For a long time, mobile phones did not need boost charging. Why, if the device was connected to the charger only once every three to four days? But with the advent of smartphones, everything has changed. These devices have increased power consumption. As a result, we are already used to the fact that in most cases they need to be charged every night. But what if you forgot to connect your gadget to the charger in the evening and need to go to work in the morning? It is in such situations that fast charging saves. While you're brushing your teeth, making your bed, and going to work, your battery will recharge 50% or more. Let's talk about this technology in a little more detail.
Any battery works according to the principle of an electromechanical process. It starts in both directions - the battery can receive energy, accumulating it, or give it away. For many years, engineers have tried different chemical current sources. Previously used nickel and lead, now all batteries for mobile phones are based on lithium... They can be lithium-ion or lithium-polymer - this is completely irrelevant, as fast charging technology works with both types of batteries. The main advantage of lithium is that it has no "memory effect". As a result, you may not have to wait until your smartphone is completely discharged. And it is not necessary to charge it up to 100%. If not for this fact, then fast charging would be useless. As for the disadvantages of lithium batteries, they consist in the gradual loss of capacity and fire hazard.
Modern smartphones are equipped with batteries with a capacity of 2000 to 7000 mAh. The nominal voltage of the battery is most often equal to 3.5-3.7 V. At its full charge level, the voltage can be increased to 4.2 V, which allows increasing the performance of the processor and some other components. As for charging the battery itself, it used to be very simple - the current flowed with a strictly defined power until the moment when the charge level reached about 90%. Then the power was gradually reduced so as not to "recharge" the battery, a special controller did it. And so on until you reach 100% charge. As a result, the recharging time was 2-2.5 hours, depending on the capacity of the battery.
How does fast charging work?
The company was the first to try to change something. Qualcomm... In 2012, she introduced the first version of the technology Quick charge... As conceived by the manufacturer of mobile chipsets, at the first stage, the charger should deliver the maximum possible current. And when the battery controller realized that the charge level had reached a certain level, the power decreased.
How is the fast charging function different from the usual one? Let's take a look at this with an example. Let's take the most common phone charger (pictured above). On its body we will see the inscription: "Output 5V / 1A". This means that the maximum device outputs a current with a voltage of 5 volts and a strength of 1 ampere. The output power of such a charge is approximately 5 watts. Technology Quick Charge 1.0 changed a little. The smartphones supporting it learned to accept electricity with a current of 2 A. All other parameters of the charger remained the same. With the same battery capacity, a full charge is 30% faster.
The second version of the technology from Qualcomm turned out to be much more interesting. It consists in an even closer interaction between the battery controller and the charger. From now on, the current strength could already reach 3 A. Also, now, during recharging, the voltage changed - at first it was 12 V, then it dropped to 9 V, and finally dropped to the standard 5 V. Compared with using a traditional charger, the process was accelerated by 60 %! The disadvantage of this technology is the high cost of the charger, because a special chip is built into it. However, most consumers do not care about this, because most often the charger is included with a smartphone, and the need to buy a new one is extremely rare.
In September 2016, Qualcomm introduced the technology Quick Charge 3.0... The chargers and battery controllers that have it are even smarter. Now the optimal voltage is selected individually for a specific device and battery charge level. The voltage now varies from 3.6 to 20 V. The step of change is only 200 mV. As a result, the third version of the technology turned out to be 38% more efficient than the second. The Snapdragon 430, 617, 618, 620 and 820 processors received support for Quick Charge.
Versatility
Not all smartphones are equipped with a Qualcomm processor. Fortunately, there are other fast charging technologies found in various Android devices. Almost all of them work according to the principles described above. In this case, the phone can be connected to a high-performance charger from another manufacturer - nothing will happen to it. In some cases, its power controller will allow you to charge your smartphone at an accelerated rate. In other cases, recharging will go in the traditional mode - with a current of 1 or 2 A. In any case, the charger will not damage the device.
However, it is still better to use the charger that came with the kit. There have been cases in the world when the battery flashed for some reason. This was facilitated by a Chinese charger and a poor quality USB cable.
Separately, it should be noted products under the brand OPPO... She uses a unique technology VOOC Flash Charging... Batteries in smartphones endowed with it have eight contacts. Electricity is supplied to the battery with a current of 4.5 A and a voltage of 5 V. The battery consists of several cells and the current is evenly distributed between them. As a result, recharging occurs very quickly. The manufacturer also claims that its technology is more careful with the battery, without reducing its service life.
Is fast charging harmful to your phone?
