Comparison of USB Chargers (Apple, Samsung, Counterfeit)

Author: 

Ken Shirriff

This blog post is a few years old, but remains very interesting to see the difference in performance among USB wall chargers. Ever wonder about the difference between the expensive name-brand charger and the cheap imitation? This article gives in depth examination of the noise emanating from these devices. An interesting side effect of unwanted electrical noise from the chargers is that the touch-screen on your device can become unresponsive or erratic in some cases.

When you buy a USB charger, how do you know if you're getting a safe, high-quality charger for your money? You can't tell from the outside if a charger provides silky-smooth power or if it is a dangerous charger that emits noisy power that cause touchscreen malfunctions and could self-destruct. In this article, I carefully measure the performance of a dozen different chargers, rate their performance in multiple categories, and determine the winners and losers.

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