Quick Links
It’s been a while since most manufacturers stopped including power bricks with mobile devices. Whether or not it’s good for the environment, it gives you the freedom to choose a phone charger that’s most suitable for your needs.
However, it’s not as simple as picking a high-powered wall adapter. If you genuinely want a phone charger that’s most useful for modern needs, here are four considerations that I keep in mind while shopping for a power brick.
4Availability of Multiple Ports
It’s no surprise that most of us have multiple mobile devices that need to be charged on an almost daily basis. For me, it’s a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, and a smartwatch. If I start using a single-port charger for each device, I’ll need a dedicated power strip just to top up my devices, and let’s not forget the extra clutter this will add to my already busy work desk.
This is why I always opt for multi-port USB chargers. They offer the convenience of charging multiple devices at once, eliminating the need to juggle multiple power bricks every day. This also keeps the charging setup cleaner and simpler.
You can choose a multi-port charger depending on the number of devices you frequently have to charge. For most people, a three- or four-port power brick is sufficient and isn’t unnecessarily bulky. It’s also a good idea to get a brick with a mix of USB Type-A and Type-C ports for seamless charging for all your devices, from low-powered accessories that are still supplied with a USB Type-A cable to high-powered devices with Type-C cables.
Ugreen Nexode Pro 65W USB-C Wall Charger
With two USB-C and one USB-A charging port, this Ugreen power brick is an excellent option to keep your mobile devices topped up. It can deliver up to 65W of power and has support for USB PD, PPS, and Qualcomm QC 4.0+.
3Support for USB Power Delivery and Qualcomm Quick Charge
Another non-negotiable for me is the built-in support forUSB Power Delivery (USB PD)andQualcomm Quick Charge (QC), which are two of the most popular fast charging standards on the market. Although USB PD has become far more common, with its availability on more types of devices, you may still find QC on some devices.
While I can juice up a mobile device that supports Qualcomm Quick Charge with a USB PD charger, having native Qualcomm QC support gives me a better chance of getting highest possible charging speeds.
One important thing to note here is that Google and Samsung phones rely on something called Programmable Power Supply (PPS), which is an optional feature in the USB PD standard. Not every power brick with USB PD support has this optional feature. So, if you have a Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy phone, it’s a good idea to add PPS support to your considerations while picking up a phone charger.
2Sufficient Power Output for Multiple Devices
Multi-port chargers are great, but as all the included ports in the power brick share power, the output power of each port decreases when you’re charging multiple devices simultaneously. That’s why it’s crucial that the total power output of a multi-port charger is high enough that even when all the ports are in use, you continue to get respectable charging speeds on all connected devices, especially if you plan to charge your USB PD laptop with the same charger.
Understanding the power needs of your specific devices is crucial when choosing a charger. A 100W-150W charger is typically more than enough for most people, ensuring a respectable charging speed even when all ports are in use. However, if you’re not charging your laptop using the same charger, a 65W power brick can also do the trick.
Anker 150W Max USB-C Charger Block
The Anker 150W USB Charger Block is an excellent option to juice up to four of your devices simultaneously. It supports all major charging protocols and has a relatively compact design.
1GaN Support
GaNstands for Gallium Nitride. There is a good chance you’ve seen the mention of GaN in the marketing of power bricks. It’s essentially a material that’s used as an alternative to silicon in semiconductors. There are several benefits to having GaN in your charger instead of silicon.
For example, it’s more efficient at energy conversion, resulting in less waste as heat. And whatever heat is released in the process, GaN can dissipate it more efficiently, helping prevent overheating. It can also handle more power in a smaller physical footprint, allowing GaN chargers to be more compact and lighter than their silicon-based counterparts. Moreover, it can work reliably at higher temperatures. All these benefits make GaN-based chargers superior to silicon-based ones.
As GaN chargers have become quite common and don’t come with a premium price tag, there’s simply no reason to opt for a power brick that relies on silicon semiconductors.
These four considerations have helped me pick some excellent power bricks for my needs. After all, buying a capable and high-quality phone charger doesn’t have to be complicated.
If you’re interested in knowing more about phone charging, you may want to knowhow to charge your Android phone as fast as possibleandwhy you need a super fast car charger.