Most of all, some people are afraid of the fact that fast charging of a smartphone is carried out using an increased current. It seems to them that the battery does not tolerate such an attitude towards itself. Allegedly, it will have to be changed in just a year. Indeed, the early fast charging technologies had an unpleasant feature. The working capacity of the battery quickly diminished if the smartphone was used too actively, charging it once or even twice a day. However, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since 2012, now everything has changed.
Modern technology allows the power controller to receive electricity in the amount required by the battery in a given second. The current and voltage never exceed the threshold values. All this is confirmed by numerous experiments from independent experts. They showed that the capacity of the battery drops at the same rate as when using a conventional charger. Therefore, you can not be afraid to use fast charging - it will only make your life easier.
How do I disable fast charging?
If you are still afraid of fast charging, then your further actions depend on how fresh your smartphone is. The fact is that on modern devices, support for this technology is implemented at the controller and firmware level. Disabling fast charging in such gadgets is most often impossible. The only way out is to purchase another charger that does not support fast charging technology.
Well, on smartphones from 2012-2014, you can still disable this function. This is done in " Settings", In chapter " Battery". On Samsung devices, you may need to visit the pre-installed app Smart Manager.
Fast Charging AC Adapters for Samsung and Apple
The South Korean company Samsung equips many of its smartphones with support for proprietary fast charging technology. An appropriate adapter is supplied with the device. However, some users lose this little accessory, while others need additional "charging", for example, for use at work. In short, it would be surprising if the South Korean giant did not sell power adapters separately.
In Russian stores, products with support for fast charging from Samsung cost from 1,200 to 1,500 rubles, which is quite an adequate price. Adapters are available with or without cable. It also differs in what kind of connector the wire is equipped with - there have been options with for a long time, since the flagships have just such a socket. The largest number of "charges" produced are colored white. But if you try, you can find on sale a black version, which is much less common.
Any of the above three iPhones support 29W, 61W, and 87W power adapters. The higher this parameter, the faster recharging will take place. The problem is that powerful network adapters are too large - you can't put such an accessory in your pocket. Again, they were designed for later use in tandem with a laptop, so there was no point in reducing the size. Another major disadvantage of these adapters is the price. For the 61 W version, you will have to pay about 5500 rubles! However, "apple" products are always expensive. But in this case it is already the manufacturer's greed. And how can you ask for that kind of money for a thing that is corny inconvenient to use?
Fast charging AC adapters on AliExpress
The most famous Chinese online store offers a variety of smartphone accessories. Including in its vastness you can find power adapters with support for fast charging. For example, a Fonken network charger with miniature dimensions is delivered directly from a warehouse in Russia. The device is primarily intended for smartphones and tablets that support Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology. The cost of the accessory is approximately 500 rubles. Not bad, especially considering that it comes with a 1m USB cable with high-quality braid.
The adapter from Tiegem also supports the same fast charging technology. This device is already priced at 800 rubles, but it is much more versatile. The fact is that up to two gadgets can be connected to this charger - this is exactly the number of USB ports built in here. The current strength is 2.4 A, and the power is 30 W. Such a charger is ideal for Huawei products and other large companies.
Of course, this is not a complete list of power adapters sold through AliExpress. Here you can find accessories of various shapes and colors. There are even solutions with five connectors! Also, for some time now, the Chinese online store allows you to buy original products from the same Samsung - South Korean adapters are now also present in the AliExpress assortment.
It would seem, what could be unusual about charging the battery of a smartphone or tablet: you plug it in and it charges. But few people know how to do it correctly. How to charge a new device to keep it working for a long time? What if you don't have a standard charger at hand, are there other ways? And, of course, everyone was faced with a situation when you urgently need to charge your phone, but there is no time. How to speed up charging?
Types of batteries and their features
Currently, lithium batteries are considered the most popular, they are divided into two types: lithium-ion and lithium-polymer.
Lithium-ion (Li-ion)
At the beginning of the XXI century, it was they who replaced nickel-cadmium batteries and still serve us today. What are their benefits:
- ease of maintenance;
- high capacity with small dimensions;
- low self-discharge (does not lose charge in standby mode).
They are in the form of a plate or a cylinder. What happens inside these batteries, how is the smartphone charged / discharged?
Inside the plate or cylinder there is a positively charged electrode - the anode, and a negatively charged one - the cathode. Between them is a liquid electrolyte, in which positively or negatively charged lithium ions are placed. They move between the cathode and the anode. For example, if lithium ions have a positive charge, then when the device is discharged, they gradually move to the cathode. When the battery is at zero, they are all there. When you connect your smartphone or tablet to a charger, the lithium ions are transferred to the anode.
