How Fast is Your Charger?

Posted on Jan 30th 2012

Today's smartphones and tablets require charging more often than older models due to their power-guzzling features such as larger touch screens, WiFi, Bluetooth, high-speed data, multi-tasking, and third-party apps.  To keep pace, chargers have also increased their power output to minimize the time it takes to recharge the battery.  A common question from our clients is "How can I tell exactly how fast a charger will charge?"  CAFL newsletter to the rescue :)

A charger's power output / speed is measured by milliamps (mA).  This is usually listed on the charger itself and our website shows the mA output for nearly all recent chargers.  Here is an approximate guide to charger types and their corresponding mA:

500 mA = Standard charger

750 mA = Rapid charger

1000 mA = Super Rapid for cell phones / Mid-rate for tablets

2100 mA = Super Duper Rapid for cell phones / Standard for tablets

Ok, we just made up the term Super Duper Rapid Charger, but 2100 mA is really fast.

Since most phone's use different batteries, it isn't possible to quote the exact time it takes to recharge all models, however you can determine the relative speeds by comparing mA.  If your existing 500 mA charger takes 3 hours to charge your phone, a 1000 mA charger will charge it twice as fast (1.5 hours). 

If you would like to avoid charging times all together, a spare battery charger is a great solution (if available for your phone) as it allows you to instantly swap out a low battery with a fully charged one.

We hope this helps your buying decisions!