"Smart" Chargers

[Hikyuuri]

So, my dad and I both got a S6 Edge. He got his release day, and I just recently got mine.

Both came with the Samsung Fast Charger, which boasts about charging the phone in about an hour.

My dad wanted to get this performance in his truck (car charger), but not pay $40 for the Samsung charger. He found a "Smart USB Charger" online, and is using it. Its rated at 5V 2.1 amp with 2 ports (4.2A max).

Does a "Smart" charger mean "Fast" charger? Is his "Smart" 2.1A dual port charger better than my standard 2.1A dual port charger? Both do 5V at 2.1A per port (4.2A max). His just has the word "Smart" in its title (and a $5 premium compared to mine).

 

[SpookDroid]

Mmmm... I don't think they're the same thing.

Samsung's Fast Charger actually switches voltage and current output levels to do the fast charging supported by the phone, using a charging standard called 'Quick Charge 2.0'. The car charger your dad is looking at is probably 'smart' in the sense that it can limit, or balance, the current output on both ports depending on which devices are connected. Now, a 2.1A charger, even if not Quick Charge 2.0 is still a fast charger, but a standard charger nonetheless. If you want it to charge as quickly as the Samsung one, you need to make sure the car charger supports Quick Charge 2.0.

 

[Hikyuuri]

My dads charger does say on the packaging that it is able to do 4.2A total power (2.1A per port), so I don't think the "Smart" in it has to do with distributing the power between the ports.

I also remembered I got a USB 3.0 hub for my laptop that has 9+1 ports. It has 9 USB 3.0 data ports, and one USB Smart Charge port (no data, 2.1A). So, if the Smart has anything to do with power distribution, it makes no sense on a charger that only has one port...

 

[SpookDroid]

It's power management, which in the case of the car charger, also means distribution. The 4.2A total power would only happen if you connect two devices that can make use of the full 2.1A at once. If you connect an older device that can only take in, say, 1A, the charger manages the power to optimize consumption and only deliver 1A through that port (which makes sense for a one-port charger).

Again, for your phone to charge with the Fast Charging mode, you need a Quick Charge 2.0 compatible charger (or one that claims compatibility with Samsung Fast Charge). As a general rule of thumb, yes, a 2A standard charger will charge your device twice as fast as a 1A charger, but only Quick Charge/Fast Charge compatible ones will be able to use said mode for charging your device.

 

[Hikyuuri]

Ok. That makes a lot more sense.

Maybe I will get the Samsung car charger then, just to have the faster charging ability. More often than not, the only time I can get my phone plugged in is the car, so getting as much power into it during that limited time would be ideal.

I just wanted to make sure I knew what the different chargers offered. My $10 dual port is going to be slower than the Samsung $40 single port, so its a trade off of price to speed.

Thanks for the info!

 

[SpookDroid]

I think they do sell cheaper, QuickCharge-compatible car chargers, but I'm not sure (I got the Samsung One, too, but not the QuickCharge one...which reminds me, make sure the Samsung one says FAST CHARGING or it's just gonna be a high-amperage charger, which will charge OK, but not as fast as Fast Chargers).

Also, not sure if you got it and maybe didn't use it...but I believe Samsung sent 50% off codes for their store with new purchases of Note 4's and S6's. Might try that and bring down the price (that's how I got my car charger and cradle).

 

[Hikyuuri]

I looked on Ebay and found some people who have sold 1000+ of the Samsung fast chargers for both car and home for less than $15, so I'll probably just order one of those if I think I need it. Right now, my 2.1A charger seems to do the job.

I haven't even used the house fast charger that the phone came with. I got 2 wireless chargers with it, one for at home, one for the office, and those are all I have used thus far.