What Phone Charger Do I Need? Simplifying the 4 Types - Mr Aberthon (2024)

Undoubtedly, the smartphone industry is famous for the various manufacturers refusing to have a conversation about even the most basic things to bring some sort of consistency across devices. Of course, the most irritating of all is the charging cable. Who knew a phone charger could be so difficult?

But okay, it is what it is. Here we look at the various cables you might need, and where we’re headed as an industry.

• Mini-USB Phone Charger

• Micro-USB

• USB-C Phone Charger

• Apple Charger

• USB 1,2 and 3 Chargers

Phone Charger Directory (Lookup Charger Needed for Each Phone)

Apple iPhone Chargers | Samsung Phone Chargers | Google Phone Chargers | Huawei Phone Chargers | OnePlus Phone Chargers | LG Phone Chargers | Alcatel Phone Chargers | Motorola Phone Chargers | CAT Phone Chargers

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Mini-USB Phone Charger

Although fewer and fewer devices now use a mini-USB connection, they do exist. Some PC peripherals also use it.

For example, you’ll tend to see this in flip-tops and some rugged phones. That is because the mini-USB connector and socket tend to be more robust than the equivalent micro-USB. By the same token, this is the reason why digital cameras and other devices have continued to use a mini-USB connector long after it was officially retired.

Micro-USB

In general, the micro-USB connector is now by far the most commonly used connector for smartphones and tablets. In time, they started to appear on devices after about 2008. The micro-USB’s soon became the go-to connector for smartphone manufacturers. Given that this was largely driven by the adoption of the standard by the EU for all mobile devices sold in Europe. That is to say, it made sense for Samsung, LG, etc. to use just a single type for worldwide distribution to keep costs down. Until now, this is the closest the smartphone world has ever come to having a charging standard. Browse our selection of phones that use micro USB and we offer Micro USB chargers! Such as, the cable above is a micro USB to type A charger. In particular, the type A part of the cable is what typically goes into a computer or charging block.

Apple, of course, went their own way, as we’ll see later.

Provided, there are micro-A and micro-B USB connectors, just to confuse things a little. With this in mind, a large majority of smartphones do use micro-B. But you should make sure that you have the right cable to avoid the risk of damage to the charging port on your phone.

USB-C Phone Charger

Undeniably, USB-C or Type C is the future of USB charging for smartphones. Presently, Mr Aberthon has phones that use USB-C, and we are now selling Type C chargers! Take a look at the charger above! This is type C to type A charger.

You know that little guy who lives in your computer, whose sole job is to flip the port round when he sees you coming? Of course, it is so that you can never plug a USB cable in the first time? But his tenure is under threat. For the most part, USB-C is a standard that has the same connector on each end. Additionally, those connectors have no up or down as they are fully reversible.

The rumor was that the iPhone 7 was going to use USB-C, but this never materialized in the way we expected. Significantly, the USB-C technology would be incorporated in the current Lightning connector for faster charging. With this in mind, Apple makes money off every “Made for i” peripheral sold. They appear to keep to maintain that source of income, so we’ll need to wait and see.

For the rest of us, One-Plus first used USB-C in 2015, with Google following suit with the Nexus line. Meanwhile, Samsung has already used USB-C in the Galaxy S8. In fact, Samsung makes it their default in all new releases. Of course, where someone of Google’s and Samsung’s size goes, others will surely follow.

Apple Charger

So, Apple is a company that has made millions just from licensing their connector technology to cable manufacturers. Where do they stand?

If you have an iPhone 4 or iPad 3, or earlier, you will still have the original 30-pin connector phone charger that Apple started with. From iPhone 5 and iPad 4, for instance, they switched to the Lightning connector pictured above.

Presently, Apple has added fast charging with a 20W USB-C. The lightning connector remains the same but the other end is a lot smaller since it’s now USB-C (below). It is compatible with iPhone 8 or later and optimal for the iPad Air and iPad Pro. To purchase the lighting to type A charger, follow the link!

USB 1,2 and 3 Chargers

USB 1 was the original USB standard phone charger, and USB 3.1 was the last before USB-C was confirmed. To clarify, the numbers only signify the available transfer speeds, and all ports are backwardly compatible. For example, you can plug a USB 1 device into a USB 3 port on a computer. It will still work or charge, just at USB 1 speeds. In addition, USB 3 devices do have a different connector that goes into the device itself. That to facilitate the backward compatibility but, otherwise, the technology is identical.

Phone Charger Directory

Here’s our complete and comprehensive list of all the major phones in circulation and their respective chargers. Also, if you would like to request that we add a model, please let us know in the comments below!

