This post is not meant to ask a question, but to answer some. Hopefully it will help someone. It might get lengthy, so if you're not into reading it all, scroll to the bottom for the cliff notes.
Like many others I've seen here and around the web, I was having trouble with my Note charging really slow. It only seemed to charge at a reasonable rate with the stock charger that shipped with it (~3 hours 0 to 100). I didn't expect much out of my PC USB ports because they are only 500mA max (as are most), but I have several 1A USB chargers that I used to use with my iphone without a noticeable problem. Being that they are 1A just as the samsung stock charger is, I was baffled as to why they would not charge at the same rate. I even tried my wife's ipad charger which is 2A and that did not make any difference, it was just as slow as my (non samsung) 1A chargers. It did not matter which cable I used, from the stock samsung one that shipped with the Note to a number of other ones I have.
I finally had had it and after searching all over and not finding any answers other than people's anecdotal stories about what works for them, and deciding that way too much of that was just placebo (ie people saying the ipad charger charged faster, and I know it does not). I cut one of my charger cables (USB type A male to micro USB male) open, and did a few experiments with my multimeter to determine the current levels for my various chargers under various scenarios.
I tested 4 different chargers. The black samsung charger that came with the phone, a white iphone one that is a cube like the samsung one, also 1A max, a stock 2A ipad charger, and an external 5000mAh USB charging battery pack that puts out 750mA max.
I had heard that the data+ and data- pins needed to be shorted on samsung phones in order to charge properly, so I tested the charging current with these pins shorted, with these pins connected straight through (as is a normal charging cable), and with these pins open (5V power and ground only).
Here are the results:
Black stock samsung charger (1A):
-Data lines connected straight through, which is essentially just a completely normal data/charge USB type A to USB micro cable = 960mA.
-Data lines not connected, open on both ends, only USB power 5V and ground connected = 440mA.
-*Modified cable* so that the data lines on the micro USB side (phone side) shorted = 960mA.
White iphone 1A charger:
-Data lines connected straight through (stock cable) = 440mA.
-Data lines open, not connected on either end = 440mA.
-*Modified cable* so that data lines on the micro USB side shorted = 900-910mA with phone screen on, 850mA with phone screen off. I assume that what might have been happening here is that the charge current was just going up when the phone was drawing more current because the screen was lit up. I don't think it was actually affecting charge speed, it was just maintaining the same charge but providing more power so that the screen could stay lit without affecting the charging rate. I don't know why it was doing this though because the stock samsung charger did not do this.
-iPad 2A charger:
-Data lines connected straight through (stock cable) = 440mA.
-Data lines open on both ends = 440mA.
-*Modified cable* so that data lines shorted on phone micro USB side = 860mA whent he screen was on, 780mA screen off. Note that I'm surprised this did not go up to the same as the samsung stock charger or even as high as the 1A iphone charger. I don't know why? It is a genuine apple iPad charger that claims 10W which is 2A at 5V. As far as why it might have different currents for screen off and on, read my comments above for the white iphone charger that did the same thing.
External 5000mAh battery USB charger (750mA max claimed output):
-Data lines connected straight through (stock cable) = 440mA.
-Data lines open on both ends = 440mA.
-*Modified cable* so that data lines shorted on phone micro USB side = 760mA phone screen on, 700mA phone screen off.
So that's all the data. As you can see, it is very important that the USB data+ and data- lines are shorted together in order to charge at a fast rate. The problem is that all normal usb data/charge cables, including the stock samsung cable that came with the Note, do not have these pins shorted, so it is up to the charger itself to short these pins if it is to put out its max current to charge the Note. Obviously the stock samsung charger has them shorted, because it charges at a fast rate with a normal cable. But none of my other chargers, including the iphone and ipad charger, have these pins shorted, so the only way these other chargers I have will charge at their max current capability is by using a modified cable (which I made) that shorts the data+ and data- pins. Using this modified cable allows me to use any charger, and charge at its max output. Note that if you also make a cable that has these pins shorted, don't mistake it for a normal cable and try to plug it in to a computer or anything that plans to use the data lines as this could potentially damage that device.
Unfortunately at this time I do not have any recommendations for cables to buy that have the data+ and data- pins shorted, but I can recommend buying one from amazon for $1.50 and doing it yourself if you're capable, but again, be careful not to use it for anything but charging from a "dumb" AC (or car) charger. I do not take responsibility for any damage you might do to your charger or other equipment!!!!
