A charger and cable for the Fairphone 4 must have the following specifications:
For slow charge
5 volts (5V)
The minimum current should be 1 ampere (1A, 1000mA).
For quick charge
Maximum output of 4 amperes (4A, 4000mA). Note: the cable must also support 4A to charge at total capacity
I bought the Dual-port 30W Charger and the USB-C 3.2 Long Life Cable from FP. The charger has the same values on it for both the USB-A port and the USB-C port: 3.0, 2.0, and 1.5 ampere with different technical values associated with each. Iâm confused by the amperes and they donât help me.
Normally, you would use the USB-C port of the charger, which is 30W, and charge the FP4 to 50% in 30 minutes.
Iâve read that higher wattages generate more heat and the heat is what damages the battery.
Can I just use the USB-A port (18W) and will that achieve the goal of saving the battery? Will this charge slower and with less heat without damaging the battery or the FP4 in any way? Or is it better not to do this and only use the USB-A port for smartphones that require an 18W port?
Doesnât really matter which port you choose, neither will slow charge the FP4.
If I remember my last tests correctly, the phone didnât charge with more than 18W anyway, so both ports should give you similar fast charging performance. If you want to charge it slower however, youâll have to use a less powerful charger or limit the current in software.
Yeah, a USB port works great, if your computer is a laptop and not a power hungry desktop machine using hundreds of wattsâŠ
I just use an old 1000mA charger from my previous phone, those used to be bundled with everything so thereâs always one left when they eventually break. (at least theyâre getting reused before they are recycled)
Well, in my case itâs an (early 2009) MacPro that does the trick (charging slow). Surprisingly, my even older (2005) iPod charger charges all Fairphones quicker than the big machine.
I have a new laptop where I can set the max charge in the BIOS. I had it set to 78% which limits the volatge the battery will get too, not how slow it charges.
However there is data stored each time the battery is charged to show the wear on the battery, strangley if I charge to 100% now and then it seems the battery is healthier. I have noted another user on the Frame.work forum that always charges to 100% and their records are the best I have seen.
So to avoid heat you will require a slow option, like a USB A 3 on a computer that only gives 0.9A so may taken 5hrs to charge from 0 to 90%.
I live off grid for 40 years and have used various batteries for just about everyhting and have never got a âgoodâ life no matter what I do, I still try though More embarrasing is that I am a qualified radio electrician and when I directly question the manufacturers for info etc. including Fairphone I get what I can only regard as dumb answers.
Sure the hearsay is be careful, makes sense, but how careful is carefull and what is your use scenario.
Donât worry too much, as I do
One old idea that is not supported in li-ion batteries, though I query that, is that batteries can stagnate, so it may be usefull now and then to fully charge and let it warm a bit.
There also exist Chargie devices that work together with an app on your phone. Basically, they tune the charging current depending on the battery temperature and allow you to set the charging limit in order to avoid your battery being constantly charged over the top when you charge overnight.
I cannot say how well it works in actually saving the battery life, but as for the useability - I have started using it recently, and itâs very easy and convenient to use.
Technically if the phone is worrking properly it cannot be charged âover the topâ but it can be held at a high voltage, which may make it warm and possibly impact itâs longevity.
But note, the battery is guarantted for two years by default, and I wonder if the extension to five includes the battery. Effectively saying Fairphone donât see it as much of an issue.
Strictly speaking, you are right. What I mean by saying âover the topâ is that it keeps the battery charged, and the common wisdom is that Li-ion batteries do not like to be fully charged, nor fully discharged - their properties are best preserved when they are about 50% charged. (See, e.g., Lithium-Ion Battery Care Guide: Summary Of Battery Best Practices - CleanTechnica).
Fairphone warranty explicitly does not cover battery performance deterioration (Warranty - Fairphone). I would guess it covers the case when your battery suddenly stops working. But if in a couple of years the battery keeps working, albeit with halved capacity, thatâs not covered. The only remedy then is to order a new battery.
you dont need root for Iodes smart charging and no without GApps Google Pay does not work (irrespective if rooted or not) and installing a custom Rom does not mean you root your phone