When heading away for a holiday or trip, luggage space is naturally at a premium.
If you have multiple devices, you may only want to take one charger for both your phone and laptop. A 45-watt charger would seem to be a handy option for such situations.
So, the question that you might be wondering is:
“Can I charge my phone with a 45W charger?”
To understand if this is a safe move, it’s imperative to first understand the difference between Watts and Voltage.
A typical smartphone charges at five volts and takes 18W, so realistically any charger can perform this task.
With that said, it is possible to charge your phone with a 45W charger such as the recent Samsung Travel Adapter.
However, if the phone is designed to take only up to 18 watts, then there will be no noticeable effect in charging speed despite the 45W specification.
Now that we’ve established that you can charge your phone with a 45W charger, the next question that naturally follows is: Is a 45W charger good for your phone’s battery health?
What Happens If I Use A 45W Charger To Charge My Phone?
The only thing that matters in a charger-mobile connection is the voltage and what amount your phone can accept.
If a device is rated for a Type-C charger, then go ahead! It all depends on how much power a phone uses to charge.
Type-A chargers will only generate about 7.5W. So, if a phone can only use a maximum of 15W to 20W, a 45W charger won’t make it charge any faster.
Rest assured that while it won’t charge the phone any faster, it won’t do any harm to the battery either!
Essentially, any voltage that your phone can not accept will be ignored, and any information out there that says otherwise is pure fiction.
If your cell phone isn’t able to manage the full 45 Watts, it will simply charge itself on the current it can use and forgo the rest.
Anecdotal Evidence of 45W Charger Safety For Charging Smartphones
Take it with a grain of salt (as you are probably wise to do with a lot of the user-generated information out there on the internet), but the majority of people who have used a 45W charger with their phone have nothing but positive things to say about their experiences.
Samsung’s 45W Type-C super-fast Travel Adapter charger is especially highly-regarded, with super-fast charging and multiple plug socket variations that make it suitable for use in many countries around the world.
Whether the Samsung Travel Adapter or an Acer Chromebook 45W charger, users have reported that no negative effects have resulted when using a 45W charger with their smartphones.
Is A 45W Charger Good?
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Multiple companies are now selling Type-C 45W fast chargers, but Samsung’s Travel Adapter (mentioned above) usually rates out as number one in customer reviews.
Thus, in this section, we’re going to talk more specifically about Samsung’s offering.
In addition to charging smartphones, the charger can also be used with tablets and laptops for added convenience.
While the Travel Adapter is most compatible with Samsung Galaxy S21 series, it can safely be used for other smartphones as well with no risk of damage or harm being caused.
In addition to the multiple plug socket variants, the Travel Adapter package also includes a one-meter long USB-C to a USB-C power cable.
Some people have opined that the length of the cable is a bit short, but it does support a five-ampere current and supports the USB Power Delivery Programmable Power Supply (USB PD PPS) for ultimate charging speed.
The product can also charge any gadget that requires between 5V and 20V, and all devices up to 45W. With the amount of versatility that it potentially provides, it definitely seems to be worth its price tag!
Speaking of price, the charger is available for about $60 and comes in a chic black or white.
Finally, the Samsung adapter also uses a PD system to manage the electricity flow to the device and ensure any less-than-45W devices won’t be provided with more electrical current than required while charging.
Is It Safe To Charge iPhones With A 45W Charger?
People using Apple products often wonder if the Lightning cable combined with a 45W charger might damage their iPhones.
However, chargers only provide the current required by the phone and therefore the Samsung Travel Adapter is compatible with all phones.
The official Apple Q&A website confirms this as well, though the 45W charger may charge an iPhone at a slower rate than the out-of-box 20W Apple charger.
We still recommend using Apple chargers to charge your iPhone since they are specifically designed and most compatible with the device.
Is Fast Charging With A 45W Charger Bad For A Phone’s Battery?
Another myth busted! Fast charging does not decrease the efficiency of a phone, nor does it make a phone use up its power more quickly.
This question often pops up in people’s minds due to the fact that devices tend to get hot while charging. It’s pretty normal to worry that a lithium-ion battery can’t handle a high amount of heat!
However, technology companies have long been aware of this concern- especially in the area of fast charging.
As such, they have designed it so that the buildup of heat is reduced through the use of dual-battery patterns (two batteries dividing the load), minimizing any residual harmful effects of fast charging.
It’s important also to keep in mind that while a 45W fast Type-C will charge a phone quickly, it won’t increase the use time of the device.
The period for which a battery lasts mainly depends on the quality of the battery itself, not the speed at which it is charged. So, discharging time would remain the same- regardless of the charger used.
How Fast Does 45W Charge?
In short: Noticeably quick.
To prove the greater efficiency of the 45W charger, Samsung compared the charging speed with the speed of the Note 10+’s 25W charger.
The difference wasn’t tremendous. The 45W charger saved about eight minutes in charging time compared with the 25W charger.
They noticed the charging speed with the 45W charger was much faster during the first half of the process, but the speed was comparable to the 25W charger in the second half.
A 45W charger completes a full charge of a phone in about 57 minutes if the device is turned off during the process.
All in all, using the 45W charger to power up the Note 10+ didn’t significantly decrease the charging time compared with a 25W charger. However, the fast charger can potentially boost charging speed for compatible smartphones!
Final Thoughts
The biggest takeaway from this article is that there is no harm in using a 45W fast charger to charge a phone, laptop, or other gadgets.
If your phone cannot support a 45W charger, don’t worry. The phone will only use the voltage and current it needs.
Samsung’s 45W charger works best with Samsung phones, but it is perfectly compatible with all other phone types as well.
Samsung’s 45W charger is currently the best and safest fast-charging option on the market. Even if you use it with an Apple device, the charger won’t harm the quality of the phone or slow it down in any way.
With all of the benefits and none of the risks, it may be time to pick up your own 45W charger today!
Chargers are one of them. Want to know what the other 14 Most Essential Smartphone Accessories are this year? Click HERE to find out!