Robert Triggs / Android authority
Samsung caused a whole new headache for consumers when they dropped the chargerIt would be Galaxy S21. Now you pay extra for a new charger, browse a range of third-party options, or just rely on an old plug you have left. Not an easy choice to decipher - especially given eternityconfusing status of USB-C charging standards.
Before rushing to buynew charger,we've tested a selection of older smartphone plugs and many newer third-party chargers to help you make your decision. Here's everything you need to know about buying the perfect Samsung Galaxy S21 charger. Fortunately, many of these choices also work for the Galaxy S22 series. Newer devices support up to 45W charging, so choose carefully.
Our thoughts: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review
The best Samsung Galaxy S21 charger for fast charging
Robert Triggs / Android authority
The entire Samsung Galaxy S21 range charges at a maximum rated power of 25W. This is achieved by usingUSB poweredStandard programmable power supply (USB PD PPS). However, the S21 family can also achieve top speed with Quick Charge 4+ compatibility. Specifically, the phone negotiates about 2.6 amps at 9.3 volts for a total of 25W of charging power.
As such, you can't get this speed with regular USB power, Quick Charge 3.0, or several other charging standards.
The Galaxy S21 only charges at 25W using the USB Power Delivery PSS plug. Other plugins also load, albeit more slowly.
Of course, Samsung sells chargers designed to charge its latest smartphones. The company's 25W and 45W travel adapters are USB PD 3.0 PPS compliant, but you won't need them unless you plan to charge your Galaxy Note 10 Plus, S20 Ultra, or USB PD-enabled laptop or tablet.
Learn more: The best Samsung fast chargers
If you are looking for a future-proof 45W PPS plug in the market, you can spend less money and achieve the same results as Samsung with the Elecjet 45W. The Elecjet 45W charger supports the required USB PD PPS charging modes and we have tested the phone to confirm that it outputs the maximum power of up to 25W Galaxy S21.
We also tested PPS complianceAnker PowerPort III Pod 65W. This turned out to be a bit more demanding, but it ended up charging the Samsung Galaxy S21 series super fast. At $40, this charger is a competitive choice against Samsung's 45W option, but it doesn't offer as much bang for the buck as the Elecjet if you're just looking for a phone and not a laptop charger.
Hoping for more multi-port charging options? Check out some of our favouritesHere.
Can I charge my Galaxy S21 with my old Samsung charger?
If you already have an older Samsung charger, you may not need to buy a new one to fast charge your Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphone. The Samsung 25W Super Fast Charging and 45W Super Fast Charging 2.0 plugs support USB PD PPS and offer a combined power of 25W supported by the Samsung Galaxy S21 series.
Samsung has included a 25W Super Fast Charging plug with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Note 20. You need a brand new phone, but the last generation of Samsung phones already have the best charger for the Galaxy S21.
Newer Samsung chargers with a USB-A port labeled Adaptive Fast Charging will still work with the Samsung Galaxy S21, but they won't offer the fastest charging speed available. These plugs fall back on Samsung's Adaptive Fast Charge standard to provide 15W to the Galaxy S21 series. The adaptive plug can be found in the set with the Galaxy S20 FE series, Galaxy S10 and older Samsung models.
Samsung's older Adaptive Fast Charging plugs deliver 15W, the same as the newer USB PD and Quick Charge accessories.
15W may not seem like much, but if you don't jump on a USB PD PPS charger, 15W is the max power you'll get from third party plugs. We've tested a wide variety of third-party chargers with support for Quick Charge and USB Power Delivery, and the Galaxy S21 only draws 15W from these chargers as well. So you might as well save some money and stick with the old Samsung charger.
Read further:The best portable chargers
Charging Samsung Galaxy S21 with old phone chargers
Robert Triggs / Android authority
If you're upgrading from a different brand of phone, the charging speed you get when you try to charge your new Samsung Galaxy S21 is much more anomalous. We tested chargers from Apple, Google, LG, HUAWEI, Xiaomi and others. The table below is not an exhaustive list, but it does contain the key specs needed to fast charge Samsung's latest flagships.