Apple iPhone Chargers

Chiefly, Apple is easily one of the most recognizable companies globally. To emphasize, they completely revolutionized the tech space with many of their products. Apple started with computers, moved on to MP3 players, and then moved down to smartphones. As most may know, Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, and equally as important, Steve Wozniak which some may not know. Surprisingly, the first Apple computers were sold from a garage and without a monitor, keyboard, or casing. Those pieces were added in 1977 and only a year later the first color graphics computer was released. As a result, the colored Apple II computer pushed sales from 7.8 million in 1978 to 117 million in 1980.

Presently, Apple continues to release new versions of iPhones, iPads, Macs, watches, and headphones almost every year. Straightaway, the masses flock to Apple stores to get their hands on the newest technology. While some aren’t fans of Apple’s devoted following, the truth is they truly make items that work. To point out, Apple wouldn’t have amassed such a large fan base with bad products. To emphasize, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak’s initial goal was to make a computer that was “user friendly”. Of course, That’s exactly what Apple does, makes items easy to use for those who do not have time to customize their phone or computer.

Types of iPhone Chargers:

• Lightning to USB-C. The Lightning to USB-C was introduced in 2017,specifically, to adapt to fast charging. This also was the same time that Apple stopped giving away free charging blocks and headphones. To explain, their reasoning was to help reduce waste by the company.
• Lightning to USB. This charger is what replaced the 30pin long battery most iPhone users were accustomed to. It was released in September of 2012 to some push back but eventually everyone came around to like the reversible charger.
• 30 pin to USB. This is the original iPhone charger that also charged other Apple devices like the iPod touch.

iPhone Device Chargers List

Here is a list of all the iPhone devices together with their chargers.

Samsung Phone Chargers

In short, most people would guess that Samsung has always been in the tech space. Surprisingly, Samsung was founded in 1938 by Lee Byung-Chull as a grocery store for trading. It wasn’t until 1969 that Samsung pivoted to the electronics business starting with TVs. Previously, you could see the “3 Stars” logo on older versions of Samsung devices. The name Samsung, in Korean, means “3 stars”. In fact, the three stars embody the founder’s vision to shine like a star in the sky, bright and everlasting. It is certainly a foreshadowing of the company’s success in later years.

To point out, arguably, the most popular product from Samsung is the Galaxy smartphone series. In time, the series of phones went on to be the best-selling smartphones globally. For this reason, Samsung continues to ride the Galaxy wave and release other products in the series. Presently, aside from the new yearly models of smartphones, now there are tablets and smartwatches.

Types of Samsung Chargers

• Micro USB. This is the most common charger found in Samsung Galaxy smartphones. The end that attaches to the device is the smaller side, and then the other larger side is what most people know as USB A.
• USB Type C. This is what Samsung has transitioned to for their newer models. For one thing, the important difference is Type C chargers have the same type of plug on either side of the cord.

Samsung Device Chargers

Here is a list of Samsung devices together with their chargers

Google Phone Chargers

Google is a company better known for its search engine, without delay, revolutionized the internet. All of a sudden, one single webpage has now turned into over 50 different internet services for all to utilize. It all began in 1996 when two PhD students from Stamford University began a research project. Before today’s Google, search engines worked by scanning a website and seeing how many times the search term appeared on the website. Until Larry Page and Sergey Brin theorized that a website with a higher number of backlinks that led to it means that specific page must have valuable/relevant information. Then from that theory, on September 15, 1997, Google was born. Or at least that is when their domain name was registered.

So, Google began their smartphone journey back in 2006 with the prototype “Sooner”. Sooner or later, Google acquired Android in a 50 million dollar deal and worked closely with HTC to develop the Sooner. For one thing, this device looks similar to a Blackberry, matte black with rounded corners. But the release of the iPhone changed everything. A year later, in collaboration with HTC and T-Mobile, Google released the HTC Dream (also known as T-Mobile’s G1). Then fast forward to 2016, Google began to brand phones on their own. Markedly, the Google Pixel line of phones was a great hit putting them up at the top with the big players in the smartphone industry.

Types of Google chargers

• Mini USB. One of the smaller USB ports with 5 pins. Typically seen in digital cameras. In terms of phones, this is not the first choice anymore.
• Micro USB. This is an even smaller USB port with also 5 pins in a more compact space. These are what phased out the mini USB.
• Type C. This is becoming the new standard for all mobile devices. The type C cable is reversible and allows for rapid charging.

Google Device Chargers

This is a list of Google devices and their chargers:

Huawei Phone Chargers

While this brand isn’t as common in the US, Huawei is a global brand that was founded in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei. Huawei’s headquarters is located in Shenzhen, China. The original headquarters, also in Shenzhen, was the top two floors of a converted apartment building. While the founder wanted to entice people to come work for him. So, he fibbed a little, because the rooftop of the building was the “2nd” floor. But there was a good reason for this. Incredibly, Zhengfei built Huawei from the bottom up with only $5,600 to start.

