Nowadays smartphones have become an important part of our lives. We spend thousands of rupees in buying a phone, but when it comes to charger, we often pick up any cheap or ‘non-original’ charger from the market to save a few rupees. This may seem like a small savings at first glance but a wrong charger can cut your smartphone’s lifespan in half. Let us know in detail how a non-standard charger damages your phone.
1. Very slow charging speed (slow charging)
Every smartphone company sets a specific charging standard (such as USB-PD, Quick Charge, or Dash) for its phones. The original charger supplies power according to this standard. When you use a local charger, it is not able to provide as much power to the phone as it needs, due to which the phone takes hours to charge.
2. Degradation in Battery Health and Lifespan
The lithium-ion battery of a smartphone is quite sensitive. Original chargers cut off power when the battery is 100% full and keep the voltage constant. Fake chargers have unstable power delivery. This power fluctuation damages the battery cells, causing the battery to swell or its backup to reduce within a few months.
3. Overheating: Danger to the phone and you
Poor quality chargers do not have ‘heat sinks’ and efficient circuits. These chargers produce excessive heat when electricity flows during charging. This heat can not only melt the charger but also permanently damage your phone’s processor and motherboard.
4. Ignoring safety standards (Safety Risk)
Branded chargers go through stringent safety tests. They have features like short circuit protection and surge protection. Cheap chargers often bypass these safety standards. Due to this, there is a risk of electric shock or explosion in the charger.
5. Fast charging not working
Nowadays most phones support fast charging like 33W, 65W or 120W. A fake charger may have ‘Fast Charging’ written on it, but the chips inside it do not recognize your phone’s charging protocol. The result is that your phone charges at a snail’s pace despite having a heavy charger.
6. Touchscreen and software problems
Have you ever felt that when the phone is charging, its touch starts moving automatically or does not work? This is called ghost touch. This is caused by ‘electromagnetic interference’ coming from a bad charger. If this happens for a long time, the phone’s software may crash or the display may get damaged.
7. Quality of cable is also important
Often people just change the adapter and use the same old or cheap cable. A poor cable can neither transfer complete data nor the correct voltage. This increases the possibility of the charging pin (charging port) becoming loose or burning out.
How to make the right choice?
If your original charger is damaged, keep these things in mind-
MFi (Made for iPhone) or BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) certified: Always choose brands that have safety certifications (like BIS mark in India).
Trusted Brands: If you are not buying the company’s original charger, then only buy universal chargers from renowned brands.
Check Rating: Match the charger’s output (V/A) to your phone’s needs.
