Charging cables for Moto Z

[mcraeh]

Hey everyone,

So I did pre-order one of these, mostly because my current phone is really just about useless right now. I do have a question about the included charger with this phone. I know it is a USB c type charger, which means that all my other chargers will no longer work, right? So it comes with the quick charger like the Turbo does if I'm not mistaken. Given that I followed all the debates on daily use of that charger, and given my tendency to believe Foxcat when he says that using the quick charger daily will result in shorter overall battery life, I'm wondering what other cables are out there that would do the slower charging. I don't really see anything on Moto's website, and while Verizon has chargers for the Moto Z, they seem to be the quick charging ones (and they are alway way more expensive than what I have paid for things like that on Amazon). So what is the best option for charging this thing? A wireless charger with the battery mod?

Thanks!

 

[Sajo]

Just me and my 2 cents, but I am a firm believer in using the OEM charger that ships with the phone. I try to believe that the engineers that designed the phone & charger knew what they were doing and designed them both to work together to receive the best results. I have been using the OEM charger almost every day with my Turbo 2 since November 30th and have not seen a speck of battery life degradation.

 

[FoxKat]

@mcraeh Thank you for the complement. You are right, in that when compared side by side to slow charging over time a fast charger will eventually show battery degradation at a higher rate than a slow charger but it depends on how you use it. That said, there are some very important variables to consider here.

• If you're only going to keep the phone for 1-2 years, you're likely not going to have a significant negative impact in your user experience, as @sajokaz mentioned experiencing since November, however you may see significant degradation possibly as soon as late in the 2nd year, and in the 3rd and 4th years
• Since these phones now can replenish significant portions of the charge in even just 15-30 minutes, and these batteries actually "like" or perform better when doing multiple short charges during the day any degradation may not be noticed since you'd be replenishing the charge interday rather than going from full to dead in one shot. I boost the charge most times when I sit for more than 5 or 10 minutes. Lifespan gains using short charge boosts may actually offset any possible damage that full nightly charges cause, simply due to their unique chemistry. You may also be able to escape doing full nightly charges every night this way.
• I charge with a Motorola trickle charger from my Droid MAXX on my nightstand every night wirelessly, simply because I like to start every day with a full charge. If I'm only sleeping 4-5 hours, I'll connect the cable directly to the phone. Why risk doing ANY damage to the battery when it's going to be sitting for 4-8 hours anyway? If I am going to fully charge it overnight, I'd rather it be slow than fast.
• I also agree that a charger from the same company as the phone will provide the greatest compatibility, especially regarding Motorola Turbo Chargers versus other Rapid Chargers. That said, trickle charging at night and then Turbo Charge boosting interday, you'll get the best of both worlds.
• A wireless charger may actually contribute to shorter battery life due to excessive buildup of heat during charging. Wireless charging wastes about .5 amps of power in the form of heat due to the inefficiencies of the wireless charging process. So a 1.5 Amp charger adapter and wireless charging plate combination will only transfer 1 Amp of power to the phone. This may be even worse if using a Rapid (or Turbo), Charging plate combination, so when charging wirelessly I would stay with slow charging again.

Sorry for the long post.

 

[jkaod]

What FoxKat said....as usual.
I think the cable that will come with it is USB-C on the phone end and the other end is a normal USB that will plug into any other "slow" charger, so you should be able to use the cable with your old charger and not have to use the turbo charger all of the time. I too follow the Fox's advice and slow charge my phone on a regular basis and use the turbo charger just for a quick jolt of juice as needed.

 

[mcraeh]

Thanks I wasn't sure if I could even use the moto power bricks I already have. If so then can I just buy any USB-c cable to use with them?

Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk

 

[FoxKat]

Yes you can.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[mcraeh]

Just an update on the charger, it is not a cable that can be removed from the power brick

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[FoxKat]

Just an update on the charger, it is not a cable that can be removed from the power brick

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

That doesn't mean it can't be faulty. In order for the charger to go into Fast Charge mode it needs more wires in the cable than a standard charger cable has. If one of those additional wired is broken the cable could still charge at the normal rate but wouldn't signal Fast Charge.

I had Motorola replace one of my chargers with a non-removable cable that did exactly the same thing.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[mcraeh]

Oh I didn't mean it is faulty. Just that you can't remove the cable from the plug by design. So I couldn't use the cable in the box with a slow charger. I have a bunch of moto charging bricks so I got extra USB - c cables and am good now. That charger is crazy fast. Took my phone from 12% to fully charged in about 45 minutes

 

[Gudasau]

So the connector end that goes into the phone is a different shape? Forgive me, I'm clueless with what a USB-C cable is compared to whatever it is I normally use....
Yeah, I bet a couple of you are surprised to see me on *this* thread participating... Call it "Curious" or call it, "If I'm going to dive back into a data plan, I can get one of these for $30 a month...."

 

[Sajo]

So the connector end that goes into the phone is a different shape? Forgive me, I'm clueless with what a USB-C cable is compared to whatever it is I normally use....
Yeah, I bet a couple of you are surprised to see me on *this* thread participating... Call it "Curious" or call it, "If I'm going to dive back into a data plan, I can get one of these for $30 a month...."

USB Type C connectors are the same shape on both sides, so you can plug it into the phone either way. There is no "up" or "down" side with those connectors. With the mini USB we usr on other phones (like our Turbo 2's) the connector to the phone can only go in one way, one side has a different shape than the other.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[Gudasau]

USB Type C connectors are the same shape on both sides, so you can plug it into the phone either way. There is no "up" or "down" side with those connectors. With the mini USB we usr on other phones (like our Turbo 2's) the connector to the phone can only go in one way, one side has a different shape than the other.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

Okay, I understand. Makes life a little easier when one's trying to plug in their phone in the dark... I wasn't going to do this, but for the price, I think it's almost silly not to. Still need to weigh the pros and cons.

 

[Sajo]

Okay, I understand. Makes life a little easier when one's trying to plug in their phone in the dark... I wasn't going to do this, but for the price, I think it's almost silly not to. Still need to weigh the pros and cons.

Giving up the Turbo 2 already? I'm jealous.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[Gudasau]

Giving up the Turbo 2 already? I'm jealous.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

Maybe... The oldest wants a T2. I can sell him mine and move into another. I dunno yet. I love my phone and am still really nervous about giving up the UDP.

 

[Sajo]

Maybe... The oldest wants a T2. I can sell him mine and move into another. I dunno yet. I love my phone and am still really nervous about giving up the UDP.

I can understand, you have had a lot of texh changes already in a short time.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk