GoKawiilRobert Triggs / Android Authority
Buying the perfect USB-C charger may look simple at first, but the reality is full of potential gotchas. If you’ve ever reached for your cable only to find that your device is still charging hours later, you’re certainly not alone.
In one sense, USB-C and USB Power Delivery were supposed to solve this mess. The universal connector and new regulations, such as those introduced in the EU, were designed to ensure that one charger could support everything. In some ways, that has been a success: USB-C can now be found on almost every phone, tablet, laptop, and more. However, the difference between something that technically works and something that works optimally can still be surprisingly wide.
Even before you get into the weeds of choosing the best charger, prospective buyers have some fairly laborious homework to do. Between choosing the right power level, ensuring protocol compatibility, and understanding how power is split across multiple ports, there are plenty of hidden pitfalls that set the best chargers apart from the rest.
Are you confident that your USB-C chargers power your devices as fast as possible? 27 votes I’m confident, I know the specs I need 41 % I’m not sure, I often buy based on wattage 30 % I’ve probably been using the wrong charger 26 % I don’t care, if it charges, it works 4 %
Keeping an eye on these details matters. Picking a charger that doesn’t support the same charging standards as your smartphone is one of the easiest ways to end up with sluggish charge times. Fortunately, most recent smartphones support USB Power Delivery and its PPS (Programmable Power Supply) extension, which enables more efficient and flexible power delivery. Samsung’s Galaxy S and Google’s Pixel lines are just two of the biggest names on a list that also includes Motorola, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and many others. Apple, on the other hand, adopted USB PD AVS to fast charge its latest iPhones.
USB-C is universal. Charging protocols aren't.
Problem solved then? Unfortunately not. Even if your phone supports USB PD PPS at 45W, for example, there are several different voltage and current combinations it could use to reach that power level — and your charger needs to support the right one.
9V, 12V, 21V? It makes a difference
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
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