Lithium polymer (Li-pol)
Technology does not stand still. From lithium-ion batteries, lithium-polymer emerged. This is still a fairly new invention, which has both pros and cons.
Among the advantages are:
- large capacity (compared to its predecessor);
- thickness from 1 mm;
- the ability to produce batteries in flexible and plastic forms (a solid polymer composite is used as an electrolyte, which can be wrapped in plastic);
- the ability to use at various temperatures (from -20 ° to + 40 °).
The disadvantages include:
- quick failure;
- there is a greater risk that the battery will explode;
- increase in charging time.
How to properly charge a new Android smartphone or tablet
When buying a brand new device, the efficiency of its battery is estimated at 96%, after 100 charging cycles this number drops to 50%. During the movement of ions, the surface of the electrodes wears out a lot, and the electrolyte becomes clogged due to the crystallization of lithium salts. As a result, ions cannot get to the electrodes - this is called the "Coulomb efficiency".
A new smartphone or tablet should be discharged for the first 2–3 charging cycles before turning off (so that the phone is completely seated), and then charged to 100%. What is it for? During the first discharge, the device determines the minimum value, and during the first charge, the maximum. Thus, the power controller is calibrated. By doing this, you set the correct default values, thereby ensuring correct battery control.
Charging rules for a non-new device
Manufacturers recommend changing the device battery after 300-500 charge cycles. After 1000 cycles, the battery efficiency is 20 percent. To prolong battery life, you need to properly charge your device and follow a few rules.
There is a common myth that the battery needs to be charged from 0 to 100%. This rule applies only to new devices and gadgets with nickel batteries, since they have a "memory effect" (nickel batteries have long been "out of fashion" and are used only on older devices). That is, a battery that is not discharged less than 20% forgets about their existence and about its potential.
The opposite rule applies to modern lithium batteries. After the first few full charges, keep the battery value between 40% and 80% and try to never fall below 20%. The best solution is a few small recharges during the day.
Another myth is associated with "night" charging: when you leave the device to replenish energy reserves overnight, the battery will deteriorate. Smartphones are called smart phones because they have many functions, including spontaneously stopping the supply of electricity to the battery when it is full. The only advice in such cases is not to leave the device in the case: this leads to overheating.
Also, try to use only your “native” device to charge your Android smartphone or tablet. Cheap Chinese counterparts can ruin the charging or the gadget itself. If it is not possible to use your charger, find something with similar characteristics and reliable enough.
Recharging the gadget should include the following steps:
- Checking the network performance and its compliance with security requirements.
- Checking the compatibility of the charger and smartphone or tablet (220V or 110V).
- Connecting a smartphone or tablet to charging.
- Connecting the charger to the network.
Failure to comply with basic safety rules often leads to explosions and fires of devices, it is often not possible to restore them after this.
How to charge Android: myths and reality
Headphone jack
This is not possible at the moment. Although Apple has already announced developments in this direction. With such charging, the principle of electromagnetic induction will be used. A special device will be included with the device, around which you will need to wrap the headphones and put them on a special contact. In this position, an electromagnetic field will be created, which will act on the battery of the device, charging it. The technology is quite new and will need to do a lot of testing before it becomes part of everyday life.
Computer or laptop via USB
This method is possible, because many devices come with a USB adapter. Everything is extremely simple here: connect the wire to the smartphone, connect the other end to USB, and the device is charged. But this method only works for powered-on computers or laptops when the USB input is active. How to charge the device when the PC is turned off?
Toshiba laptops have built-in Sleep-and-Charge functionality, while Samsung has something similar - Chargeable USB. Owners of laptops and computers from other manufacturers can charge their smartphones / tablets while the device is in sleep state. On Windows, you can do it like this:
- From the Start menu, select Control Panel.
- Click the Device Manager button.
- In the list of devices, find the category "USB Controllers" and open it.
- You will see several devices named "USB Root Hub", for each right click and select "Properties".
- In the window that appears, go to the "Power Management" tab.
- Uncheck the box next to Allow this device to be turned off to save power.
HDMI
Charging via HDMI (direct) is not possible. Of course, there are adapters from MHL to HDMI that allow you to connect your smartphone or tablet, for example, to a TV, and they charge the device (without this, such an adapter will not work), but for charging they again need a micro-USB cable. So you can't do without standard tools.
Video: charging and connecting to a smartphone TV via an HDMI adapter
Cigarette lighter
To implement charging through a cigarette lighter in a car, there are now a lot of devices, they can be found in almost any store that sells household appliances. When choosing, you should pay attention to the quality of the device, as well as the length of the plug. In some cars, the cigarette lighter socket is located quite deep and the short plug will not be able to get there. It is best to check the charger immediately after purchase in order to return or exchange it immediately.