Also unfortunately, I do not have any recommendations for chargers which definitely have the data lines shorted in order to charge quickly. I have another charger or two that I can test, but don't have them with me now. I would imagine that all samsung chargers will have the appropriate pins shorted and will charge at their max capacity. I doubt the Note (without modifications) can charge any faster than ~960mA, though, so you're spinning your wheels using a 2A charger, and in the case of something like the iPad charger, at least the genuine apple one I have, with a normal cable, it actually does not charge even half as fast as the stock samsung charger, and even with a modified cable that shorts the data lines, it's still not as fast as the stock charger, although it's pretty close (probably wouldn't notice much difference in real usage unless you really measured your charge time). I'm hoping to order a few more chargers to test, in hopes of finding a cheap aftermarket one that we can use with our Notes that already has the pins shorted.
*Cliff notes* -- I physically measured the output current during charging of my SGH-I717 AT&T Note for a few different USB chargers I have, and discovered that all of them (that I personally have) except the stock samsung charger do not have the data+ and data- lines shorted, which means that you'll be charging at 440mA of current, regardless of the rating of your USB charger. This is less than half the current of the stock samsung charger, meaning it will take more than twice as long to charge your phone. In fact, if you're using you're phone during charging, there's a good chance that not only will it not charge, but it will actually drain the battery a little bit, because 440mA is barely enough to run the phone (depending on what you're doing). So while you think you're charging with the same charger because it's rated at 1A or even 2A, chances are you actually are only charging at 440mA, the same as from a USB computer port, and it is going to take a realllly long time to charge compared to your stock samsung charger. Bottom line, use the stock samsung charger until we can test a few different chargers and compile a list of ones that have the data lines shorted so that they can charge your Note at their full current capability.
Hopefully this is helpful to answer some of the questions about why the Note seems to be charging slow for some people and not for others. I imagine that there are some USB chargers out there that have the data lines shorted and others that do not. Until I can get my hands on a few more (I'm going to order a couple different ones from amazon) and test them, I don't have any recommendations for now other than to use your stock charger, and most likely any genuine samsung replacement charger rated at 1A or more (though it probably will not use more).
wow! Thanks for investigating this!
This wad good info bruh.....thanks for the time u took man.
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Wow that is pure science....
As I'be been posting everywhere, fast chargers short the middle 2 pins. The phone sees this and determines it's a "wall charger". I always recommend the Motorola car charger as it's confirmed to have shorted data pins, or short them yourself with a dab of solder within the cable. Don't use it for data though. Won't hurt, but won't work!
Edit: fantastic work though, thanks for taking the time!
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Thanks for the tip on the motorola charger having the pins shorted. Is this the one you're talking about?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938811&pf_rd_i=507846
Here's my dilemma. I used the stock Samsung cable with a 2.1A rated adapter from TomTom (rapid charge) as it was said it might be the pin configuration and lost more charge than using the same adapter with a universal Belkin mini USB cable with a micro adapter. My issue is that while using the GPS and streaming music, the phone loses charge while on the charger!
This is not acceptable.
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Yes. Thats the one they elude to. Ebay has them for $7.59 with free shipping.
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Thanks for all that - very helpful. I was planning to try the iPad charger (mentioned it in another thread) but time got away from me. This is great information to have.
dakleenupman said:
Here's my dilemma. I used the stock Samsung cable with a 2.1A rated adapter from TomTom (rapid charge) as it was said it might be the pin configuration and lost more charge than using the same adapter with a universal Belkin mini USB cable with a micro adapter. My issue is that while using the GPS and streaming music, the phone loses charge while on the charger!
This is not acceptable.
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The stock cable does not have the data pins shorted, the actual AC wall adapter does.
Sent from my SAMSUNG Galaxy Note
Thanks pj_rage.
I'm pretty good electrically, but a bit less so with google. I searched, and likely didn't use the right string (happens pretty often with me). Got a diagram or a link to a diagram so I can see which two pins need shorting?
Makes more sense to me to go and modify all my car chargers rather than modify cables. I'll never use a car charger to transfer data to a computer, but might use a cable in a car in a pinch if I needed to.
So if I were to use the home adapter with stock cable hooked up to a power inverter While in my car, I should expect the 960mAh output then?
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dakleenupman said:
So if I were to use the home adapter with stock cable hooked up to a power inverter While in my car, I should expect the 960mAh output then?
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That should work, but kinda overkill. It's less cumbersome to either modify a dedicated cable or the car charger itself. Just short circuit the two middle pins.
