We live in a world where fast charging plays an important role in our everyday lives when it comes to our smartphones. In this day and age, we need our phones to have large battery capacities that they can charge quickly and efficiently for our convenience. Although fast charging technologies and protocols may be built into our phones, the accessories that we choose to use when charging them are just as important as they determine how fast, or slow, your phone will actually charge.
The cable you use to charge your smartphone will definitely impact whether the fast charging technologies are activated. Although most cables look the same on the outside, the construction of each cable on the inside is different and can play a significant role in how your phone charges depending on the cable’s length, durability, capacity and transfer speed.
Fast charging cable vs standard cable
The standard USB charging cable sends 2.5W of power from the battery adapter to the smartphone battery but a fast charging cable can send power from anywhere up to 120W which means that you can charge multiple devices that require a large amount of power such as your laptop, tablet and any smartphone with the exact same cable. For smartphones, a fast charging cable will juice your battery up to 50% within the first 30 minutes as long as it is connected to a fast charging adapter and a phone that can receive a fast charge.
Inside of any USB cable are 4 smaller wires where 2 of the 4 will carry data meanwhile the remaining 2 carry the power, which determines the speed of your charge. Some fast charging protocols can reach up to 20V. The amount of power that is carried by a standard cable of 28 gauge is around 0.5A but a fast charger of 24 gauge can carry greater currents of 2A or more. This basically means that a fast charging cable can carry 4 times the amount of power than a standard cable which gets your phone charged quickly in a short space of time.
Are cables made equally?
The most common cables used for charging a mobile device are USB-PD and QC but they are not the only ones available on the market as all cables must fit the same standard. As long as the charging adapter and your device supports fast charging, your phone should still receive a fast charge; however, not every cable offers the same performance as manufacturers have some room for how they wish to implement these standards into their products.
You may find that certain cables will deliver faster charging speeds than others but to make sure that your cable is fast charging, you need it to match the power delivery speed of your device or you may find that your device charges slowly. Next time you purchase a cable, have a look at the power delivery speed to see whether it will meet your requirements for fast charging. If it doesn’t, then you may wish to seek a more reputable manufacturer like Neofier for products that will deliver a quick charging experience.
How to identify a fast charging cable
You might not know much about cables to recognize a fast charging cable right away but it’s not as difficult as you may think. Here are some things to look out for when you are buying your next charging cable if you want your phone to charge quickly:
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A thicker and larger sized cable
When a cable is thicker and slightly larger than a standard cable, it is most likely a fast charging cable that can carry more current from the adapter to your device. This can be an easy way to identify whether the cable is standard or fast charging.
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Standard size is 28 gauge wires whereas fast chargers are 24 gauge wires
A standard cable is 28 gauge and can only carry around 0.5A but a fast charger has 24 gauges that can carry up to 2A. Even though 28 seems like a larger number than 24, fast charging cables are actually 60% bigger than the standard which means it can carry more current.
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Inspect the Amperage. A fast charging cable is capable of carrying current of up to 2A
If your cable can only carry up to 0.5A then it won’t give you a fast charge. Before going ahead to purchase a cable, have a look at the amperage. If it is more than 0.5A then it will definitely charge your phone faster.
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Shop from an official store like Neofier
Each manufacturer has their own standards for how they create their products. If you want a reliable charging cable then we recommend shopping from an official brand that has established products.