Did you know that the majority of the people in the world use mobile phones? There are about 4.57 billion people using phones on a daily basis. Within two years, that number will grow to 4.78 billion.
Out of all those devices, they all have one thing in common: They need USB chargers to regain their lost power.
The simple solution is to use a multi-port USB cell battery charger. It allows you to plug into one power outlet while charging lots of devices. But how do you pick the one that suits your needs?
Read on and find out.
When looking for a portable cell charger, you need to check its output rates. You measure these in amps since not all devices get charged at the same power rate. What you need to look out for are the ones with higher charging rates since it makes your battery full at a quicker rate.
The recommended charging rate for each smartphone is as follows:
When you choose a multi-port charger, its total output should be higher than the total amps each device needs. This allows you to charge your gadgets at an optimal rate. To know what's best for you, get the sum of the needed amps for all devices you plan to plug in.
Voltage matters a lot too. A normal portable charger for iPhone and Android phones are at 5 volts. Some can go a bit beyond that and make it faster for you to charge. This is the only way you can increase the charging rate aside from the output rates.
Always remember that having the same or higher output rate will optimize the charging time. It doesn't mean that the ones lower than your 's requirement won't work. It means it will take a longer time to get a full charge instead.
If you want to charge a lot of devices, get a charger with enough outlets to handle it. This is important, especially when you're traveling since you never know when you'll need a gadget. Always remember that having more outlets doesn't make it better than those with fewer outlets.
If you have more USB ports, you might risk the charger overheating. Check the materials that make up the charger and ensure that they are of a high quality. This ensures that it won't melt or burn when you overwork it.
Check the distribution of the ports as well. If they're close together, the heat generated while charging can stack up together. This makes it easier for it to get damaged or catch fire.
Another factor you need to consider is its physical size and weight. It especially matters when you need to carry it around with you the whole day. You need to make sure you're comfortable with its size and weight.
As a general rule, chargers that only have one or two ports will be smaller. This is similar when you're choosing power banks since the larger-capacity batteries will be bulkier and thus, less portable.
A lot of people know that cables have the risk of failure in the long run. If you're looking for a portable charger, ensure that it doesn't have any permanent cables attached to it. It's important for car chargers since it's more flexible and convenient.
Chargers that have permanent cables become liabilities in the long run. When the cable gets damaged or fails, you need to buy an entire charger again. It's not a great investment since it's more efficient and cheaper to replace the cables instead.
There are a lot of things you need to know about USB portable chargers. Here are some of the common ones out there accompanied by answers:
The answer is that it depends on the legitimacy of the charger. That's why it's always better to check whether you're getting a genuine charger for your . It's especially critical for iPhones since even legitimate websites like Amazon have listings for fake chargers.
Check the rating of your chargers before buying. Again, ensure that you have the right rating for your device. They might have the same physical connection, but they won't have the same output. You might end up damaging your device when you connect it to the wrong charger.
If you do this, you might end up getting an incorrect charge for your gadget. This carries some risks like damage to its battery and other components.
Link to TDX
At its worst, it might end up exploding your device due to overheating, so when you look for a charger, ensure that you follow your gadget manufacturer's instructions.
You can charge them at any time as long as you aren't asleep or out of the house, so if you need to do these while charging, make sure your smoke alarms are functional since this can reduce the risk of getting house fires.
In today's society, chargers are important to ensure that your devices stay functional. It's important to remember that you can't pick random chargers for your device, so choose the right USB chargers for your device to ensure that you don't damage it in any way.
To avoid fakes, you need to buy your chargers from authorized resellers like USBGear.
One very common question we receive here at Digi-Key is customers looking for replacement power supplies. The majority of these are AC to DC adapters and can be found in our AC DC Desktop, Wall Adapters Section. The first thing we always ask the customers is if they have a part/model number for their adapter or if they have the voltage and current requirements.
On most adapters this information can be found on a label. On the label below we can find the following information.
Model Number:
Input:
Output:
Note that on this label you also see a symbol showing that the connector is positive center. Even though this is the most common configuration it is important to know as using a positive center when a negative center is called out could result in your products not working and potential damage to circuitry if used.
Looking at this wall mount (also called wall wart) you notice we do not have this model. So we will look at other options. First we know that we need 12VDC out. so I will select 12V
Knowing that I want to order this today I also only want to look at an in stock part. After selecting 12V and now in-stock you will see there are only 338 options available.
The next item you need to look at is the current output of your power supply.On the supply I am using for an example we are needing 1A of output current capability. Since i do not want to limit my options I will choose all power supply that put out at least 1A of current.
On most applications you are able to use a power supply that has the capability to output more current that needed. There are some efficiency losses often noted when a power supply is used for less than its full capacity. ie a power supply being used for designed for 1A will be more efficient at putting out 900mA than a power supply that is designed with a 10A output.
Now the topic that causes the most amount of questions on power supplies, the output connector. Most common is a barrel connector, and there is a large number of possibilities when it comes to size. OD on these connectors is easiest for most people to find. He is a little guide that can help with the most common 2.1 or 2.5 mm ID.
After measurements I know I have a 2.1mm ID and a 5.5mm OD. I also know from my label earlier that I need a Positive Center.
If there are no options that have the correct ends you may want to look at splicing the old end if available onto the new cable.
You may also want to look at barrel connectors you can add to your power supply.
If you have followed the filters to this point most of the available options will work for your application. To narrow it down we will look at some of the remaining specifications.
Region Utilized
This Category has to do with the power input connector that comes with your power supply. Note here that some of the international models will not come with a blade connector and some come with many. Also some desktop models come with an input cord and some do not. You will select this in the Input type.
Form
Here you need to decide if you are looking for a Desktop or Wall Mount type power supply. Typically the larger amperage power supplies will come in a desktop model due to package size.
Input Type
Here you are looking at the input connectors that come on the power supply. On desktop models you need to look at does it come with a cord or is the cord sold separately. On wall mount supplies you can have a fixed blade (one that does not come off), a multi-blade (one that is removeable) and multi-blade that is sold separately.
No Load power Consumption
Any power supply that is plugged into the wall with use power even when it is not being used. This rating is calling out the maximum amount of power that the power supply will use when it is plugged into the wall and not supplying output power.
For more information, please visit Wall Mount Power Adapter.