| Charger | Universal standards supported | Samsung Galaxy S21 charging power |
|---|---|---|
| Charger Google Pixel Charger | Universal standards supported USB PD (5V 3A, 9V 2A) | Samsung Galaxy S21 charging power 15 W via USB PD 2.0 |
| Charger LG 16W fast charge | Universal standards supported Fast Charging 3.0 | Samsung Galaxy S21 charging power 15W via Fast Charge 2.0 |
| Charger HUAWEI 40W blower | Universal standards supported HUAWEI super charging | Samsung Galaxy S21 charging power 9W |
| Charger HUAWEI 66W super charging | Universal standards supported HUAWEI super charging | Samsung Galaxy S21 charging power 15W via Fast Charge 2.0 |
| Charger Realme VOOC Flash Charge 3.0 | Universal standards supported | Samsung Galaxy S21 charging power 0,5 watt |
| Charger Adapter Xiaomi 30W, 40W en 120W | Universal standards supported Fast Charging 3.0 | Samsung Galaxy S21 charging power 15W via Fast Charge 2.0 |
| Charger ZTE Fast Charge 3.0 | Universal standards supported Fast Charging 3.0 | Samsung Galaxy S21 charging power 15W via Fast Charge 2.0 |
If you have an old phone charger that supports USB Power Delivery, Quick Charge 3.0 or Quick Charge 2.0, it will charge your Samsung Galaxy S21 with up to 15W of power. Chargers that support proprietary fast charging standards, such as those from HUAWEI and realme, are less likely to support these universal standards and will charge at 9W or 5W by default, or may not work at all.
In general, Chinese brands support proprietary rather than universal standards that the Galaxy S21 supports. The more well-known western house brands such as Google and LG work quite well with the latest flagships from Samsung.
The same rule of thumb applies to third-party accessories from Anker, Belkin, and others. Plugs and ports that support USB Power Delivery, Qualcomm Quick Charge and Samsung AFC provide up to 15W of power for the Samsung Galaxy S21. Standard USB ports or ports that support Apple's 2.4A standard will revert to charging at 9W or slower.
Related:The best USB-C cables money can buy
Which adapter charges the Samsung Galaxy S21 the fastest?
If you're interested in the specific results of our charging test for the Samsung Galaxy S21, check out the table below for our full dataset.
Based on our extensive testing, the only way to reach the Samsung Galaxy S21's maximum charging power of 25W is to use the USB Power Delivery PPS plug. So far, we have only identified four chargers that power the Samsung Galaxy S21 at full speed. These are the Samsung 25W and 45W Super Fast Charging Plugs, the Elecjet 45W Super Fast Charging Adapter and Anker's PowerPort III Pod.
Other third-party chargers usually go up to 15W, which is slower but still quite functional. The Samsung Galaxy S21 charges at 15 W according to USB Power Delivery, Quick Charge and Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging standards. So there is plenty of support for this speed from older phone plugs and third party accessories. Remember, not every old phone charger or accessory will fast charge your Samsung Galaxy S21.
Characteristics
SamsungGalaxy S21
FAQs
How fast can I charge my Samsung Galaxy S21 with an old charger? ›
The Samsung Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra don't include a charger, only a USB-C to USB-C cable. If your old charger has a USB-A port, this cable won't fit and you'll need to buy a new cable to charge your device. With the new USB-C charger, it takes 20 to 30 minutes less to charge your device.
Can I charge my new Samsung with old charger? ›Here's how! You'll need a Samsung Micro USB adapter. Connect your old charger to the Micro USB port on the adapter. Attach the USB-C end to your Samsung Galaxy S8 like this, and you are all set.
Can I charge S21 with 15W charger? ›Like many other top-tier Android smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus, and Galaxy S21 Ultra all support 15W Qi wireless charging.
Can you charge S21 with 30W charger? ›Apple 30W USB-C Power Adapter
This is the official charger from Apple, which can fast charge your Galaxy S21 at up to 25W. There's nothing special about it, though. It has a single USB-C port and can be used to charge not only your Galaxy phone but also other mobile devices.
If you have an old phone charger that supports USB Power Delivery, Quick Charge 3.0, or Quick Charge 2.0, then it will charge up your Samsung Galaxy S21 with a maximum of 15W of power.
Is it OK to use an old charger on a new phone? ›Factors to Consider When Using Your Old Phone Charger
New phones will likely recognize old chargers at lower voltages than the charger designed to go with the phone. However, the phone will adjust to the old charger's voltage, meaning that the phone itself and the battery will not be harmed.
