tried your cables on the carger it came with ? Or the cable it came with on your other cargers ?
Is there something with "AWG" written on your cables ?
@random_dgp: Well you basically have 2 choices: get a kernel with (force) fast charge support (don't know if there is one yet) or get a charger/cable combo which works.
If you're planning on rooting your N5 anyway I would go for the kernel way I guess, since the charger and the cable are fine most probably, they just aren't in the specs the N5 requires.
maisi said:
There's a pattern obviously, the 6ft to 3ft drop seems high but is ok I guess.
I've never seen such a picky device when it comes down to charging, usually it just works as expected ^^
Have you tried your cables on the carger it came with ? Or the cable it came with on your other cargers ?
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The first-gen Nexus 7 was at least this bad. Actually its biggest problem was it refused to even ADMIT it was charging (even though it was) off of most devices. In fact everything I just listed it would claim wasn't even connected to it. A few hours later it was full, but it refused to recognize it. 4.2 fixed that, but it was still slow off of most devices. This at least admits it's being charged, but barely is.
And no, I haven't tried the stock charger yet. I guess I will, but it's not a high priority since it doesn't cover my issues.
TurboFool said:
One of the things I loved most about my Nexus 4 was just how quickly it charged. And unlike my SGSII before it, it could even gain a charge while being actively used for Waze. Really great.
With the 5 I'm back to where I was. And thanks to tools I picked up during the 4, I'm able to see why more easily. Seems on the exact same chargers I used my 4 on, I'm easily pulling 400+mA less than the 4 did from the same device and same cable.
I haven't had time to draw a correlation yet, but last night at home on a multi-out adapter from Monoprice I was able to pull over 1200mA which is more than I've ever seen ANY of my devices pull before. But today, on the same model at my office, but with a different cable, I'm pulling around 200mA. Same as what I was getting in my car, which would frequently dip into the negatives, and that was WITHOUT Waze running. Also of note, in ALL of these locations it's being listed as "USB plugged" instead of "AC plugged." I'd say that accounts for the difference there, but the 1200mA draw was listed the same way, so I doubt it.
So, has anyone else noticed this yet and found any correlations between devices, cables, etc., so we can figure this out? Using more power than it takes in will not be something I can survive with and will definitely make this phone a less-than-ideal upgrade over the 4 in the battery life department. But it's pretty clear it's not impossible to get a good charge.
(and yes, before anyone asks, all of my adapters have jacks with a minimum of 1A out, and each also has a 2.1A port. Surprisingly, unlike my 4 which tended to draw LESS power from the 2.1A port, the 5 appears to be unconcerned by the difference, pulling the same poor number from both)
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OOC what sort of dmm/ammeter are you using to measure this?
TurboFool said:
One of the things I loved most about my Nexus 4 was just how quickly it charged
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i dont know if you're making this up, or if i have a defective nexus 4 lol
before i optimized my N4 i was getting about 4-5 hours of screen time, but it took at least 3 full hours to charge. that charge time to usage time ratio was killing me.
i am having much much much better results with my N5. i have no reason to charge it through a USB port on the computer(are you using an USB 1.0 port or something?), but charging it with the charger that it came with, i get a full charge in about 2 hours.
my N5 will charge a tiny bit over 1% per minute(while on or off), until it gets to 80% and then it charges at about .5% per minute or something
if you're getting the same charge times on the wall charger then i think you might have a defective charger/device. testing this will also be a good way to find out if it's just a slow usb port too
TurboFool said:
The first-gen Nexus 7 was at least this bad. Actually its biggest problem was it refused to even ADMIT it was charging (even though it was) off of most devices. In fact everything I just listed it would claim wasn't even connected to it. A few hours later it was full, but it refused to recognize it. 4.2 fixed that, but it was still slow off of most devices. This at least admits it's being charged, but barely is.
And no, I haven't tried the stock charger yet. I guess I will, but it's not a high priority since it doesn't cover my issues.
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Oh that's bad , I didn't know that!
Would just be the "reference test" since the stock charger should meet all the specs (and works fine here with every cable).
@cutterjohn: "Currentwidget" can display those values.
