Most manufacturers no longer send chargers with the purchase of their devices. This measure seeks to fight electronic waste, but it is also a way for them to obtain more profits, since there are customers who buy this accessory in official stores. But what happens if you charge your phone with a charger from another brand? In general, everything will depend on its power.
Companies often recommend charging their products with the chargers they sell themselves. These guarantee the user that the mobile phones do not overheat while charging. However, if you buy one from another brand, it should not cause problems, as long as you pay attention to the amperage and voltage. Therefore, by taking these factors into account, you will be able to protect the life of your battery and charge the device as you would with an official charger.
Consequences of a charger with more amperage
Amperes (A) measure the amount of electrical charge, electrons, that circulate through a conductor. These units of measurement refer to the intensity of a current. Typically, manufacturers detail the amperage of their device chargers in the product specifications. Therefore, we would only have to search for it on Google to know what amperage the chosen charger should have.
If you already have one at home, there can be three situations:
- That it has the same amperage. In this case there will be no problems, since the adapter and the mobile will have a similar system.
- That has more amperage. For example, if you use a charger with 2.5 A, but your smartphone only supports 2 A, the amperes that will move will always be 2. If the charger that arrives from the factory is 1.5 A you will notice a difference in the charging time, but you will not perform miracles.
- That has less amperage. The problem with charging the phone with a cable with fewer amps is that it will take longer. In the previous assumption that the mobile allows up to 2 A, we will see how the battery has a harder time recharging with a 1 A charger.
Consequences of a charger with higher voltage
While the problem with a charger with more amps has to do with charging time, the consequences of using an adapter with more volts can be much worse. In the case of this last option, doing so could have a negative impact on the useful life of the mobile phone’s battery, so we will have to be very careful.
Volts (V) refer to the voltage of an electrical circuit. The number of volts determines the potential difference between two points of a current-conducting element and, depending on the voltage of the adapter, can pose a risk to the phone.
As in the previous section in which we referred to amperes, there are three assumptions to take into account before charging a device with a charger that is not the official one:
- That it has the same voltage. This is the ideal situation. You should pay attention to this information, since, if the charger has another voltage, the error could cause irreparable damage to the battery.
- That it has more voltage. Chargers with higher voltages are not recommended. If your mobile accepts 5 volts and we charge it with one of 20, experts explain that the device could overheat. At best, battery life would be reduced. At worst, it could explode.
- That has less voltage. If you charge it with a lower voltage adapter, there will be no problems, but because it will not charge.