S21 Battery charging tips and precautions
It is recommended to use the Samsung-approved battery, charger and cable specifically designed for your device. An incompatible battery, charger and cable can cause serious injuries or damage to your device.
3. Make Sure Fast Charging Is Enabled
Go to the Settings app. Tap on Battery and device care > Battery. Tap More battery settings. Make sure all toggles under Charging are enabled.
➊ Go to "Settings", then tap "Battery and device care". ➋ Tap “Battery”. ➌ Tap “More battery settings”. ➍ Tap the switch to activate "Fast charging", "Super fast charging" or "Fast wireless charging".
What is the max watt charger for S21? ›The Samsung S21 flagship series all come with a 25 watt charging limit.
What happens if you use a 30w charger on a 25w phone? ›
It is perfectly safe to use any certified charger wattage with any device. The reason for this is that the device only uses the wattage it can take…
Can I use a 100W charger for Samsung S21? ›【Compatible for All USB C Devices】：USB C to C type fast charging cable are all compatible with below 100W charger (such as Google Pixel 7 Pro charging block, Samsung S20/S21/S22 charger block, iPad Pro/Air/Mini charger box, Macbook Pro charger cube).
Does it matter what charger I use for my Samsung phone? ›If you want the fastest battery charge possible for your phone, you need the charger that supplies as many watts as your phone can handle at once. Most of the time—but not always—the charger that came bundled with your phone will fit the bill.
How do you know if a cable is fast charging? ›Check the Voltage and Current Output
If you see a cable that puts out power at 5V, 9V, 12V or even 2000mA, this is a sure sign that it's a fast charger. On the other hand, anything below 1000mAh is considered a slow charger. So look for 5V-2A or 5V-2000mA.
At the very least, manufacturers are trying to push secondhand customers into buying a brand new charger from them. It is very difficult for people today to buy secondhand phones without a charger included in the box; normally, people would avoid such a deal if they can.
Do old chargers charge slower? ›The phone takes only the current it can handle. Consequently, when you plug a fast-charging phone into a conventional phone charger, it will charge at a slower rate. Onboard microprocessors monitor and manage the battery's state of charge and health to ensure that they get what they need at a rate they can handle.
Can I use normal charger for fast charging phone? ›You can charge your phone with all chargers. The only thing is the speed of charging, nothing else... I often use the charger of Samsung, Acer, USB port of my computer, .... It will charge slower, but should not hurt the battery (unless the charger is pretty low quality).
Can using the wrong charger damage your phone? ›Using a charger with the wrong voltage can overheat your phone's battery, potentially causing a fire. So, in short, it's definitely not worth the risk to use the wrong charger for your phone. Stick with the charger that came with your phone, or buy a new one from the same manufacturer.
Why is my Samsung S21 phone so slow? ›My Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Android 11.0 is slow
If you've used many applications on the phone, it may get slow because the applications keep running in the background. Solution: End running applications. Press the Application key. To end one running application, slide your finger upwards on the required application.
If you connect the device with USB PD 2.0 charger, the battery is only charged by Fast charging. For Samsung chargers that support Super fast charging, 'Super Fast Charging' text with the charging icon is marked on the charger.
At what percentage should I charge my Galaxy S21? ›
Unlike the nickel batteries used in older phones, lithium-ion batteries do best when kept above a 50 percent charge.
Is it OK to charge Samsung phone with other charger? ›All phones since the S8 and Note8 (including the new Galaxy Z Fold4 and Z Flip4!) are compatible with USB-C chargers and QI-certified wireless chargers. Newer Galaxy tablets are also compatible with USB-C chargers but may not work with wireless chargers because of their size.
Can I use old Samsung charger for S22? ›Your Samsung S22 includes a USB-C to USB-C cable. You need this special cable with 2 USB-C connectors to connect your S22 to the new USB-C fast chargers. If you still have a cable like this at home, that'll work fine as well. However, older cables with an angular USB-A connector won't fit in the new fast chargers.
Can I charge my Samsung with any charger? ›Samsung does not recommend using any chargers other than Samsung chargers, especially chargers that are uncertified or counterfeit. These can hinder the charging of your device and may cause battery issues if used long-term. Always make sure your charger is an authentic Samsung charger, cable, and adapter.
Why does the Samsung S22 not come with a charger? ›Samsung smartphones come with a USB Type-C data cable, but they do not come with earphones or a charger plug in the box because we want to minimise the impact our products have on the environment.