Also, a smartphone or tablet can be charged in the car using a USB adapter and a radio (if, of course, it has a USB port). Charging is the same as when connected to a desktop computer.
Video: charging the battery through the cigarette lighter
Boost charge function
Before describing this charging method, I would like to note that it is not recommended to use it often, since it has a bad effect on the battery. It is better to leave your smartphone or tablet on a quiet charge for several hours than to charge the device quickly but constantly change the battery to a new one. In extreme cases, this method is, of course, possible and has its own right to exist. But, again, you shouldn't abuse it.
Quick Charge 1.0 or 2.0 fast charging technology was developed by Qualcomm, it allows you to charge your smartphone or tablet several times faster: now the device is not tied to an outlet and you do not have to wait several hours for it to charge.
The charging process is accelerated by increasing the current that the device can receive. Many devices have a limitation for the supply of current, this is done for safety reasons. Quick Charge increases this value: a regular adapter supplies about 5V to the battery, while a power supply with Quick Charge 2.0 support - 12B. Some gadgets have already included the appropriate adapter as standard, for others this newfangled tool will have to be purchased.
How to enable this feature on Android devices that support this technology:
To disable the function, just uncheck the box "Fast charging" or Fast charging.
How can you charge your phone faster?
Here are some tips to help you charge faster:
- Turn off the device: your smartphone or tablet will not waste energy on other processes and will charge faster.
- Charge from a wall outlet, not via USB from a computer.
- If you do charge via USB, choose the right port: USB 1.0, 2.0 are capable of providing 500 mA of current, while USB 3.0 is almost twice as much - up to 900 mA.
- Pay attention to the ambient temperature: the best temperature for charging is around + 22 ° C.
- Use apps to speed up charging.
- Get a USB adapter that can boost the current up to 2100mA.
- Equip yourself with a Y-cable, which combines the power of two USB ports and is capable of delivering a higher current flow.
- Finally, use the battery life saving tips at the beginning of this article to help your device charge faster.
You can always find alternative methods for charging a smartphone or tablet on the Android platform, if suddenly something happened to charging or it was simply not at hand. The charging speed can also be increased: for this you just need to know a few features. Properly apply the knowledge gained in the article, and you will be able to operate your smartphone or tablet for many years.
Leave him alone
Put your phone down and stop using it. The main reason a phone is draining battery is its large and stunning screen. The more you use it, the more the battery will drain. Stop checking email or text messages while your phone is charging. Leave your phone alone.
Turn on Airplane Mode
Turning on Airplane mode will speed up the charging of your phone, but you won't be able to receive notifications or calls while in Airplane mode. The less your phone tries to do, the faster it will charge. Placing the phone in airplane mode disables its ability to generate wireless radio signals, thereby limiting the phone's functionality. Thus, the battery charges faster.
Turn it off
Turning off your phone is much more efficient than putting it into airplane mode. The logic here is similar to what was said earlier. The screen is the main battery eater. Using your phone while charging will slow down the charging process. To charge your phone faster, turn it off. However, you will not be able to receive SMS, calls or any other notifications. But that can be a small sacrifice if you want to charge your phone as quickly as possible.
Do not charge it using the computer's USB port
When connected to the USB ports of a computer, the phone will charge, but this process will not proceed correctly, that is, your phone will charge, but not as fast as if it were from a normal charger. The USB specification 1.0 and 2.0 port is capable of delivering up to 0.5A. In the USB 3.0 specification, it can supply current up to 0.9A. But the dedicated charging port can offer up to 1.5A. USB 3.1 can supply up to 3A. Do you see the difference? So it's best to rely on a dedicated charger if you're in a hurry.
Don't use a wireless charger
Wireless charging is, without a doubt, quite slow. This is why it is not recommended to use a wireless charger if you are in a rush. However, fast wireless charging is an exception. It is more efficient than USB charging, but still no better than a regular wired charger.
Get a Powerbank
Powerbank won't help you charge your phone faster, but it will give you the ability to charge your phone on the go. This can solve the problem of low battery and too little time. Powerbanks are portable, i.e. They're easy to carry around so you don't have to worry about forgetting to charge your phone. Yes, but don't forget to charge your power bank.
Some smartphones have the unpleasant property of discharging at the most inopportune moment, and therefore sometimes it becomes necessary to charge the device as quickly as possible. However, not all users know how to do this. There are some tricks by which you can significantly speed up the charging process, which will be discussed in this article.
A few simple recommendations will help you complete the task, which can be applied both together and each separately.