Enddo said:
i am having much much much better results with my N5. i have no reason to charge it through a USB port on the computer(are you using an USB 1.0 port or something?), but charging it with the charger that it came with, i get a full charge in about 2 hours.
my N5 will charge a tiny bit over 1% per minute(while on or off), until it gets to 80% and then it charges at about .5% per minute or something
if you're getting the same charge times on the wall charger then i think you might have a defective charger/device. testing this will also be a good way to find out if it's just a slow usb port too
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The problem he's having isn't about a computer USB port at all, the problem is that the N5 thinks it's plugged in a computer and limits the current to 500mA to meet the USB specs (and don't blow up some usb ports without a fuse somewhere) but in reality it's plugged in a wall charger.
His phone should be fine since it's working as expected on some carger/cable combos.
Btw. the N5 isn't pulling more current than the N4(both 1,2A), so it should charge almost exactly as fast/slow as the N4. It should even be a bit slower since the battery is slightly bigger I think.
cutterjohn said:
OOC what sort of dmm/ammeter are you using to measure this?
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I'm simply using the app Battery Monitor Widget. Really handy tool that solved some problems for me on the 4 with some weird charging situations. While I'm sure it's not insanely precise, it reflects my draining or charging rate well enough to show me what's going on.
Enddo said:
before i optimized my N4 i was getting about 4-5 hours of screen time, but it took at least 3 full hours to charge. that charge time to usage time ratio was killing me.
i am having much much much better results with my N5. i have no reason to charge it through a USB port on the computer(are you using an USB 1.0 port or something?), but charging it with the charger that it came with, i get a full charge in about 2 hours.
my N5 will charge a tiny bit over 1% per minute(while on or off), until it gets to 80% and then it charges at about .5% per minute or something
if you're getting the same charge times on the wall charger then i think you might have a defective charger/device. testing this will also be a good way to find out if it's just a slow usb port too
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I think you're missing the fact that I'm comparing it directly to how well these same devices charged the 4. So they're clearly not defective so much as the 5's requirements have changed completely. And USB 1.0 (I think you mean 1.1) isn't relevant here, as I'm not charging off a computer, I'm charging off a wall and/or car adapter. But sounds like we had very different experiences with the 4. I could charge my 4 off my Monoprice pocket battery in crazy fast time, and my phone was always full by the time I reached my destination in the car, even with Waze running (once I figured out I couldn't use the long cable I was using initially).
maisi said:
Oh that's bad , I didn't know that!
Would just be the "reference test" since the stock charger should meet all the specs (and works fine here with every cable).
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Absolutely. A control of sorts. Might as well.
Btw. the N5 isn't pulling more current than the N4(both 1,2A), so it should charge almost exactly as fast/slow as the N4. It should even be a bit slower since the battery is slightly bigger I think.
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Exactly. That's why I was surprised. There's no way it SHOULD be this much slower. Yes, I can see percentage adjusting slightly for the larger battery, but that's why I'm going by mA input instead, and my 4 was getting WAY better in the car. Although I don't think it ever got the 1.2 I'm getting with the Monoprice wall combo, so THAT's impressive. Now if I can just get that in my car without the RF interference and I can call it a day.
maisi said:
@cutterjohn: "Currentwidget" can display those values.
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Well then your either have defective hardware or currentwidget just doesn't work. As I inferred hard to tell w/o proper tools.
[EDIT]
Oops, multiple responses and replied to incorrect one, but really if your recharge rate is that much lower v. n4 I'd say that your chargers or n5 are defective. It's going to take longer to charge the n5 obviously, and I have no idea what the max draw either can achieve as I've been strictly using inductive charging w/max 1A supply(as per Qi spec)... n5 takes longer to charge than n4, but thats to be expected by batt cap(and wear(decreased cap) of n4 batt)...
Subjectively, the n5 takes longer to charge, but not that much longer that I've noticed, again batt cap, etc. so...
Both USB/AC adapter chargers I know supply a max of 1.2A...
...(from last so) ask for a replacement n5, after they've been replacing them for a single dead pixel...
[/EDIT]
My n5 charging real fast fatter t than my n4!
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
cutterjohn said:
Well then your either have defective hardware or currentwidget just doesn't work. As I inferred hard to tell w/o proper tools.
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Neither I think, we don't need any mA values to see that something is wrong, android is telling us that it thinks that it's connected to a usb port while it isn't.
