by Charles Miller

The dictionary defines the word "universal" as "done, produced, or shared by all members of the class or group under consideration." It may come as a surprise to you, as it did to me, to learn that the dictionary definition of the word does not strictly apply to those ubiquitous Universal Serial Bus (USB) chargers.

USB is a standardized interface that allows simplified attachment of devices, especially to computers, smart phones, etc. and also charging the rechargeable batteries. If you own any device powered by a rechargeable battery then you could benefit from reading further.

My client was rather annoyed that her almost-new iPhone was dead and its battery would not charge. I knew from past experiences that this person had a bad habit of allowing her battery to go completely flat, in spite of warnings not to do so. Using a lithium-ion battery until it is 100% dead is injurious to the battery, and sometimes if you do this the battery will no longer take a charge. Moreover, I noticed that this person was not using the "wall wart" charger that had come with the phone. These chargers are not all created equal. They are all 5 volts DC but can be different amperages. The factory-provided charger for the iPhone is a two-amp capacity and my client had somewhere found a lower-capacity charger and had been using that for weeks.

I tried charging the battery after first finding a USB charger of the correct voltage and amperage. When after hours of charging that failed, I tried two other chargers of the correct specifications; then I assumed the battery had been damaged.

Next I took the phone to a local shop and to a repairman in whom I trusted (and even more so now). I am very glad I asked his opinion rather than telling him mine. Had I told him I wanted a new battery that is probably what I would have gotten, and not fixed the problem. He told me I was not using an Apple charger and just because I had used three different USB chargers of the correct voltage and amperage, that was not enough.

I was doubtful, but he plugged my client's iPhone into the correct Apple-branded charger and it immediately started charging. Then I was incredulous. Obviously Apple has incorporated circuits into the iPhone and/or charger to verify the correct Apple charger is being used. I have not found this documented in the Apple literature, but the empirical observation is undeniable. This also means that using the correct power cord to connect the iPhone to its charger is important. USB cables are not all created equal either. Inside, a USB cable can include wires for charging and/or data and this is something that cannot be seen.

So, the moral of this story is that if you want to save yourself some headaches, the smart thing to do is to always use the USB charger and cord that came with your device. I would even go so far as to recommend that you take a marker and label the cord and the charger so as to avoid confusing them with others you might have lying around.

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Charles Miller is a freelance computer consultant with decades of IT experience and a Texan with a lifetime love for Mexico. The opinions expressed are his own. He may be contacted at 415-101-8528 or email FAQ8 (at) SMAguru.com.

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