How to charge your phone in less than an hour

Battery life has improved with newer devices, but do you still sometimes ask too much of your trusty phone?

Is your heart beating a little faster just reading that? Don’t worry, us too.

Luckily, there are all kinds of ways to ensure the all-too-familiar dead smartphone-induced fear never rears its ugly head again. Whether you have an Android or another smartphone, we’re here to share some tips with you.

Nowadays most new smartphones have a really good battery life and charge faster than ever before. But that doesn’t mean they’re all created equal. A number of Android phones boast special charging powers. For example, the latest Samsungs use charge cleverly, directing it away from apps you’re not using. If your friend’s out of juice, they can place it back to back with your Galaxy for a lightning-quick boost.

Like its predecessor the S8, the Samsung Galaxy S9 is kitted out with fast-charging capabilities, too. Just enable it by going to Settings > Device maintenance > Battery > Advanced settings before toggling on Fast cable charging. Top tip? If you really need it to charge in a hurry, don’t use your phone while you’re charging. It works best when the display is switched off.

Huawei offers some of the world’s fastest charging technology and similar back to back charging. Check out Huawei phones here.

If you have an iPhone and an iPad, use your iPad’s power adapter to charge up your iPhone instead. You might have thought they were the same, but the iPad’s adapter actually comes with a much better power output. And that means faster charging abilities

Check the ways your phone likes to save battery. You could turn on Airplane Mode. Reduce screen brightness, de-activate Bluetooth and location services, or activate Low-Power Mode, if you’ve got an iPhone.

Another hack for quick-charging your phone is to charge it while it’s in Airplane Mode. That’s the only time your phone stops trying to find your exact location coordinates. And that uses up precious battery power. It might only take a few minutes off charging, but when you’re at 0% every second counts.

There are plenty of portable chargers available to buy for when you’re out-and-about and running out of juice. But look for one that will give your phone a full charge. To do that you need to know the capacity of your phone’s battery.

For example, the iPhone X has a battery capacity of 2,716mAh and the Samsung Galaxy Note9 has one that’s 4,000mAh. So, look at a portable charger’s mAh rating, then divide that by your phone’s battery capacity.

That means a 20000mAh battery pack from Anker may be able to charge your iPhone about 7 times, or your Samsung 5 times.

If you’d rather not carry an extra accessory around with you all the time, try a battery-charging case instead. Mophie makes some great cases that actually look good, too. You don’t have to opt for something bulky to stay juiced up.

You’re more likely to remember to charge your phone if it’s easy to do. That’s why wireless charging tech is so exciting. You don’t even have to remember to plug your phone in, or pick up the cable. Bliss.

Some phones now have wireless charging tech built into them. They let you charge your phone without pesky wires or attachments. And those that can’t can still take advantage of fuss-free charging with the help of a special case or cover.

What’s more, the Samsung Galaxy S10 takes power up a level with its wireless charging pad. You can use it to charge up more than just your phone. How about a smart watch, your Galaxy Buds, or even your mate’s phone. As long as it’s Qi-charging compatible. Just sit them on the back of your phone and watch the battery fill up. Fast charging 2.0 also means that you’ll get a 0-100% charge up to 36% faster than before.

Sure, it’s often way more convenient to charge your phone at your laptop via USB. But charging it at the wall with your adapter will actually fill your phone with power faster. That’s because wall chargers tend to have a stronger power output than USB.

Just like fast-acting phones are increasing in popularity, so are fast-acting chargers. HTC has a Rapid Charger and Samsung has a Fast Charge Wireless Charging Pad. More and more brands are realising we’re an impatient bunch. So, they’re launching their own products to put us at ease quicker than ever.

Case in point? Israeli start-up StoreDot has created a 50-amp charger. It claims to charge your phone from 0% to 100% in 5 minutes flat. Oppo and Qualcomm also have super-quick charge technology. Oppo’s VOOC flash-charge aims to get your phone to 75% power in just half an hour.

Now this is the stuff dreams are made of.

Main pic: Unsplash