Of course if we would want to measure exact mA values we would need a different equipment, for cable comparisions in order to see a tendency, the values from the charge IC should be good enough.(IMO)
[EDIT]
Oops, multiple responses and replied to incorrect one, but really if your recharge rate is that much lower v. n4 I'd say that your chargers or n5 are defective. It's going to take longer to charge the n5 obviously, and I have no idea what the max draw either can achieve as I've been strictly using inductive charging w/max 1A supply(as per Qi spec)... n5 takes longer to charge than n4, but thats to be expected by batt cap(and wear(decreased cap) of n4 batt)...
Subjectively, the n5 takes longer to charge, but not that much longer that I've noticed, again batt cap, etc. so...
Both USB/AC adapter chargers I know supply a max of 1.2A...
...(from last so) ask for a replacement n5, after they've been replacing them for a single dead pixel...
[/EDIT]
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Just saw your edit ^^
Well it looks like the N5 has a very low tolerance for AC/USB detection, I'm sure that neither his chargers or Phone are defective, the chargers just aren't 100%in the spec which is obviously enough. I'm sure that the stock charger would be fine.
cutterjohn said:
Well then your either have defective hardware or currentwidget just doesn't work. As I inferred hard to tell w/o proper tools.
[EDIT]
Oops, multiple responses and replied to incorrect one, but really if your recharge rate is that much lower v. n4 I'd say that your chargers or n5 are defective. It's going to take longer to charge the n5 obviously, and I have no idea what the max draw either can achieve as I've been strictly using inductive charging w/max 1A supply(as per Qi spec)... n5 takes longer to charge than n4, but thats to be expected by batt cap(and wear(decreased cap) of n4 batt)...
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Clearly neither is the case from my testing. The N5 charges beautifully off of the right combination of chargers, and all of those chargers charged the N4 beautifully. Neither is defective, but the N5 apparently has a different tolerance requirement than the N4.
Really, as opposed to anything being defective, it sounds more like a design flaw in the N5. It's WAY too picky about its power sources.
Mine charged REALLY slow the first day and that night. It also drained really quickly during that same time. I am now on my third day and it has long battery life plus it charged about 20% in 30 minutes on a car charger. Seems quicker than my S3.
A quick overview for those who might be thinking about the OEM Samsung wireless charging replacement back cover for the Note 4. I also get into a bit of risk vs cost analysis towards the end.
I have compared both the Qi version and the Powermat version. This information applies to both. They are physically identical. The only difference is which charging standard they support.
Model EP-CN910IBU
Output 5.0v 800mA
S/N RCIFA
MSIP-REM-SEC-EP-EP-CN910IWK
Made in Vietnam
MSRP $39
Be aware these replacement covers add thickness to the handset.
Stock handset (non charging cover) plus glass screen protector: 0.360"
Handset plus EP-CN910IBU wireless charging cover plus glass screen protector, 0.425"
The charging cover adds a net thickness of 0.065." While this doesn't sound like much, it is enough to prevent most cases / enclosures from fitting over the charging cover.
These measurements are taken with a precision micrometer (certified to an accuracy of +/- 0.002")
As a common reference, an average US $0.25 quarter measures 0.065."
Imagine wedging a layer of quarters in between your phone and your case. Chances are it won't fit. Do you really want to use an $800 device with no case? The only case option would be a dimensionally forgiving non rigid rubber bumper.
When used with a Duracell powermat, the charging works as expected, albeit at the slow 800mA charging speed. The sensitivity of proper placement of the phone, centered on the powermat is still an issue. Even a small 0.25" movement out of center will stop charging.
Here are some simple calculations that allow us to directly compare *maximum* charging speeds using the basic electrical formula of Volts x Amps = Watts
Standard Wall charger 5V x 2A = 10W
Samsung adaptive fast charger 9V x 1.67A = 15.03W
Samsung wireless charging cover 5V x 0.8A = 4W
This comparison shows the wireless back covers charge at a rate of that is 60% slower than a standard wall charger and 74% slower than the adaptive fast charger that shipped with our Note 4 devices. In my opinion, this wireless setup is only practical for overnight use and possibly as a trickle charger in an office / desktop environment. It is not practical for use as a primary daytime charging system during frequent and heavy use of the handset.
The cover was $39, the powermat was $50 for a combined cost of $90. Car charging cradles are presumably another $50-$70. As a completely wireless charging solution, this costs about $200 and takes 3-4 times longer to charge.
I purchased this setup as a safeguard against damage to the usb port form a lifetime of plugging in charging cords. I have experienced usb port damage / degradation on previous devices.
