Nowadays, charging a smartphone on the go is not difficult. You can use not only external batteries but also USB ports in the car or the classic 12-volt socket, which was often used earlier for cigarette lighters. BGR writes about this.
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The 12-volt socket gets power from the car’s electrical system, but to charge a phone with it, a special adapter is required. It is the capabilities of the adapter that essentially determine the power with which the phone will be charged.
Therefore, if the phone charges slowly in the car, the fault may not be the socket itself but an old or low-quality adapter.
The most important thing is to choose the right adapter
There are many adapters on the market designed for 12-volt sockets. However, their charging capabilities vary greatly.
To quickly charge a modern smartphone, it is worth choosing a reliable manufacturer’s adapter with a sufficiently powerful USB-C port. Some modern car adapters have both USB-C and USB-A ports, so various devices can be connected.
If the phone supports fast charging, it is useful to choose an adapter that supports technologies such as USB Power Delivery (PD) or Qualcomm Quick Charge. Otherwise, the smartphone may charge much more slowly than its technical capabilities allow.
Don’t forget the USB cable
Even a good car adapter won’t help if a low-quality or old USB cable is used.
Thin, worn out, or very old cables can limit charging power. Therefore, for modern phones, it is worth choosing a quality cable that matches the device’s and charger’s capabilities.
If you use a USB-C port, a reliable cable can support much higher power. For example, Apple offers a USB-C cable that supports up to 60 W charging.
If you use an iPhone with a Lightning port, it is worth choosing a properly certified cable.
Phone settings also matter
Charging speed is determined not only by the adapter and cable. The phone simultaneously uses power for the screen, processor, mobile network, GPS, Bluetooth, and other functions.
Therefore, when charging the phone in the car, it is worth reducing the screen brightness and, if not needed, turning off power-hungry functions.
If navigation, the screen, and other apps are intensively using the battery at the same time, it may seem that the phone is barely charging – part of the received power is simply consumed by the functions running at that time.
What to do if the phone charges too slowly in the car?
First, check three things:
car adapter – whether it supports sufficient charging power and fast charging;
USB cable – whether it is quality and suitable for your phone;
phone settings – whether you are not using power-demanding functions while charging.
So, if the phone charges slowly from the car’s 12-volt socket, it is not necessary to immediately blame the car. Often, it is enough to replace an old adapter or USB cable and choose a charging technology compatible with your smartphone.
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