Problems Charging [UPDATED w/charging test!]

[arizonadeux]

I recently got a Quick Charge charger to speed things up. Since then, on my old 1.5 A charger which I use at work, the phone is barely charging, actually only losing charge slower than it otherwise would.

This charger was never fast, but would charge during normal use. Now it doesn’t even charge in idle. Has anyone else had a similar issue? It’s like the phone has been “spoiled” by Quick Charge and now only charges with that or a power bank.

My workaround has been to charge with the power bank and then charge the power bank off of the slow charger. I tested the cable and micro-USB adapter and they work fine.

I'm also very suspicious of cables when I notice charging issues. So today I took all of my cables, adapters, and chargers and ran an experiment. It wasn't perfect due to a variation of the state of charge, though.

Here are the results.

TL;DR: probably unreliable/dirty/loose contacts, esp. w/adapter 2.

![charging|690x427](upload://xAsz1HJxnjdTKS5i3iJxuCgrJfI.jpeg) 

Chargers: Fantec QC3-A22, Sony EP830? (worn print, output 5 V, 1500 mA), Volt V3500-A1 powerbank (3500 mAh, 3.7 V, in/out 5 V, 1.5 A)

Cables: new Ikea USB-C cable, 2-yr-old Anker micro USB, 5+ yr-old Nokia micro-USB, 3-yr-old short cable that came with the Volt powerbank

Adapters: 2 micro-USB to USB-C

Measuring app: Ampere

I tested each, starting at about 32% charge, ending around 43%. To try and check the influence of the state of charge, I re-ran the lowest readings, going from 43-46%.

I could not reproduce most of the dismal charge rates of ~100 mA that I was consistently getting at work with different cables, both adapters, and both the Sony and battery power sources. However, micro-USB adapter 2 seems to have some contact issues, going into the ~100 mA range at times. However, at over 43% state of charge, adapter 2 showed some improvement.

Quick Charge did not, however, "spoil" my phone in any way. It probably comes down to a number of factors, including the contacts in the cables and adapters. Perhaps all of the plugging and unplugging scraped some corrosion and/or dirt free. Perhaps some of the cables have loose connections that were better positioned during the experiment.

What I didn't realize is that charging would top out at 2 A at 4 V. My impression was that the max output of QC3 was 3 A at 5 V.

[AnotherElk]

@arizonadeux

Since then, on my old 1.5 A charger which I use at work, the phone is barely charging

I assume you don’t use the same cable at work which you used before at home?

And the cable at work might not be USB-IF certified?

Charging speed problems? Use USB-IF certified cables!

Answering to concerns about which chargers and cables to use for the Fairphone 3 because not every piece already in the households of users seemed to work, Fairphone had this to say: That statement is important for cables, too. I have tested the cooperation of different chargers/cables/magnetic adapters charging the Fairphone 3. Conclusions: It’s the cables that matter, not so much the chargers. Use USB-IF certified cables! Magnetic adapters seem to slow down the charging a little compared…

[arizonadeux]

Sorry I didn’t clarify that: nothing has changed with the setup at work. My wireless headphones and the power bank both charge normally off of the old charger.

Is there a way to see what voltage and current the phone is receiving? If there’s a coincidence that the charger is failing now, then it should be visible in the output.

[Patrick1]

Software wise you could give the “Ampere” app from the app store a chance to show the actual charge current situation.

There are USB gadgets available to plug between your phone and charger which also show the voltage and current.

But if you are fit in electronics you may also use conventional measuring devices and fix an easy circuit to receive live values as well.

[teezeh]

All that I can tell you is that using Quick Charge does not change anything in your phone. So whatever has changed must be elsewhere.

First rule: It’s always the cable.

[arizonadeux]

I’m also very suspicious of cables when I notice charging issues. So today I took all of my cables, adapters, and chargers and ran an experiment. It wasn’t perfect due to a variation of the state of charge, though.

Here are the results.

TL;DR: probably unreliable/dirty/loose contacts, esp. w/adapter 2.

Chargers: Fantec QC3-A22, Sony EP830? (worn print, output 5 V, 1500 mA), Volt V3500-A1 powerbank (3500 mAh, 3.7 V, in/out 5 V, 1.5 A)

Cables: new Ikea USB-C cable, 2-yr-old Anker micro USB, 5+ yr-old Nokia micro-USB, 3-yr-old short cable that came with the Volt powerbank

Adapters: 2 micro-USB to USB-C

Measuring app: Ampere

I tested each, starting at about 32% charge, ending around 43%. To try and check the influence of the state of charge, I re-ran the lowest readings, going from 43-46%.

I could not reproduce most of the dismal charge rates of ~100 mA that I was consistently getting at work with different cables, both adapters, and both the Sony and battery power sources. However, micro-USB adapter 2 seems to have some contact issues, going into the ~100 mA range at times. However, at over 43% state of charge, adapter 2 showed some improvement.

Quick Charge did not, however, “spoil” my phone in any way. It probably comes down to a number of factors, including the contacts in the cables and adapters. Perhaps all of the plugging and unplugging scraped some corrosion and/or dirt free. Perhaps some of the cables have loose connections that were better positioned during the experiment.

What I didn’t realize is that charging would top out at 2 A at 4 V. My impression was that the max output of QC3 was 3 A at 5 V.

UPDATE 2: at-work charging test with the Sony charger, Anker cable, and adapter 1. It’s drunk lol.

@AnotherElk, @Patrick1