Why You Need to Avoid Cheap Smartphone Chargers

By Jon, IT Superhero

Smartphones and tablets are everywhere these days. Everyone has one, from small stylish units through to the more powerful “phablet” styled units.

With all these devices, carrying around a spare charging cable for the car or the office is becoming more common, and the selection (and style) of cables is getting larger and larger.

With prices so cheap for USB charging cables, it’s hard to convince smartphone owners to fork out the extra money for a branded/Australian safety standards certified USB charging cable, but at activIT systems, we believe it’s not worth the savings. Cheap, non-certified USB charging cables, apart from being incredibly unreliable, can also be dangerous in certain situations.

It’s not just the USB charging cable either; cheap non-certified wall chargers can be equally as dangerous.

Here’s why you need to avoid cheap non-certified USB charging cables and USB wall chargers:

• If you buy a cheap non-certified USB charging cable, you might discover that it may not actually be able to tell the difference between a USB wall charger port and a USB port on a computer.
• A cheap non-certified USB charging cable can actually cause your smartphone to charge more slowly due to how the USB charging cable is wired inside, and can heat up much faster.
• When you charge your smartphone, you want your USB wall charger to stop sending power to your smartphone’s battery. If your cheap non-certified USB wall charger doesn’t contain the correct circuitry, this could seriously damage your smartphone’s battery and therefore the life of your smartphone.
• We’re always warned that cheap non-certified USB charging cables and USB wall chargers could cause a fire. There have been stories of fake (non certified, not fake) USB wall chargers exploding in hands, causing serious burns and electrical shocks, but in 2014 in Sydney it was reported that a woman actually died after an apparent electrocution from a cheap non-certified USB wall charger.

It just goes to show that when you are recharging a smartphone worth several hundred dollars and containing a highly volatile lithium battery pack, paying a few more dollars for an Australian safety standards certified USB charging cable and wall charger just makes sense in the long run. It might even save your life.

If you have any questions, let us know – we’re always ready to help.