Conclusion:
Consider that most of us carry an insurance policy through our provider for about $7 / month ($168 spread out over 2 years.) If you ever use the insurance due to damage, theft or loss, we pay a $200 deductible. Consider that most of us will upgrade to a newer handset within 2 years. This gives us a combined contractual insurance cost of roughly $370 across the 2 year lifespan of the device, and only if you end up replacing the device for *any* reason, not just usb port damage. Otherwise you pay only the ~$170 over 2 years.
The cost of "physical" insurance by way of wireless charging and a rubber bumper case is well over $200 all at the time of equipment purchase.
In my opinion, this high cost and slow speed of wireless charging is not sensible. I will be returning the equipment and returning to corded charging and my favorite case. I will keep the contractual insurance thought At&t. This risk vs cost analysis with corded charging is acceptable to me.
Thank you for your thorough review. I just purchased the official case yesterday from Samsung with a 50% discount coupon, after which, I started researching reviews and cases for it and found that many of the cases I was contemplating on purchasing were no longer fitting. I previously owned the Note 2 with a stick-on qi wireless coil and it worked great so I was leaning towards the same solution for the Note 4 but reading reviews about them seemed to point that the fact that it interferes with the NFC module. I use SoftCard (formerly ISIS) on a daily basis so this leads me to use the OEM back.
el_chiefo said:
Thank you for your thorough review. I just purchased the official case yesterday from Samsung with a 50% discount coupon, after which, I started researching reviews and cases for it and found that many of the cases I was contemplating on purchasing were no longer fitting. I previously owned the Note 2 with a stick-on qi wireless coil and it worked great so I was leaning towards the same solution for the Note 4 but reading reviews about them seemed to point that the fact that it interferes with the NFC module. I use SoftCard (formerly ISIS) on a daily basis so this leads me to use the OEM back.
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What's the 50off coupon?
h3ck said:
What's the 50off coupon?
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When you register your note 4 with Samsung (and the samsung account), you should be emailed a coupon for 50% of of items $50 or less from their website
this is a silly "review" and an even sillier analysis.
It completely ignores the fact that all your data is on the device and if you ever have to replace it its a huge pain to back it up and restore it.
It also completely ignores how fragile the device is without a case on it.
It ignores the problem of fumbling around trying to find the correct way to insert the usb cable into the microusb slot (and if you insert the wrong way the tab can snap off) in the dark and trying to mount it on a car charger when you want to just get in the car and drive. it ignores the fact that wires running everywhere make a mess.
I have an iblason armorbox case and the samsung wireless back. Case fits perfectly, when i want to charge i just throw it on the charger. phone doesnt get below 90% throughout the day. I have an ebay 6000mah wireless charger in my bag, a wireless pad in my bedroom in a box and a wireless car charger. When i get home i literally throw the phone into the box and its charging instantly. i put the phone on my car cradle and it charges instantly. I put the phone with a rubberband in my bag attached to the wireless charger and it keeps charging while in my bag. no wires required. once a week i connect the usb cable from the 6000mah portable charger to a computer and leave it. overnight it gets topped up and ready to use for the next week. ive dropped the phone twice already (bumped it off a table and it fell from a placement on top of the car to concrete) with no issues. i dont have any silly insurance and the phone is zero hassle. i can use it in the rain, snow, dust, mud etc without worrying. the phone is always at 100% (never gets below 90%) and i dont need to worry about running out of battery.
zurkx said:
this is a silly "review" and an even sillier analysis.
It completely ignores the fact that all your data is on the device and if you ever have to replace it its a huge pain to back it up and restore it.
It also completely ignores how fragile the device is without a case on it.
It ignores the problem of fumbling around trying to find the correct way to insert the usb cable into the microusb slot (and if you insert the wrong way the tab can snap off) in the dark and trying to mount it on a car charger when you want to just get in the car and drive. it ignores the fact that wires running everywhere make a mess.
I have an iblason armorbox case and the samsung wireless back. Case fits perfectly, when i want to charge i just throw it on the charger. phone doesnt get below 90% throughout the day. I have an ebay 6000mah wireless charger in my bag, a wireless pad in my bedroom in a box and a wireless car charger. When i get home i literally throw the phone into the box and its charging instantly. i put the phone on my car cradle and it charges instantly. I put the phone with a rubberband in my bag attached to the wireless charger and it keeps charging while in my bag. no wires required. once a week i connect the usb cable from the 6000mah portable charger to a computer and leave it. overnight it gets topped up and ready to use for the next week. ive dropped the phone twice already (bumped it off a table and it fell from a placement on top of the car to concrete) with no issues. i dont have any silly insurance and the phone is zero hassle. i can use it in the rain, snow, dust, mud etc without worrying. the phone is always at 100% (never gets below 90%) and i dont need to worry about running out of battery.