Thanks for the research OP. Btw are you on AVS?
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pj_rage said:
Thanks for the tip on the motorola charger having the pins shorted. Is this the one you're talking about?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938811&pf_rd_i=507846
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the one
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Think the problem is people are not allowing their phones to drain before placing back on charger. My first out of box battery was about 40% didn't charge it till it was about 5-7% left. 2nd day I charged it to 100% which took about 3.5 hrs and than let it drain to about 20% before I put it back on the charger. 3rd day let it drop to 15% battery and placed on charger again. I've had my phone for almost 4 days and so far no problems, battery last 18-20 hrs on avg. Just my input I guess.
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dakleenupman said:
So if I were to use the home adapter with stock cable hooked up to a power inverter While in my car, I should expect the 960mAh output then?
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Click to collapse
I've also seen issues with other phones when charging off a inverters with random reboots, some charge, some don't etc.
Envy Diz said:
Think the problem is people are not allowing their phones to drain before placing back on charger. My first out of box battery was about 40% didn't charge it till it was about 5-7% left. 2nd day I charged it to 100% which took about 3.5 hrs and than let it drain to about 20% before I put it back on the charger. 3rd day let it drop to 15% battery and placed on charger again. I've had my phone for almost 4 days and so far no problems, battery last 18-20 hrs on avg. Just my input I guess.
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Lithium ion batteries don't work that way, and actually, they prefer short, fast charges. Android, on the other hand, seems to like a full cycle or two to calibrate its battery stats, but that might just be a myth.
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slow charge
I too have been troubled with poor battery life and slow charge. Here is what I have experienced:
I charge mine overnight for 9 hours. Every day I take the phone off the charger and I notice it is at 98%. Then I struggle to get through the day.
One day I switched phones in the evening, so the Note was left on the charger for 12 hours. When I took it off next morning, it said 100%. Low and behold... I was left with about 20% more at the end of a typical use day. Does this meen that the 2% extra charge makes that much difference?
I too have tried all of the different high amp chargers with all of the same results.
I guess I was just trying to understand with the OEM charger where the "shorting takes place.
nm3th said:
That should work, but kinda overkill. It's less cumbersome to either modify a dedicated cable or the car charger itself. Just short circuit the two middle pins.
Thanks for the research OP. Btw are you on AVS?
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over2land said:
Thanks pj_rage.
I'm pretty good electrically, but a bit less so with google. I searched, and likely didn't use the right string (happens pretty often with me). Got a diagram or a link to a diagram so I can see which two pins need shorting?
Makes more sense to me to go and modify all my car chargers rather than modify cables. I'll never use a car charger to transfer data to a computer, but might use a cable in a car in a pinch if I needed to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have a link to a diagram (you can just Google USB pinout if you want it). I can try to find one later if you still need it. You want the two data lines shorted together. If you cut the cable in half as I did, you only need to short them on the phone side. The other side you can leave open if you want.
But you're absolutely right it would probably be a better idea to short the pins on the charger side. My issue is that my chargers are not easily opened. The cable on the other hand is a quick mod.
If I did it again I would just shave off some insulation from the cable to access the wires without cutting them, leave the power connected, and just cut and short the two data lines on the phone side and tape or heat shrink it up. Fwiw the power lines on my cable were red and black, black being ground, and the data lines were yellow and green. I believe this is standard but I should advise you that it would be prudent to beep it out to the connectors to be certain.
Regarding using an inverter and your home charger in your car, yes this would give you the best charge rate. Supposedly the linked Motorola charger has the pins shorted which would be a less cumbersome setup to provide the same or very similar charging rate. I've ordered one, so I'll report back.
And yeah I'm on AVS as well, same username.
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I have been using my old USB cables to charge my phone since I got it. Now they are all loose. They charge the phone but wobble quite a bit. They were tight fitting for the first couple of months. It seems that the port is fine. My question is, is it wallowing out the cables? I have 5 android phones in the family, and don't want to ruin the cables. Has anyone else had this happen to them. Sorry for a somewhat useless thread, thanks......
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The Rezound has an MHL port, which is backwards compatable with, but a bit larger than, a micro USB one. Cables will fit more loosely than a real micro USB port. You can get micro USB cables for a buck or two from monoprice.com. Get the 24 gauge ones for charging.
i wish there was an mhl car charger. i have the same problem with standard micros being loose.
oh and as for the gauge thing, i'd also want a nice 0 gauge mhlcar charger ;P
All you need to do is get a USB cigarette lighter with 1.0Amp output and you can use the normal cable to charge your phone.
