Phone Charger

[Dan]

I just got a galaxy s3 for Christmas!

The Sprint guy said that a 2.1 amp charger is necessary, or that my battery would eventually explode if charged with a 2.0 amp charger. I tried finding some info online, but didn't yield much. Some site said that it's ok to have too many amps... nothing I saw about too few amps.

I was under the impression that volts mattered more.

I have a 2.0 amp charger and wanted to know if I could use it. Anyone savvy in electrical current and battery info?

 

[Slapshot136]

using a lower-rated charger will result in the charging taking longer, but not exploding the battery, as long as it's still rated for 5v, and functions properly - the voltage will drop, probably to around ~4.5 or so as it can't keep up with the current draw from the phone at 5v (it's not rated for it), but the phone will charge.- this is what happens if you try charging your phone from a computer USB port (.5 amp for usb 2.0/.9 amp for usb 3.0)

using a higher-rated charger means that the phone is the limiting factor, and the current will be 2.1 amps max (even if the charger is rated for 2.5 or 3 amps)

tldr: any proper 5v charger should work, a but lesser-rated ones will take longer to charge the battery

 

[Dan]

So the Sprint guy was lying to me or generally misinformed? He tried to draw me some diagram about how the battery would eventually explode because of acid build up. He said he had just had a meeting on it recently...

-_-

 

[Slapshot136]

So the Sprint guy was lying to me or generally misinformed?

my guess is he sells 2.1 amp chargers at a 200% markup

just curious, what was the stock charger that came with the phone?

and the phone should monitor the battery to make sure it does not explode.. (generally that requires over-charging it or charging it too fast), but most phone batteries have their own internal circuitry to prevent that from happening

 

[FireCat]

A phone without a charger? Sounds like a rip off

 

[Dan]

It's a Galaxy S3.. It came with a Miniusb-usb and a wall plug-usb so I can charge it at home from the wall or from the computer, but I bought a car plug-usb that was a 2.0 and not a 2.1 so I wanted to make sure it was OK to use before using it or returning it.

 

[FireCat]

Aha Okay.. As long as "it's a clean 12v car charger" You shouldn't be worried

 

[Slapshot136]

a wall plug-usb

and what is the amperage on the wall-plug usb?