Fast charging is a very important purchase criterion for any smartphone in 2024. Standards such as USB Power Delivery or Quick Charge enable increasingly powerful charging speeds of up to 240 W.
Many manufacturers such as Xiaomi and Realme feature proprietary charging technologies. However, there are also plenty of alternatives to charge your Android smartphone or iPhone in under an hour or even less than 30 minutes.
The best recommendations for smartphone fast chargers by nextpit
With most smartphones now sold without chargers, the need to buy a fast charger is growing. That’s why we’ve selected the best Samsung, Apple, Anker, or Belkin fast chargers to charge your smartphone at maximum speed.
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Buying advice: What you need to know before choosing a fast charger for your smartphone or iPhone
Choosing a fast charger may seem simple at first, but it’s not. From the impact of fast charging on your battery life, to charging power and technology, to the price of the charger, there are many factors to consider before buying a fast charger for your smartphone. That’s why we’ve pieced together this buying guide to show you what you need to consider when choosing your fast charger.
Does fast charging damage your smartphone?
I still remember the days when I had to wait a good two hours or more before my iPhone 6S was fully charged. Fortunately, those days are over, as 25 minutes are now enough to fully charge a smartphone, even for an affordable model like the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G.
However, such ultra-fast charging speeds continue to be a bone of contention. Recharging your smartphone quickly or preserving your battery durability—therein lies the dilemma. According to an iFixit expert interviewed by Cnet: “Overall, fast charging has no noticeable impact on battery life in the usual two years of use for which it is designed”.
Hence, it’s up to you to decide whether you want to charge your smartphone quickly or preserve its battery durability in the long run. If you’re interested in this subject, take a look at our article on the effects of fast charging on smartphone batteries to find out more.
What is your smartphone’s maximum charge capacity?
Long gone are the days when 5W chargers accompanied the phone in a box. To choose the right fast charger for your smartphone, it’s important to know the maximum charging power it can handle. Getting the charger’s specifications wrong, and therefore buying the wrong model, can be harmful to your battery.
Today’s fast charging technologies enable you to charge your smartphone at 30 W, and even up to 240 W, as with the Realme GT Neo 5. So be sure to check the maximum charging power supported by your smartphone by looking up its technical specifications on nextpit. In any case, we have asked you and you answered: my smartphone’s battery life is more important to me than fast charging.
As a reminder, to calculate the power of a charger, multiply the current by the voltage, or more simply, the number in front of the “A” symbol by the number in front of the “V”.
Quick Charge, Power Delivery, Magsafe: What charging technologies does your smartphone support?
There are two main charging standards: USB Power Delivery and Qualcomm Quick Charge. In the table below, you’ll find the main features of these standards (the figures below are theoretical maximums):
| USB Power-Delivery 3.1 | Quick Charge 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Voltage | 48 V | 20 V |
| Current | 5 A | 5 A |
| Max. power | 240 W | 100 W |
Over the years, several manufacturers have developed their own charging technologies. This is notably the case with Oppo’s SuperVOOC charging, also adopted by OnePlus in the OnePlus 12 Pro we recently reviewed. Make sure your charger is compatible with the charging technology supported by your smartphone.
Basically, you can charge your Oppo Find X5 Pro at 80 W using the Oppo SuperVOOC 80 W charger. But with a third-party charger from another brand, charging speeds will be hampered and you will not enjoy the maximum charging power your Oppo can handle. It will therefore charge at a slower rate.
However, some proprietary chargers are compatible with the more universal standards mentioned above. OnePlus’ SuperVOOC charger, for example, is USB PD 3 compatible. Xiaomi’s HyperCharge 120W is also compatible, in addition to Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4. In all cases, power will be limited if you don’t use the right power supply AND the right cable.
Bear in mind that charging power is often limited by smartphone manufacturers’ chargers. To find out more, take a look at our comprehensive guide to different fast charging technologies.
What is a GaN charger?
A GaN charger is a charger made from gallium nitride (or GaN, the name of the chemical used). GaN technology reduces heat build-up in the fast-charging process. It also makes chargers physically smaller, more powerful, and safer.
GaN chargers are gradually replacing silicon chargers. They require fewer components, support higher voltages, and can power a variety of USB-C devices such as smartphones, laptops, tablet headphones, etc.
Will you need to charge several devices simultaneously?
