[Q] Will this damage my phone? - Galaxy S III Q&A, (US Carriers)

I recently made a homemade USB battery charger by daisy chaining four D batteries and connecting the positive and negative ends of a USB cord to the correct ends of the connected batteries. The battery works fine; I have tested it on cheap USB powered devices, however, I am wondering if I can use this with my phone as a backup just in case I need to get some more juice out of my phone.
Assuming all the batteries give out the rated voltage, this should produce about 6 volts, with an amperage that I am unaware of. Though this is higher than the 5.2V that the phone normally charges with, it is less that what is produced by a 3rd party AC to DC adapter that I got off of eBay but more than what I get off of the Samsung adapter. I don't have a volt meter, so I wasn't able to get absolute measurements of the voltages; however, I was able to get relative measurements.
Does anyone know if this will cause any adverse effects if I decide to use it?

Maybe you should use the thing a bit else where and have the voltage reduced and try it on your phone
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

I've used it multiple times to charge another backup battery and haven't had any problems with it yet. Do you know what would happen if the amperage of the battery is too high or too low? Currently I have no way of measuring how it compares to the original adapter.

Bring it into a radio shack and have them connect it to a multimeter, you'll know exactly what power output you are looking at.
I however, wouldn't connect a homemade battery based charger to my several hundred $ phone, just saying.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium

If your phone does meet it's demise because of your charger, don't blame samsung..... i know one guy who did
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App

Related

Slow charging?

I don't know if it's a kernel/rom problem, or a hardware controller that's at fault, but ever since I got this phone charging in car chargers, computer usb outlets, and even alternate wall chargers has been painstakingly slow!
It takes forever to charge, and takes a dedicated powerful wall outlet to even do anything.
Anyone else experiencing this?
The default Samsung Provided Wall outlet charger provides .7A of power, while USB provides .5A of power max. Also what percentage do you charge it at, and can you take a screenshot of your battery usage graph?
The 3rd party chargers that designed for iDevices are not recognized as AC chargers and will be charging at USB mode which is much shower.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using XDA App
According to Entropy512, here is the quote:
Improved battery charge algorithm for faster charging - Initial research indicates we have an alternate battery charger chip (MAX8922) that differs from the MAX8997 used in the I9100. We DO have an 8997 also - but on our device for some reason Samsung decided to use an alternate chip instead of using the 8997's built-in charging. This means we have far fewer options (90,400,660 mA) in terms of charge rates compared to the I9100 (from 200 to 950 in 50 mA steps). So we might not be able to implement any fancy charging algorithms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So if I am understanding correctly we were limited to 660 mA at max and unless some way to change it is found, there is unfortunately no use from more powerful chargers .
Battery Charge
Bowsa2511 said:
I don't know if it's a kernel/rom problem, or a hardware controller that's at fault, but ever since I got this phone charging in car chargers, computer usb outlets, and even alternate wall chargers has been painstakingly slow!
It takes forever to charge, and takes a dedicated powerful wall outlet to even do anything.
Anyone else experiencing this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps you have either a faulty battery or a faulty charger.
Here is a link where you can buy a new battery and wall charger for under 8 bucks for both with free shipping!
Check it out here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1800m-BATTE...045605?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item43aa9a4465
Put your phone in to power saving mode and see if it charges faster.
Other wise exchange it under warranty.
I've experienced that this devices charges significantly slower then my previous devices.
I found it odd when I saw the stock a/c USB adapter outputs at .7mA so i did a starch and found an article out there with a statement from Samsung stating that their devices are designed to charge slow because it's healthier for the battery.
I don't know if the charging current is restricted by some code in the kernel or a physical chip in the main board.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
It is true that slow charges do increase the overall life of the battery. Also not charging it all the way or discharging it all the way will keep the life of the battery. If you discharge the phone all the way down, it will take much longer to charge than charging it back up from 20% or so.
I got one of these to combat this problem:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005LGUEE0/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details
Even comes with an official battery.
poofyhairguy said:
I got one of these to combat this problem:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005LGUEE0/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details
Even comes with an official battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you please post the output voltage and amperage for the battery charger on that accessory? Should be either on a sticker on the bottom of the device our written in fine print on the charger.
Also just to double check, it does not charge a docked device, just the spare battery?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
fone_fanatic said:
I've experienced that this devices charges significantly slower then my previous devices.
I found it odd when I saw the stock a/c USB adapter outputs at .7mA so i did a starch and found an article out there with a statement from Samsung stating that their devices are designed to charge slow because it's healthier for the battery.
I don't know if the charging current is restricted by some code in the kernel or a physical chip in the main board.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Physical chip. However on other GS2s and original GalaxyS phones, the chip was fairly controllable by the kernel.
Ours isn't - it has three settings. 90, 400, 660 mA.
fone_fanatic said:
Can you please post the output voltage and amperage for the battery charger on that accessory? Should be either on a sticker on the bottom of the device our written in fine print on the charger.
Also just to double check, it does not charge a docked device, just the spare battery?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is 600mA, and it just charges the spare battery.
I strongly advise against buying third party batteries or chargers. The Galaxy S 2 (AT&T version) uses a battery with NFC technology. Using anything other than an OEM Samsung battery, or an NFC compliant battery could cause damage to your device.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using XDA Premium App
Mine isn't third party. All official. Just cheaper thanks to Amazon.