At the present time, they are one of the largest privately-held businesses. To point out, in 2016, their global revenue was 75.1 billion dollars. For one thing, what makes Huawei special is their passion for innovation. To clarify, they are one of the few companies that don’t rely on other people’s research. Firstly, Huawei entered the phone market in 2004 with the C300, a standard candy bar phone. Since then, they have evolved with growing market demands. Huawei’s real winner was the Ascend series of phones that initially launched in the early 2010s.

Types of Huawei chargers

• Micro USB. This type of charger was phased out for most mobile phones starting around 2015. This type of charger is used for charging a phone’s battery and also data transfers.
• Type C. The new player in the smartphone market. Offering faster charging, this has become the preferred charger type for phone manufacturers.

Huawei Device Chargers

OnePlus Phone Chargers

OnePlus is considered a baby compared to the other big tech companies. For instance, they were founded in 2013 by CEOs Pete Lau and Carl Pei in Shenzhen, China. Even though they recently entered the smartphone market, OnePlus is in 34 different countries as of 2018.

An interesting move from OnePlus was the invite-only system of their first phone release. They initially released a series of one-time use codes to its small fan base. When those codes were used, another code was populated for the purchaser to share with another person. A smart idea on OnePlus’ part because it helped them slow down the demand for their new device.

But, why would a phone company want to slow down the number of orders they receive? In fact, OnePlus’s motto is “never settle” and they set out to produce a high spec phone for a budget cost. With this in mind, the OnePlus One retail cost was the low price of $299. The plan worked perfectly because they went on to sell over a million devices. Since then they have released over 30 more devices and are liked by most.

Types of OnePlus Chargers:

• Micro USB 2.0. The small plug that most people recognize as a phone or camera charger. They contain 5 pins that charge our devices or transfer data to and from a computer.
• Type C. This is overwhelmingly the most common charger used by OnePlus. The Type C charger is gaining popularity due to its fast charging capabilities. Additionally, the plug can be inserted flipped up or down.

OnePlus Device Chargers

LG Phone Chargers

Founded by Koo In-hwoi, LG originally was named ‘Lucky’ in 1947. In 1983, seemingly sudden, Lucky merged with a company called Goldstar. Together they are Lucky-Goldstar which is where the modern LG name comes from today.Since then, LG is a common household name for most people globally. Markedly, they offer a wide array of products like refrigerators, TVs, washers, and dryers.

Firstly, LG began its phone journey in 2006 with the introduction of the LG Prada. To point out, if we want to get technical, LG was the first to release a capacitive touchscreen. To explain, the LG Prada beat Apple’s iPhone by a couple of months. It did not fare well in the market because the specs of the phone did not come close to those of the iPhone. Since then LG has released serval phones and their more recent smartphones pack a punch!

Types of LG Chargers

• Micro USB 2.0. Firstly, this is the small plug that is commonly recognized as a phone or camera charger. Secondly, they have five pins that allow for data transfer and charging of our devices. Most of the LG phone down below are using Micro USB.
• Type C. To point out, LG is beginning to use the USB-C charger in some of their newer models. The fast charging capabilities of USB-C is taking the mobile phone market by storm. Additionally, the reversible plus makes using this type of charger a breeze.

Alcatel Phone Chargers

Firstly, the Alcatel we know today is a mobile brand offshoot of two pretty large companies. Hence, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprises is under the parent organization Nokia, which is no stranger to the cell phone world. In fact, Alcatel began producing phones in 1996. But, in 2004, the French company Alcatel-Lucent and the Chinese company TCL Technology decided to join forces and create Alcatel Mobile Phones. The name changed a few times since then, starting at Alcatel Mobile Phones, in 2010 becoming Alcatel One Touch, and in 2016 settling at just Alcatel.

Before the smartphone boom, Alcatel was a big name in the mobile phone market. They produced small mobile phones such as the OneTouch Easy. OneTouch might sound familiar but we are not talking about the new smartphones. Think about a small blue candy bar phone that, jarringly, has an antenna and the dial pad is 50% of the body. Presently, they are making budget-friendly smartphones. Soon, Alcatel in early 2022 should be releasing the Alcatel 1L Pro.

Types of Alcatel Chargers

• Micro USB 2.0. Surprisingly, Micro USB is the most popular charger type for Alcatel. The 5 pin connector used to charge devices and transfer data help keeps the cost of the phones down.
• Type C. Alcatel only has a handful of products that utilize USB-C. Most brands are switching over to Type C but for now Alcatel is keeping it classic.

Motorola Phone Chargers

Uses Type C

Motorola Moto G8 Plus

Motorola Edge Plus

CAT Phone Chargers

Other Phones

Uses Type C

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro

Lenovo Legion Duel

Cat S62 Pro

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