Charging in Car with Screen on

[UNCMo96]

I have an S4 and my wife has an S3. Often when we take roadtrips we'll want to charge both phones while one is doing spotify and acting as a gps.

I bought the following products:
Scosche dual charger
Amazon basics cable x 2

When the screen is off and the phone is at rest it charges pretty rapidly. However, if I have the s4 as a gps with screen on it does not charge and actually loses charge (about 5% over 2 hours). From the reviews I read both on Amazon and on Wirecutter the these devices should work. I tried switching the cables (since I bought 2) and switching the inputs. Could I have a defective charger, or is this working as it should?

Thanks.

 

[Chex313]

I have an S4 and my wife has an S3. Often when we take roadtrips we'll want to charge both phones while one is doing spotify and acting as a gps.

I bought the following products:
Scosche dual charger
Amazon basics cable x 2

When the screen is off and the phone is at rest it charges pretty rapidly. However, if I have the s4 as a gps with screen on it does not charge and actually loses charge (about 5% over 2 hours). From the reviews I read both on Amazon and on Wirecutter the these devices should work. I tried switching the cables (since I bought 2) and switching the inputs. Could I have a defective charger, or is this working as it should?

Thanks.

You got the right charger. So that leave's the cable. This cable might solve the problem...Amazon.com : Mediabridge 2.0 Micro-USB to USB Coiled Charging Cable (1.5-3 Feet) - A Male to Micro B with Gold-Plated Connectors : Computer Usb Cables : Computers & Accessories

I'll let you read the reviews as to why this "charge only" cable works on Android devices better than a typical one. Though if you have other charging cables around(Like the one that came with the device). You can try them first, to see if they work. If so you know its the cable.

 

[Dave-in-Decatur]

You might look at the Duracell 5-in-1 charger that Office Depot carries (Duracell 5 In 1 Universal Cell Phone Charger by Office Depot). It does charge two devices, and shortly after I bought it last fall I was on the phone with Maps and GPS running constantly for an hour while I gave directions to people over the phone, and with the phone plugged into this charger it went from about 86% charge to 100%. Not saying you'll get the same result (especially if charging two devices at once), but I've been pleased with it. Bonus: it has plug-ins both for car outlets/lighters and for a regular wall outlet.

 

[mikew99]

Unlike other USB devices that I have owned, the charging speed on the s4 is dependent on several factors:

1) the charger itself (the Samsung AC charger puts out almost 2A);
2) the specific port on the charger (some multi-port chargers output different current levels on different ports); and
3) the USB cable (shorter, thicker, better-quality cables typically support higher current levels than thinner, longer ones).

If any of the above is less than optimal, the S4 will charge more more slowly or not at all. You can use an app called Galaxy Charging Current to help you check how much current is reaching the S4 using the various chargers and cables you already have.

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