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Thank you for your opinion. I will keep mine.
I backup on a regular basis and restoring is easy.
I agree the device is fragile without a case.
I don't want the armorbox or otterbox or any other case that significantly increases the dimensions and bulk of the handset.
I don't charge in the car because I have short drive times.
I don't care for having to box or bag my phone throughout the day.
My job is not at a desk so I can't let the phone sit on a charging pad while at work.
I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on three or four wireless chargers to be distributed throughout my daily locations.
Wireless charging isn't mainstream enough yet to go completely wireless across all devices within reasonable costs. Other devices still require the cord mess. I am an "all in" or nothing sort of person.
The main reason for keeping the insurance is replacement in case of theft. Any new electronics are theft targets. I have had 2 phones stolen in the past. In one instance, I located the thief, removed a few teeth and repossessed my phone. The other went offline as soon as it was stolen and was untraceable. The insurance saved me from buying a new $600 handset out of cash.
Regardless of either of our subjective opinions, I mainly wrote the review to post the facts and figures of physical size and power output limitations. I will wait for resonant charging technology to be released and re-evaluate the cost benefit at that time. My analysis and opinions are there simply to get people to think about the pros and cons.
Wireless charging is way overrated imo. It charges much slower and you still need to have a cord for the charger itself (obviously). It literally takes almost the same amount of time to plug in the USB cord as it does to find the sweet spot of a wireless charger. At this point it's simply a novelty imo. Nothing more.
Each to their own. Any good 3 coil charge base has an enormous sweet spot, so hunting for position is not an issue at all.
If you get calls at night a lot (for work or other), the wireless charging is a god send. Trying to plug it in multiple times in the dark is ridiculous.
Now, when we have reversible connectors, my opinion might change.
JasonJoel said:
Each to their own. Any good 3 coil charge base has an enormous sweet spot, so hunting for position is not an issue at all.
If you get calls at night a lot (for work or other), the wireless charging is a god send. Trying to plug it in multiple times in the dark is ridiculous.
Now, when we have reversible connectors, my opinion might change.
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I hear you man, I'm not saying it's totally worthless, but it's a very niche product imo. Like you have pointed out, it serves its purpose for some people. But I think for the average Joe, plugging in is just fine.
I do see where you are coming from however.
I have been reading about wireless charging for a couple years and never really pursued it on my Note 2 because I was with Verizon and they naturally removed it as they typically screw up phones somehow. I saw so many people that loved it and would go to great lengths to enable it. I decided after switching to T Mobile a couple weeks ago that I would give it a shot. I bought the OEM back and a cheap qi charger off of eBay and was disappointed with having to adjust my phone on the charger to hit the sweet spot. I decided to buy a Tylt charger and wow what a difference! I can literally place the phone on the charger in my case with no concern of finding a sweet spot because the whole charger is the sweet spot. It even works great through my wifes thick leather case. I love it and I find the rate of charge to be at least equal to a standard charger ( not fast charge) and that's great. I watched some netflix last night with my phone on the tylt (45 degrees)and it actually charged while streaming. I haven't personally plugged a phone in for more than 2 years since I just swap batteries out of my Samsung spare battery charger but now when I'm working or surfing at night my phone is always charging wirelessly and I never wake up with a phone that's less than 100%.
Even though it subjectively feels like wireless is as fast as a standard wall charger, it is not possible.
Manufacturers specification for wireless chargering is universally 800mA, or 0.8A.
Check my math in the first post. At 4W wireless chargers are less than half the speed of of a standard 10W wall charger.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using XDA Free mobile app
Hey guys, so I'm looking for a case that fits the added bulk of the OEM QI back. Any recommendations? I'm looking at the i-blason case but open to any other suggestions.
Thanks
syngiun said:
The cost of "physical" insurance by way of wireless charging and a rubber bumper case is well over $200 all at the time of equipment purchase.