[Q] GS3 Charger

So I will get the regular charger for gs3 that comes with the phone (tomorrow when i get the phone). but i also have the HP Touchpad charger which gives output of 2.0A. I was wondering if I charge my phone with the HP charger will it actually charge is faster then the regular gs3 charger? the reason i ask is cause in other threads ppl have mentioned that it only charges faster with non - stock roms like aokp or aosp roms. please lemme know if this will work. thanks
It should I got one of those and it does charge faster I got the bb one tho
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
I've used my BlackBerry PlayBook charger on mine and it doesn't charge any faster. That charger is 1.8amp.
It will not charge faster. The phone only draws as much amps as its allowed to. Whether you use a 1 amp charger or a 2 amp charger, it'll only charge at the phones own rate
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
then theres basically no advantage to using some other charger?
I don't believe so. The phone only draws what it needs.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
A lot of chargers will be rated less than the stock charger. Especially cheap car chargers. In that case the phone can only draw at the charger rating.
alirulzz said:
then theres basically no advantage to using some other charger?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless you run a custom kernel that allows for higher charge rates.
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2
I have a dual car/wall charger and I noticed when plugged in the car it charges faster.
Sent from my vivow using Tapatalk 2
The values listed on the charger is the max output it can provide. If the setting on the phone or the hardware is set up to only pull 1A, then it will always pull that unless that is more than what the charger can provide.
That being said, you should be able to take the battery out and charge it faster separate from the phone. I've always read, though, that charging a battery faster ( i.e. turning up the current) will/may reduce the life of the battery
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
the only way I have found to charge phone's faster is to power it off and then charge...takes about half the time to fully charge
none of the 2 amp chargers make it any quicker
alirulzz said:
So I will get the regular charger for gs3 that comes with the phone (tomorrow when i get the phone). but i also have the HP Touchpad charger which gives output of 2.0A. I was wondering if I charge my phone with the HP charger will it actually charge is faster then the regular gs3 charger? the reason i ask is cause in other threads ppl have mentioned that it only charges faster with non - stock roms like aokp or aosp roms. please lemme know if this will work. thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Touchpad charger and it can be used, though I noticed that the phone got hotter than normal, IMO. The phone comes with a 1.0A combo wall charger with USB cable. Interestingly the Samsung stand and battery charger that comes with the spare battery comes with a .7A charger but the charging unit itself is 500mA/1A on the input with output at only 4.2v @ 450/900mA.

(Q) Anyone tried wall charger from Galaxy Tab?

Wondering if anyone has tried it? I remember reading that the wall charger from my Tab 10.1 was more powerful than for the phones because it would take FOREVER to charge. Wonder if it's compatible with our S3?
Anyone?
I believe that anything that charges on USB is just getting 5 vt, so any charger would work with any phone/tab if it is charging through USB. I would guess that the wall chargers are also putting out 5vt and would therefor be fine with any mini USB plug charging device.
Easy to check, plug it in and see how it works. (Buy insurance first )
Yes,
I have been using my tab 10.1 charger since the first day I got my sgs3.
It DOES charge faster, about an hour for a full charge from <8%
No problems I have noticed, and I am using blazer rom.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
gyrra said:
Yes,
I have been using my tab 10.1 charger since the first day I got my sgs3.
It DOES charge faster, about an hour for a full charge from <8%
No problems I have noticed, and I am using blazer rom.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
An hour, eh? Nice. I thought it would charge faster but not that fast.
And im definitely talking about the using an outlet, not usb.
Thanks for the confirmation!
No problem,
I knew you meant the AC charger, and that's why I posted. USB charging is slow until someone adds in the fastcharge ability to a kernel for our s3's
Glad I could be of help.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Gave you your first thanks!
if this helps i used a blackberry charger and it worked.. i have had no issues.
(DEL)
lostsoul565 said:
if this helps i used a blackberry charger and it worked.. i have had no issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not talking about blackberry either. The wall charger for the Tab is more powerful than phone chargers. Thats the only charger im asking about.
tony yayo said:
Not talking about blackberry either. The wall charger for the Tab is more powerful than phone chargers. Thats the only charger im asking about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any modern device will limit its own current draw to what is needed to do the job. While it is certainly possible for a charger to be underpowered resulting in slower charging it should not be possible for a charger to be overpowered. That is, there is some maximum charge speed the phone is capable of and that limit is expressed as its maximum mA draw. a charger that sources under the max mA will be slower than one that meets or exceeds it. A charger that exceeds the max mA will not charge any faster than any other charger that also exceeds the device's max mA regardless of the differences in their source capacity.
So, if that makes sense to you then you should know it ought to be safe to use a powerful charger and that if faster charging results then the stock charger is in fact underpowered for the device it was paired with.
Disclaimer: Any engineer worth his salt is going to current limit the charging circuit on the phone. However, if this were not the case then providing increased charging capacity will most certainly damage the device.
crabapples said:
Any modern device will limit its own current draw to what is needed to do the job. While it is certainly possible for a charger to be underpowered resulting in slower charging it should not be possible for a charger to be overpowered. That is, there is some maximum charge speed the phone is capable of and that limit is expressed as its maximum mA draw. a charger that sources under the max mA will be slower than one that meets or exceeds it. A charger that exceeds the max mA will not charge any faster than any other charger that also exceeds the device's max mA regardless of the differences in their source capacity.
So, if that makes sense to you then you should know it ought to be safe to use a powerful charger and that if faster charging results then the stock charger is in fact underpowered for the device it was paired with.
Disclaimer: Any engineer worth his salt is going to current limit the charging circuit on the phone. However, if this were not the case then providing increased charging capacity will most certainly damage the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Basically youre saying the phone itself wont pull in anymore draw than it knows it can handle. So I guess if it does charge faster than great. Long as it dont fry im happy!

Biggest Bummer so far

Device won't charge off of my portable ISound charger while on the go.
I use the ISound for my Samsung, Nexus, networks etc no problem.
I'm on the go all day and it's a necessity for my mobile devices.
Others have the same with portable chargers?
rockky said:
Device won't charge off of my portable ISound charger while on the go.
I use the ISound for my Samsung, Nexus, networks etc no problem.
I'm on the go all day and it's a necessity for my mobile devices.
Others have the same with portable chargers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not very familiar with the iSound charger, does it provide a high enough Amp output?
When I got my Galaxy Tab 10.1v a couple of years ago, I bought some adapters that feature a resistor and a swap some pins around to ensure the device goes into charge mode and not data mode when plugged into a PC. The resistor enables a higher Amp output than you get from a normal USB port. I've checked ebay recently and found that there are even better adapters out now than what I bought in 2011, much more low profile.
Maybe one of these could help?
RaindancerAU said:
I'm not very familiar with the iSound charger, does it provide a high enough Amp output?
When I got my Galaxy Tab 10.1v a couple of years ago, I bought some adapters that feature a resistor and a swap some pins around to ensure the device goes into charge mode and not data mode when plugged into a PC. The resistor enables a higher Amp output than you get from a normal USB port. I've checked ebay recently and found that there are even better adapters out now than what I bought in 2011, much more low profile.
Maybe one of these could help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
rockky said:
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had a quick look just now - found the right combo of search terms to use;
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trk...ter+Adapter+Charger+tablet&_sacat=0&_from=R40
Hope that helps.
Thanks for your reply and link:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trk...verter+Adapter+Charger+tablet&_sacat=0&_from=
To understand : the Ultra won't charge when I put it's USB cable into that Isound mobile Charger.
Are these like, extentions that I'd add on to my USB cable to make it charge in said charger?!
Thanks for your help
the output opportunity of your mobile power bank to produce the current with enough power Is significant . As example u can see my mobile Iconbit charger which produces two current opportunities: 2.1 A and 1A.
The first allows to charge my phone very fast, the second allows not to lose phone battery chargŠµ during walking with maps enabled.
So, may be your's power bank is not quite good to output good current. may be it was very good in past but battery have lost the capacity and opportunity to produce current.
Also I've throwd to the garbage a lot of adapters which had lost their opportunity to put goodie high current, a lot of famous brands also. During the year and half of Note 1 I've changed five batteries and three wall chargers. some changes I have bought to replace did not charge my phone.
Sent from my C6802 using xda app-developers app
Sergey_TSA said:
the output opportunity of your mobile power bank to produce the current with enough power Is significant . As example u can see my mobile Iconbit charger which produces two current opportunities: 2.1 A and 1A.
The first allows to charge my phone very fast, the second allows not to lose phone battery chargŠµ during walking with maps enabled.
So, may be your's power bank is not quite good to output good current. may be it was very good in past but battery have lost the capacity and opportunity to produce current.
Also I've throwd to the garbage a lot of adapters which had lost their opportunity to put goodie high current, a lot of famous brands also. During the year and half of Note 1 I've changed five batteries and three wall chargers. some changes I have bought to replace did not charge my phone.
Sent from my C6802 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some good points here - particularly about charges and cables to degrade and lose their capability to provide a quality current - I've had to dispose of a few cables and chargers as well.
Still, the adapters that discussed earlier can help to a certain extent.