I've not been able to find any Micro-USB MHL cables though.
Already I have gone through 3 car chargers for my note 2 cheap ones and a Samsung charger none work well charging. The best one was the OEM Samsung but there must be a broken wire in there cause it charges then stops i move the cord and it works again. So I am looking for another car charger that actually charges and wont break in a month. Please post your opinions and links to the charger you refer (with best price of course ).
Here's what I use. About the best for any normal use. Had it since launch and so far so good.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1522177
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Anyone get "MTP initialization" when using the moto rapid charger? How do you get rid of it?
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Thanks
Just ordered the car charger off Amazon for $7.00 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DCCCTW/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00 will try it out. I'm still interested if anyone recomends any other car chargers.
erick161 said:
Anyone get "MTP initialization" when using the moto rapid charger? How do you get rid of it?
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Open up the charger and solder the middle 2 pins together. Or short the data cable.
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hyukki said:
Open up the charger and solder the middle 2 pins together. Or short the data cable.
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Rather just buy a charger that doesn't require Modding.
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I've never had that happen with the Moto rapid charger.
Hockey37 said:
I've never had that happen with the Moto rapid charger.
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I could have sworn it didn't happen at first. But now everytime it does that. And it charges so slow that its not even worth being charged. I've tried both ports in my car as well.
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I've found that stock micro usb cable or any other micro cable combined with 2.1Amp(ipad) car charger worked best (faster/rapid charge)
icce007 said:
I've found that stock micro usb cable or any other micro cable combined with 2.1Amp(ipad) car charger worked best (faster/rapid charge)
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I would recommend this charger definitely. Charges 2 smartphones, 1 iPad plus my note, or just my note.
http://www.amzn.com/gp/product/B006...=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006SU0SX0
hyukki said:
Open up the charger and solder the middle 2 pins together. Or short the data cable.
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This really is the best option (but I WOULD NOT SHORT THE CABLE). I downloaded an app that measures incoming amps and tried several car chargers. Most of them only output .5 amps. You are better off buying a car charger for the iPad (2.1 amps) or modding a normal charger as suggested and using any data cable.
I use a modded Power-Bolt charger with a retractable USB cable. This combination takes up the least amount of space and rapid charges my phone even if I'm using Google Navigation at the same time.
The Note comes with a normal USB cable and a shorted wall charger. The Note knows to rapid charge when it senses the short.
Rather than butchering either of my Kensington PowerBolts ......yet I chose to use Current Widget to measure output of basic Samsung microUsb car charger. Depending on battery level it registered over .9A at times yet on 2 hour ride last week w/ Google Maps it wasn't enough. I use ProClip device mounts, but for the hell of it bought Samsung's car mount today to see output of its included charger. Top measurement on 80%+ battery was 1.092A ?????? I'll let battery drain down and report back....
ยข via SGH-i717
I actually just use a cigararette lighter/USB converter and use a USB/micro USB cable and it charges just fine.
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bluetoothless said:
Rather than butchering either of my Kensington PowerBolts ......
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If you do decide to butcher your PowerBolt, you won't be dissappointed. I'm getting over 1 amp now regardless of battery life or Navigation. It's a bit tricky with the PowerBolt Duo, but you cannot tell it's been modded.
You have to peel off the top sticker, then unscrew the top. I did not have a torx driver that was small enough, so I just drilled out the torx screws. Then you remove the top, disassemble the charger, and solder the two inner USB leads on the 1 amp side only. Reassemble the charger, add a drop of glue to attach the top, and put the sticker back on. Now I can charge my iPad3 and my Galaxy Note at the same time, while they're running.
I own both the single 2.1A port and the Duo 3.1A. What are you getting out of 2.1 ports? I don't remember getting over .992A with it. Am I wrong to expect closer to 2.1A?
I didn't look under decal yet, but own mini torx set.
Even though I own ProClip mount I bought Samsung Car Dock on sale at CompUsa to see what charging output the included charger produced and Current Widget measured 1.059A while battery was at 73%. It's the first time I remember getting over 1.0A
My phone doesnt seem to charge.
Ive replaced the battery and the chargers (on my third charger this week) and nothing seems to work. Two of the chargers dont seem to be recognised so dont charge the phone at all, the other one does but wouldnt charge the phone even though i was getting a steady charge of 1000mA through it.
Im using Boefla kernel and have 'ignore unstable current' and 'ignore safety margin' both ticked but have tried on my ROMs standard kernel (using Omni) and still getting no increase in battery percentage.
This would all point to the phones USB port not working but i used my girlfriends Lumia charger and surprisingly it charged normally
I have read in one of the other battery threads that a fatter USB cable allows the phone to charge, can this be confirmed? One of the new chargers (one that isnt recognised) ive bought is a 2A charger so i wouldnt have thought that size of the cable would cause a problem?
Any suggestions would be great.
A cheap charger or cable may cause problems, a worn usb port also. More likely to be issues with the plug or socket than the cable core size.
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boomboomer said:
A cheap charger or cable may cause problems, a worn usb port also. More likely to be issues with the plug or socket than the cable core size.
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I thought it may have been the cheap charger thing. 2 of them are cheap nasty things but the other one is fine, ive used the same make previously and it worked fine. I thought the USB port myself till it charged using the Lumia charger.
Looks like im gonna have to buy a Samsung charger and see what happens.
So WTF were they thinking win they designed these chargers. My bed partially covers the outlet and with this ridiculous design i have to pull the bed out enough or plug it in across the room. My wife got here m8 today and i thought oh ill just switch her chargers but hers is just the same! why the hell are they doing this!! So can i use my charger that came with my htc hero (i belive) or will it cause issues. its bent at a 90 and works a lot better for me but i dont have any of the voltage info on it. i mean it works ive tried it but is it safe?
The charger with the usb cord bent almost to the point of failing still sticks out 4 inches. end rant
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Inland-6-Ro...tension-Cord-Power-Cord-Adapter-/151276201673
Problem solved plus they can be had at actual retailers if you don't like Ebay.
For an overnight charging you will be better of with a generic $2 charger from ebay. It can't supply high current for fast charging, and slow charging is actually better for the battery. I use the factory charger only when I need fast recharge.
I went ahead and just pulled my neutral and hot wire off the outlet and glued them to the prongs on the charger and stuffed it in the wall, works great.
Rally187 said:
So WTF were they thinking win they designed these chargers. My bed partially covers the outlet and with this ridiculous design i have to pull the bed out enough or plug it in across the room. My wife got here m8 today and i thought oh ill just switch her chargers but hers is just the same! why the hell are they doing this!! So can i use my charger that came with my htc hero (i belive) or will it cause issues. its bent at a 90 and works a lot better for me but i dont have any of the voltage info on it. i mean it works ive tried it but is it safe?
The charger with the usb cord bent almost to the point of failing still sticks out 4 inches. end rant
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This.
I'm still using my HTC hero charger on this phone.
Looks like output is only 1 amp.
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johamsandwich said:
This.
I'm still using my HTC hero charger on this phone.
Looks like output is only 1 amp.
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so the htc hero charger output is 1 amp and ours is 1.8. so like others said it will be a little slower but that may prove beneficial in the long run. thanks guys for clarifying this
Rally187 said:
I went ahead and just pulled my neutral and hot wire off the outlet and glued them to the prongs on the charger and stuffed it in the wall, works great.
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Click to collapse
As in the wall power, with glue. Dude this sounds like such a fire hazard. Careful man.
Get a flat plug extension cord for tight places like this from Office Depot, for the love of Android dont pull 110V out of the wall and glue it to wall wart.
http://www.officedepot.com/a/produc...6&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:filter=72939322076
I use the charger that came with my og evo (supersonic) years ago. Its a nice fat cable (fatter then newer cords), low profile plug. I've used it for og, note 2, nexus 5 & now LG G3, they built that one to last.
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Using wall chargers for LG Optimus S and Optimus G - one at work, the other at home.
I have the OEM charger for the G3 in my bag as well, but have only used it once or twice.
I haven't really bothered to test how long it takes to charge on the older chargers compared to the new one - might be worth a look.
Battery life on this phone is really impressive though, especially when you consider how much juice it takes to power the QHD display.
The stock charger is fast and powerful, it charges G3 at 1.2-1.3Amps. None of my other chargers can charge G3 at more than 0.9Amps. And charging from a PC or a non-android specific charger goes at 0.5Amps at most.
stopeject said:
The stock charger is fast and powerful, it charges G3 at 1.2-1.3Amps. None of my other chargers can charge G3 at more than 0.9Amps. And charging from a PC or a non-android specific charger goes at 0.5Amps at most.
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I bought an gn3 charfer at 2 amps for 5 on evay charges it in 30
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