Don't touch your phone
The simplest and most obvious method to speed up charging is to simply stop using the device for this period. Thus, the power consumption for the display backlight and other functionalities will be minimized as much as possible, which will allow the smartphone to be charged much faster.
Close all applications
Even if you don't use your device while it is charging, some open applications will still consume battery. Therefore, it is necessary to close all minimized and open programs.
To do this, you need to open the application menu. Depending on the brand of your smartphone, this can be done in two ways: either press and hold the bottom center button, or simply tap on one of the other two. When the required menu opens, close all applications with swipes to the side. Some phones have a button Close all.
Turn on airplane mode or turn off your phone
To achieve the best effect, you can put your smartphone in airplane mode. However, in this case, you lose the ability to answer calls, receive messages, and so on. Therefore, the method is not suitable for everyone.
To enter airplane mode, hold the side power button of your phone. When the corresponding menu appears, click on "Flight mode" to activate it. This can also be done through the "curtain", having found there the button of the same name with an airplane icon.
If you want to achieve maximum effect, then you can completely turn off the phone. To do this, do all the same steps, only instead of "Flight mode" select item "Shutdown".
Charge your phone via a wall socket
If you want to quickly charge your mobile device, then you should only use the outlet and wired charger. The fact is that charging using a USB connection to a computer, laptop, portable battery or wireless technology takes much longer. Moreover, the native charger is also much more efficient than its purchased counterparts (not always, but in most cases, for sure).
Conclusion
As you can see, there are several good tricks that can significantly speed up the process of charging a mobile device. The best of them is to turn off the device completely while charging, but it is not suitable for all users. Therefore, you can use other methods.
A dying smartphone battery is an all too common problem in the modern world, in which devices always seem incorrigible when you need them most. Here are some quick hacks that will show you how to charge your phone faster when you should have left the house five minutes ago.
1 way - flight mode
The easiest way to speed up the charging process is to put your phone into airplane mode before plugging in the charger. This feature turns off cellular, Bluetooth, radio, and Wi-Fi services that stealthily suppress power in the background even when you're not using your phone. Whether you are an Android, iOS, or Windows Phone user, you can turn on Airplane Mode by tapping the Settings app on the Home screen, then selecting Airplane Mode and sliding the switch to the On position. You will know that this mode is enabled by a small airplane icon that appears at the top of your phone screen. Switching to airplane mode means that you will not be able to make or receive calls and SMS messages, as well as use data and GPS, until you return to normal settings on your phone.
Method 2 - original charged
When it comes to how to charge your phone, the official wall chargers that come with your smartphone are your best bet. Simply put, it is an adapter + USB cable. Charging from a wall outlet draws power much faster than USB ports on a laptop or computer, and the original charger will perform better than cheap imitation third-party cables.
Be careful: suspicious charging cables are associated with electric shock and overheating, so we recommend that you avoid counterfeits and use chargers approved by your phone manufacturer.
While a wall outlet is best, sometimes it's more convenient to plug your phone into a USB port on your laptop. The downside here is that the output power of the USB port is much lower, which slows down the charging time considerably. The process can take several hours to go from a low battery to a fully charged battery. You can also work with the slower USB port output if the charging times are in a hurry.
Another cool tip: buy specially designed cables with two USB male to one micro USB connector - you can charge one device at the same time using power from two USB ports.
If you own an iPhone and have a new Macbook or iMac at home, an Apple product will automatically recognize your iPhone when you plug it in and increase the power output to your phone to speed up charging.
Method 3 - replacing a more powerful power supply
If you are not satisfied with the speed of charging from the wall outlet, your phone may be compatible with fast charging accessories, such as the fast charger from HTC or the Samsung fast charging pad. Newer Android devices support ultra-fast charging, which basically just boosts the power of your smartphone without harming the battery - which means you can charge your phone 100% in a short amount of time. Another new Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 technology is the next generation of fast charging technology for phones and tablets with select Snapdragon processors. In its own lab tests, Qualcomm found that a Quick Charge 2.0 device with a 3300mAh battery was able to reach 60 percent capacity in 30 minutes.
Method 4 - external battery (power bank)
Alternatively, you can also purchase an external battery for emergencies when there is no way to plug into an outlet. Good external batteries range from $ 50 to $ 100 depending on capacity and capabilities, and most importantly, they can charge your phone and help make sure you don't get stuck with a dead device on the days you need a smartphone.
Conclusion
Knowing how to charge your phone faster is essential, because in the modern world, time is an integral factor. While all of these tips are designed to help you get an extra fast charge for your phone, we don't recommend using these tips on a daily basis. Overall, slow and stable charging is much better and safer for your phone.
