Charging Your Droid - Test Results

[sudermatt]

I have recently been VERY frustrated with the charging of the phone. I have done some testing and would like to report my results.

First of all I have the 2.01 update installed because I believe that makes a difference. Before the update, the phone would charge, though slowly, connected to my computer via usb. It wouldn't even have to be on the back of the computer. It would charge connected to my monitor hub. Any ways...here are my test results.

There are several variables that seem to effect charging effectiveness.

1. Cable

CF - Factory
CO - Other
​

2. Source

SDD - Desktop Direct
SDH - Desktop thru some sort of hub
SL1 - Laptop #1 Direct (my home laptop W7)
SL2 - Laptop #2 Direct (my office laptop XP)
SWF - Wall charge unit
SWO - Wall Other unit (after market wall chargers are plentiful).
SCO - Car Other (after market car charger)
​

Keep in mind these are estimates, but empirical.

CF - SWF : + 1% / minute
CO - SWF : + 1% / minute
CF - SL1 : +1% / 10 minutes
CF - SDD : -1% / minute
CO - SDD : -1% / minute
CO - SCO : +1% / minute
CF - SL2 : 0%

I will continue to update my results. But the bottom line so far is....connect to the Factory Wall Charger or Any Car Charger if you want to charge your phone.

Update 12/23/2009: I've been experiencing some mixed results with charging.
For a week or so the phone was charging beautifully...actually charging thru my USB at work thru a Hub even.... CO- SDH...

But today it actually DISCHARGED and pretty rapidly while connected to the same USB port.

My suspicion is there is an application that is running (perhaps a widget) that is pulling too much power. I have a suspicion...and will report back.

 

[LifeIsABeach]

I think part of the problem some people have is not charging it long enough. If you have a "Low Battery" warning and charge the Droid for about an hour using the factory wall charger it will say the battery is 100% charged. However, I have a feeling that is not true. I always let it charge at least 2 hours (but have never done the 24 hour thing some people recommend) and I get great battery life.

 

[Flea506]

i use my ps3 to charge it usualy get 36 hours out of the pfone b4 i hit 15% and hat with some moderate use. Do u have your wifi and bluetooh turned off?

 

[sudermatt]

Update in first post.....suspicious behavior indeed.

 

[Hooblaim]

Hmmm thanks for the post mine charges slow sometimes too.

 

[jkayner]

I noticed previously that if you plug your cable into port "A" and to the phone it starts charging. If you disconnect from phone only and go do something and then come back and just reconnect the phone end, it will not charge. You have to disconnect from port "A" and connect to port "B" it will then charge again.

now with 2.0.1, it appears that the phone will not charge through my monitor's USB port, only directly from the case.

 

[Droids]

I don't think you're taking into account the voltage and amperage of all the different chargers. Any charger or usb port putting out less than the factory charger is going to charge slower, or not at all. The cheap chargers may not even put out a consistent amperage over the course of a charge, so results can vary a lot. For me, I just decided to use Motorola chargers at home and in the car. For USB charging I try to use a port on the computer rather than a hub, seems to work ok, but these can vary in output from one computer to another as well.