In my opinion, this high cost and slow speed of wireless charging is not sensible. I will be returning the equipment and returning to corded charging and my favorite case. I will keep the contractual insurance thought At&t. This risk vs cost analysis with corded charging is acceptable to me.
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"well over $200"? The qi charging back is $40. I got a 3 pack of Qi chargers for $60 (nokia, they come in a bunch of colors) so I could have one by my bed, desk at home, and desk at work. Numerous others are available for $10-$25 on ebay and other retailers. I'll happily pay $100 (qi back + 3 docks) or so to never touch the USB cable, fumble with a cable end in the dark, or try the cable backwards. When charging is easy you don't care about charging speed as much. 0.5 seconds to dock or undock (without even looking) will spoil you.
While I have multiple devices, I end up keeping my devices for 3-4 years with secondary uses. So even if I do get something new within 2 years I don't want the secondary device to die just becuase of a horribly designed charging cable that makes my first nokia dumb phone from the 90s look awesome. Imagine that after almost 20 years of USB might someday actually be reversible, maybe in 2015.
Never understood why the audio jack on today's phones is robust, easy to use, and impossible to get backwards. You could use it 10 times a day for a decade, yet most rarely use it. Nokia used to use a similar connector for charging, I could manage to plug it in with my eyes closed an one hand behind my back. To charge a phone daily you end up with a tiny fragile usb connectors that's easy to get backwards and difficult to get in correctly on the first try without careful examination. Already lost one phone to usb, I'm trying to avoid losing a second.
Both the microusb connector and expoxied in batteries reak of planned obsolence to me. Thankfully the note 4 can minimize both problems.
Oh, one last thing. The Qi Chargers do lose some efficiency. So if you get a charger that's USB powered you end up with a poor charging speeds. So I'd get one of the ones that come with their own wall wart. I use the nokia DT-900 (which comes with it's own wall wart) with my nexus 5 and it charges pretty quickly.
el_chiefo said:
Hey guys, so I'm looking for a case that fits the added bulk of the OEM QI back. Any recommendations? I'm looking at the i-blason case but open to any other suggestions.
Thanks
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I purchased the Caseology Carbon Fiber case to see if I'd have any luck with the OEM charging back....and it worked! I posted pictures here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=57275699#post57275699
Product here:
http://www.amazon.com/Caseology-Samsung-Absorbent-T-mobile-Unlocked/dp/B00N4DIM0A
I have the wireless charging S view cover in combination with the S5 charging dock. I agree with what you are saying. The charging is really slow. Especially for such a high capacity battery used in the Note 4. I would not buy this setup again.
Does the qi back protect the camera?
Yes the qi back protects the camera lens in terms of keeping the lens from scratching on surfaces when you set the phone down. The added thickness casues the back cover to extend just past the lens.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using XDA Free mobile app
syngiun said:
Yes the qi back protects the camera lens in terms of keeping the lens from scratching on surfaces when you set the phone down. The added thickness casues the back cover to extend just past the lens.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using XDA Free mobile app
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Actually, Ive found that it does not extend past the camera lens, it makes the camera lens functionally flush with the back. Im a little disappointed in this and sort of wish it was "slightly" thicker. If it was, i think i would end up going caseless. I may end up doing what the OP described and going with the regular plugin. The batter last so long, i dont really plug it in except right before bed, and even then, i dont even need to charge it overnight anymore....
Edit : It looks like it`s an lot more complicated than i thought.
http://blog.curioussystem.com/2010/08/the-dirty-truth-about-usb-device-charging/
John.
Even among recent Samsung chargers there is a difference in rates. For example, my Note 4 adaptive fast charger works fine charging the S 10.5. I updated to the Note 5 and its adaptive fast charger takes forever to charge the S 10.5. (I occasionally use the phone charger for top off since the tablet charger is upstairs).
I found a website that does reviews of usb charger`s even the fakes to see how safe they are, (it will scare the life out of you) and some are virtually impossible to tell from the original , so my advice is do not buy cheap non-brand charger that come from china (I had two go bang in a week, nearly killed my HTC M7) so if you buy and Samsung or Apple or another brand and the price is too good to be true, it`s most likely a fake, unless you buy from the Apple or Samsung website, or some of the big retailers.
The SKulls at the right of the usb charger listing means the charger is perpetually deadly, but the list also contains some very good third-party chargers at cheap prices, see the big green ticks.
http://lygte-info.dk/info/ChargerIndex UK.html
Stay Safe.
John.