The smartphone is plugged next to my bed, the tablet in the far corner of the room, while my headphones for the PC are plugged in under my desk. It becomes a challenge at times to manage the charging of several devices simultaneously. Unfortunately, this is the reality for many people in the digital revolution.
Instead of getting bogged down by a power strip, it can be very practical to opt for a rapid charger with multiple ports to recharge several devices at once.
You’ll find chargers on the market that can charge your smartphone, true wirelesss headphones, smartwatch, and iPad or Galaxy Tab at the same time. This should be adequate for most people unless you’ve got a crypto-currency mining field with a million PCs to plug into.
The price of the fast charger
As chargers are no longer supplied with each new smartphone purchase, you’ll need to plan to buy a charger with your new smartphone in any case. Chargers from reliable brands such as Anker, Belkin, or Ugreen range from around $15 to $80 for the better models.
Do take note that the price of a charger often rises according to its power rating or the number of ports it offers.
The best fast charger for iPhone: Belkin BoostCharge 25 W
Our pick for the best fast charger for your iPhone is the Belkin BoostCharge 25 W. This fairly compact charger will let you take advantage of your iPhone’s maximum charging power.
It is compatible with the USB-C Power Delivery 3.0 standard and offers optimized charging to all compatible devices by dynamically providing the best possible voltage and adequate charging power.
The best Samsung and Xiaomi fast charger: Anker Prime USB-C Charger 100 W GaN
The Anker Prime Charger USB-C 100 W GaN is, as its name suggests, a 100 W charger that is perfect for charging your Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, OnePlus, Realme, or other smartphone. It’s powerful enough to recharge your smartphone very quickly and has the advantage of GaN technology, which means the charger isn’t too massive for its power while improving power conversion.
The best universal USB-C fast charger: Ugreen Nexode 300W Charger
Are you looking for an all-purpose charger capable of charging your numerous devices? The Ugreen Nexode 300 W is an ultra-powerful multi-port GaN charger. This charger offers 5 ports with 300 W of power, including one port at 140 W charging.
Despite its weight and size, it is capable of simultaneously recharging four laptops and offers good heat management. Its expensive $269.99 price tag is justified by its build quality. The Nexode 300 W is ideal for those who need to charge multiple devices quickly and efficiently.
Good
- USB PD 140W support
- Excellent build quality
- Good thermal management
- Handled four laptops with no issues
Bad
- Not cheap
- Heavy and bulky
The best compact charger: Ugreen Nexode Robot GaN 65 W
The Ugreen Nexode Robot GaN 65W (review) is a cute, compact USB charger with a little face that indicates your device’s charging level. It has three USB ports and can charge up to three devices simultaneously at a maximum power of 65 W.
The design is original, with practical magnetic feet for its storage. It should be noted, however, that the 65 W charging speed is limited to a single port with a single device, and the LED screen is always on, which can be annoying at night.
Good
- Cute, compact design
- Practical magnetic feet
- GaN technology
- 65 W max output
- 3 USB ports
Bad
- 65 W limited to a single port with a single device
- LED display is always on
The best MagSafe charger for iPhone: Apple MagSafe charger
Its simplicity and design impressed the editors at nextpit. The MagSafe charger is obviously the most stylish and useful desktop accessory for your iPhone. As well as being able to charge and magnetize your iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and AirPods, this MagSafe charger is compatible with other mobile devices like the Google Pixel 8/ Pixel 8 Pro, Xiaomi 14 Ultra, Galaxy S24, OnePlus 12 Pro, and numerous others. Apple’s charger will not, however, be able to attach to these Android smartphones.
The best wireless charger: OnePlus 50 W Wireless Charger
We’ve also thought about those of you who like to have the freedom of using your smartphone without being tethered while it’s charging. The OnePlus 50 W Wireless Charger 50W is among the best wireless chargers available on the market. It enables you to enjoy fast wireless charging of a compatible smartphone, to charge even with a thick protective case, and also to place the smartphone in portrait or landscape mode.
This charger is not exclusive to just OnePlus smartphones. It’s true that the ultra-fast 50W charge is reserved for the brand’s smartphones, but you’ll be able to charge your smartphone at 12W via the Qi standard without any issues.
That’s all for our selection of the best fast chargers for your smartphone. Did you find this selection useful? Do you have any other suggestions? If so, please share them in the comments.
