It’s Time to Upgrade Your Wacky Phone Charger
Now that mobile device manufacturers are increasingly moving away from chargers in the spirit of e-waste management, I think it’s finally time to give this general advice to everyone, no matter which phone platform or manufacturer you prefer: organize. Your. Charging device.
Grab a Ziploc bag – ideally one of the super-convenient tote bags with built-in zips – and go on a mission: explore your home office, rummage through your bedside tables, and search wherever you usually leave chargers and cables. … Collect any power adapters you don’t use and any additional cables you use to charge your phone or tablet and throw them in your bag. Mark your bag with a marker so you can see it when you look at it.
That way, when you update your smartphone and the new one doesn’t come with a charger – like the latest iPhones and now Samsung’s Android devices – you won’t be stuck on anything to power it up. Or at least you’ll know where you can go if you need to grab a charger to use in some new location near your home (or on the road).
Keep this bag in mind, though, because you’ll want to come back to it sooner rather than later. Saving chargers is great and all, but you should really consider downsizing your collection and replacing a few crappy old chargers with some awesome new ones.
What about the phone charger you’ve been using for years?
Most people will likely end up using a charger from their previous phone if or when they upgrade to a new device that isn’t included. (Let this also be a warning not to sell or give away your old phone’s charger when upgrading, if you can avoid it.)
However, you can probably accomplish more by spending some money on an aftermarket charger. The best of the best will probably charge your new phone faster and be able to charge more devices at the same time than any standard old chargers you have.
Do not buy a new charger directly from your phone manufacturer. In fact, I would say that this is the worst step you could take. You will be paying a significant sum for an “official” charger that works for absolutely everything, as well as something you can buy on the aftermarket – except in cases like the introduction of Apple MagSafe on the iPhone, when a lack of accessories at launch forced Apple to officially (and expensive) chargers are the best option.
There are usually a variety of reasonably priced chargers that will do the same job as the one you used to install in the kit. I trust all of Wirecutter’s Nick Guy ‘s advice as I know how much time he spends testing too many damn chargers. You can usually get exactly what you need for about $ 20, if not less. Plus, you might find something significantly better than the manufacturer’s official chargers.
Consider this:
Compared to this:
The RAVPower charger on the bottom is faster, cheaper, and allows for multiple connections instead of the single port you’d normally find on a charger in your phone box. It can charge up to 18W from the USB-C port and 12W from the USB-A port, and it currently costs $ 19 (no cable). Samsung’s standard charger , on the other hand, costs $ 30, charges 15W, and can only charge one device at a time. Fur.
Make sure you do your homework and buy a charger that supports the fastest charging speeds (and technologies ) your new phone can handle. You probably don’t need to go far beyond that. If you pre-order the new Samsung Galaxy S21 that supports 25W charging, you don’t need to spend money on a 45W charger. Any performance boost you can get will probably not be noticeable in day to day use. (After all, we don’t all sit with a stopwatch while our phones are charging; if you just need a quick charge to run through the day, pairing a 25W phone with a 25W charger should be enough .)
A new phone is a great excuse to ditch old hardware
While I think it’s important to have one or two spare chargers on hand so that you always have something in case of emergency, you shouldn’t keep a bag of old, outdated chargers forever. Buying a new phone is also a great time to consider shrinking your collection and upgrading to one (or more) awesome chargers.
There is no technical reason why an old charger won’t be able to give your new phone some power. But if you’re using a maximum of 5W or even 10W when your phone can handle a lot more, you’re only kidding yourself. It doesn’t matter if you’re using an old charger in the bedroom and letting your phone charge slowly while you sleep, but as soon as we all start traveling again – or when you need to put it in a backpack, bag, or purse that you can use in on the road – I wouldn’t dig into your bag of chargers to pick out what’s on hand. Now is a great time to sit down with all your chargers and cables and figure out what you really need.
You don’t need to have five spare chargers and seven USB cables. Get one great aftermarket charger like your living room, bedroom, and more to take with you wherever you go. Then recycle your slower old chargers and cut down on your cable collection. As useful as it is to have spare parts, you don’t need 10 of the same USB cables, especially if they are all the same relative length.
While buying a new charger when you have a lot of old chargers may seem pointless, I think it’s a good idea to invest in new hardware as long as it is reasonably priced and gives you the best performance for your expensive new devices. When you spend $ 800 on a new phone plus taxes, what’s another $ 20 for a great charger?