High performance losses This is why you often charge faster with the original charger
If you connect your cell phone to a third-party power adapter, you will often be bitterly disappointed. The device charges noticeably slower. But why is this the case and why is it worth using the original charger?
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- Many smartphones charge fastest with the manufacturer's own chargers, as these use special fast-charging protocols.
- The EU requires standardized connections, which is why third-party models often allow a lower charging capacity.
- Charging is also fast enough with universal chargers; special accessories are only worthwhile in a few cases.
Imagine you have a car that can theoretically drive 200 kilometers per hour. As soon as you stop at a non-branded filling station, the speed is reduced to 120. This is exactly what is currently happening in our power sockets. Charging adapters that come with the car often have no problem charging at 80 watts. Universal devices only reach 55 watts. This corresponds to a power loss of over 30 percent.
The answer to the question of why the original charger is usually faster lies in physics. More precisely, in the waste heat. There are basically two ways to force current into a battery. Via voltage or current.
How does a battery actually charge?
With voltage, the current is sent through the cable at high pressure. The problem with this is that the cell phone has to laboriously lower this pressure again so that the battery is not damaged. This generates enormous heat. To prevent overheating, the cell phone reduces the speed. This is how most universal chargers work.
In contrast, manufacturers use their own systems to allow more current to flow through the cable at once, but with less pressure. The heat is not generated in the cell phone, but largely in the power supply unit itself. The cell phone stays cool and can therefore charge at full power for much longer.
A compromise that slows down third-party manufacturers
The open standard agreed by the EU is a compromise and is designed to ensure that cell phones work safely with as many devices as possible. This is why the amount of current that can flow per second is strictly limited.
Manufacturers, on the other hand, optimize their own chargers and cables so that they can go far beyond these limits. Conversely, this means that the original charger knows the exact load limits of the battery and "talks" perfectly to the cell phone. The third-party charger, on the other hand, must adhere to the general, lower rules as a precaution in order not to cause any damage.
The cable as a bottleneck
Another often underestimated reason is the cable itself. Manufacturers' fast charging processes often require thicker copper cables or special chips in the plug. A standard USB-C cable is often not approved for these enormous amounts of current. So if you combine the original power supply unit with a cheap replacement cable, you usually slow down your cell phone immediately.