Battery Charge Speed

Just wondering what amperage people are getting. I get a max of 1.2a even though I have tried other chargers that put out more. Not sure if it's something with my phone or maybe the various chargers I've tried.....
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium HD app
todd3835 said:
Just wondering what amperage people are getting. I get a max of 1.2a even though I have tried other chargers that put out more. Not sure if it's something with my phone or maybe the various chargers I've tried.....
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
U using stock Samsung charger and cable?
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
todd3835 said:
Just wondering what amperage people are getting. I get a max of 1.2a even though I have tried other chargers that put out more. Not sure if it's something with my phone or maybe the various chargers I've tried.....
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've found the stock charger that came with my phone doesn't charge very fast anymore. It will sit around 1.2a but with a new charger with a rating output of 2a I've been getting a charging rate of about 1.9
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Not gonna lie I have been using the iPad charger with a stock cable and that will get it done quick. Try to back up an oem iPad block off amazon or what not and you will notice a difference.
todd3835 said:
Just wondering what amperage people are getting. I get a max of 1.2a even though I have tried other chargers that put out more. Not sure if it's something with my phone or maybe the various chargers I've tried.....
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless you are running a custom kernel with fast charge I think the phone will not charge at 1.9a unless the screen is off.
Sent from my 4.4.3 GPE'd vzw S4
znel52 said:
Unless you are running a custom kernel with fast charge I think the phone will not charge at 1.9a unless the screen is off.
Sent from my 4.4.3 GPE'd vzw S4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do tell what amps it charges at? All I can find is what the voltage, using 3rd party apps from the play store of course. My phone charges incredibly slow. Especially if I'm using it during the charge cycle. Hours can go by and it just sits there at 5%.
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zombolt said:
How do tell what amps it charges at? All I can find is what the voltage, using 3rd party apps from the play store of course. My phone charges incredibly slow. Especially if I'm using it during the charge cycle. Hours can go by and it just sits there at 5%.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is what I use: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.abmantis.galaxychargingcurrent.free
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If you use KT kernel, it shows you in KTweaker the charging current.
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znel52 said:
Unless you are running a custom kernel with fast charge I think the phone will not charge at 1.9a unless the screen is off.
Sent from my 4.4.3 GPE'd vzw S4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm running ktoons kernel without fast charge, and I'm getting 1.9
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I'm on safe strap so running a custom Kernal isn't possible. I'm guessing I'm seeing the 1.9a when it's initially waking up from the screen off. I've tried the stock cable, as well as the Amazon one that is 1.9a.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium HD app
znel52 said:
Unless you are running a custom kernel with fast charge I think the phone will not charge at 1.9a unless the screen is off.
Sent from my 4.4.3 GPE'd vzw S4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Fast Charge mode on the KT kernel has no impact on AC charge rate, it only affects USB charge rate:
Normally, when you connect to a PC, you get about a 500ma charge rate and the ability to pass data along. When 'Fast Charge' is set, you lose the ability to transfer data, but the 500ma restriction goes away. In practical terms, it means that you should see between 700ma and 900ma as a result.
w/respect to the OP, my experience is weird. When the device was new, I got around 1800ma on stock charger and cable; now, same setup gets me 900-1200 if lucky (even with new battery). When I tried the stock charger with a different (newer) cable, I get around 1600. It's strange that a cable's ability to carry a charge would degrade so quickly (if that's in fact what's happening).
I have no proof, but absolutely believe that kernel can influence max charge rate, because in the past, I've observed max charge rate drop with the release of a new kernel version, then go up again with another release.
Samsung did slow the charging rate in one of the OTAs. People had been complaining about the phones getting too hot.
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its weird for me, when i use my qi samsung galaxy charging pad(wireless charging) i get 1.9a, but when i plug the cord in to charge(wired), i get 460mA. wtf??
methodsofbeyond said:
its weird for me, when i use my qi samsung galaxy charging pad(wireless charging) i get 1.9a, but when i plug the cord in to charge(wired), i get 460mA. wtf??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are you using to measure that? Qi isn't capable of charging at 1.9a
The galaxy charging current app..
So you've noticed that sometimes your phone seems to take forever to charge, and other times it seems to charge fine? Let me share some ideas that I've learned through lots of research on this exact subject last year...
I have used the galaxy charging app myself. In my opinion, CurrentWidget is better...looks cooler too. Ha.
So other than software related issues, you need to remember that the speed in which your phone charges is highly dependent on the hardware of 3 things:
1) Power Outlet (including power strips, extension cords, USB extenders, etc.)
2) Power Adapter (I highly recommend Anker's products!!!)
3) MicroUSB Charger Cable (if not using the factory Samsung cable or an Anker one, be sure that it's an 11-pin microUSB, and NOT a 5-pin...they look the same!)
Power Outlets - I know for me, if I use the outlet in my livingroom, it takes SO much longer for my phone to charge than it does in my bedroom. Just try this test! Grab that CurrentWidget app from above and try out some different outlets throughout your house, just to see whether or not the voltage varies. I bet you'll see that this is true!
Power Adapter - You should be using either the factory Samsung charger or a reputable 3rd party charger with the equivalent specifications (5V & 2.1A). However, I actually prefer my Anker charger over my Samsung one! If you're finding that you can't get a good charge, try swapping out your adapter with another one.
MicroUSB Charger Cable - As stated with the power adapter, you should also try to stick with your factory cable if possible. HOWEVER, I have found that to daily connecting and disconnecting of the cable with your phone, they probably receive the most wear and tear of anything else, and therefore may need replacement after some time. Again here, I find that using either my Anker cable or Samsung cable will give me the best charge. This is determined by both the CurrentWidget app and the amount of time it actually takes to get a full charge! Keep in mind that using USB extender cables can drastically lower the voltage to your phone - thus causing a very slow charge.
So basically, I know if I need to charge my phone as quickly as possible, I know I should clear my RAM and recent apps, put my phone on airplain mode, and using my Anker charger, I plug-in at the outlet near my closet door! I figured this all out by using these same ideas I just shared with you! Hope this is helpful!
If you can tell the difference between outlets, you need to call an electrician. Not kidding.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
brizey said:
If you can tell the difference between outlets, you need to call an electrician. Not kidding.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt that's entirely true. I mean, think of if they're on different circuits, that kind of thing can vary...also, depending on what you have plugged into your outlets can cause lower outputs I'd assume. I'd bet if you used the app I referred to and ran a test at each of your outlets, and reported back here (being honest of course), that you'd see some differences. Anyways, that was far from the point of the post. But thanks for the insight!
calebcabob said:
I doubt that's entirely true. I mean, think of if they're on different circuits, that kind of thing can vary...also, depending on what you have plugged into your outlets can cause lower outputs I'd assume. I'd bet if you used the app I referred to and ran a test at each of your outlets, and reported back here (being honest of course), that you'd see some differences. Anyways, that was far from the point of the post. But thanks for the insight!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Samsung power supply is rated for 100 to 240 V @ 0.5 A input. It may be that the power supply is kind of crappy, and varies its output under small variations in input voltage, which is why you see what you see. It really shouldn't...but it wouldn't shock me if it did given that its made for $2 in China. Makes you wonder what would happen if you plugged it into a 240V source. When my wife went to Malaysia last summer to visit her folks, I just put a US to British transformer-less adapter on her Motorola brick and it worked OK plugged into 240V. Maybe the Samsung ones are crappier?
I squared R losses should be reasonably low in household wiring. NEC is 5% drop max at the outlet. And that is like the outlet the farthest from your mains under full rated load. Assuming you live somewhere typical, your voltage at the panel will be 120V+; a lot of time its a few volts over 120. If you have an outlet that is not tripping a breaker go below 100V, you have a problem somewhere. A 20% drop is not normal. Have you put a meter on the outlets with low charge rates?
My friend's OEM s4 charger charges at 1900 ma while my OEM charger only charges at max 1200... Weird how that happens but somehow the cable just stops charging as fast.
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