I bought a Moto G from Motorola, and it doesn't come with a CHARGER!

[Cordell James]

Have any of you bought the $200 Moto G smartphone?

Did yours come with a charger?
If not, what size charger do we need to buy?

My 16GB Moto G came from Motorola (not from Google Play)
and it arrived only with a white USB cable. There is no
charger! That stinks!

Now I have to buy a charger.
But, which 5V USB charger do I buy?
Nowhere in the package does it say the amps needed.

[Leviatan]

A Cordell James se le ha ocurrido que:

I think this is a reasonable measure.

We are all the day talking about saving the enviroment; producing less
electronic waste, etc... Now that every mobile has the same chrging
plug (with the known exception of Apple devices) and everybody changes
his mobile each two years, I see very logical that phones are sold
without charger (or even USB cord), as verybody has several of them at
home. Obviously, the price should reflect that save (and I think the
Moto G does).

Regarding to your question; any 1A charger will be more than enough...

--
Un saludo,
Alberto

[SC Tom]

"Cordell James" <cordel...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:lcq1ic$lln$2...@news.mixmin.net...

The output of the charger really doesn't matter, as long as it meets the
minimum requirements of the device. IOW, if you have a 2.1A charger on hand
that you use for a tablet or other device, and it has the same µUSB plug as
the Moto, then you can use it without any chance of harm. It's only going to
draw what it needs; the charger isn't going to "force" 2.1A into it.
--
SC Tom

[Seth Goodman]

In article <lcq1ic$lln$2...@news.mixmin.net>, cordel...@gmail.com
wrote:

"How do I properly charge my device?

In order to keep the price low, Motorola made many cost-saving decisons.
In this case, our research showed that many people already had a
suitable Motorola charger available, or a PC or other device that can be
used to charge Moto G.

Any Motorola charger with the correct micro-USB tip will charge your
Moto G. You will see the best results when the output of the charger is
between 500 mA and 1.5 A. The higher the output, the faster your Moto G
will charge.

If your charger output is higher, the MOTO G will automatically restrict
the charging rate. If your charger is lower, it will simply take longer
to reach a full charge."

https://motorola-global-
portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/prod_answer_detail/a_id/97318/p/30,6720,
9050/action/auth

--
Seth Goodman

[Amanda Williams]

Seth Goodman <seth...@yahoo.com> wrote in
news:MPG.2d5ac596...@news.eternal-september.org:

Yeah any micro-usb charger will do... I use the same charger for my phone
and my tablet... it was originally a charger for an old long deceased
phone

--
Aw – Small but dangerous

[Tony Hwang]

Hi,
Won't it charge thru USB port? My laptop has feature to
boost USB output current to charge many different things
on USB port. Also There is Car DC 12V to USB charger you
can buy.

[s|b]

On Tue, 4 Feb 2014 06:32:44 +0000 (UTC), Cordell James wrote:

> Now I have to buy a charger.
> But, which 5V USB charger do I buy?

Just stick in a USB-port on your computer. It'll charge. (You /do/ have
a computer, don't you? ;-)

--
s|b

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Tue, 4 Feb 2014 06:32:44 +0000 (UTC), Cordell James

<cordel...@gmail.com> wrote:

>Have any of you bought the $200 Moto G smartphone?

Slow processor, 16GB maximum memory, no LTE, a crappy camera that
takes blurry photos, and a low contrast screen. However, it is cheap,
taudio is good, cellular range so-so, and it's well built.

>Did yours come with a charger?
>If not, what size charger do we need to buy?

The EU has decided that there should be exactly one standard charger.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_External_Power_Supply>
Since you're expected to have exactly one charger for a wide
assortment of devices, the various vendors see no reason to supply you
with a spare charger. I consider this a good idea.
<http://sneezypb.tumblr.com/post/15864266395/one-day-son-all-of-these-perfectly-good-a-c>

>My 16GB Moto G came from Motorola (not from Google Play)
>and it arrived only with a white USB cable. There is no
>charger! That stinks!

I feel your pain. However, I don't think a $5-$10 charger on eBay or
Amazon will constitute a major investment.

>Now I have to buy a charger.

Yep.

>But, which 5V USB charger do I buy?

MicroUSB. If it has a USB connector, make sure it says for Android or
Non-Apple products. Most "universal" chargers with USB connectors
have two connectors. One for Apple, and one for everything else.

>Nowhere in the package does it say the amps needed.

<https://community.republicwireless.com/thread/17308>
<http://www.wirelessground.com/motorola-dual-port-usb-charger-with-cable.html>

--
Jeff Liebermann je...@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

[Oren]

I just bought a cordless drill. Unknown to me at the time, found out
on delivery, the battery charger has a USB port that will charge a
cell phone. Haven't tried the USB port yet, though.

[Michael Black]

On Tue, 4 Feb 2014, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

> On Tue, 4 Feb 2014 06:32:44 +0000 (UTC), Cordell James
> <cordel...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Have any of you bought the $200 Moto G smartphone?
>
> Slow processor, 16GB maximum memory, no LTE, a crappy camera that
> takes blurry photos, and a low contrast screen. However, it is cheap,
> taudio is good, cellular range so-so, and it's well built.
>
>> Did yours come with a charger?
>> If not, what size charger do we need to buy?
>
> The EU has decided that there should be exactly one standard charger.
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_External_Power_Supply>
> Since you're expected to have exactly one charger for a wide
> assortment of devices, the various vendors see no reason to supply you
> with a spare charger. I consider this a good idea.
> <http://sneezypb.tumblr.com/post/15864266395/one-day-son-all-of-these-perfectly-good-a-c>
>
>> My 16GB Moto G came from Motorola (not from Google Play)
>> and it arrived only with a white USB cable. There is no
>> charger! That stinks!
>
> I feel your pain. However, I don't think a $5-$10 charger on eBay or
> Amazon will constitute a major investment.
>

More devices are coming this way. My four year old Sansa Fuze just came
with a cable, no AC adapter. When I got a Kobo Mini ebook reader last
year, it only came with a cable.

But you don't need to spend much. When I got a used TomTom One GPS
receiver at a Rotary Club garage sale last June, I immediately picked up a
couple of suitable AC adapters at garage sales, one for 25cents, one for
fifty cents. The fact that they are now standardizing on a USB type
connector does make it simpler. No need to dig through the box of
adapters to find one that has the right voltage, and then chances are good
the connector is the wrong size and/or the polarity is wrong for the
device. I already had some suitable USB type ac adapters from finding in
th garbage, but it was easier to buy those that day than dig through the
box.

Maybe people won't even need to buy at 50cent level, they can ask family
or friends if they have any lying around (and they may).

Michael

[Danny D'Amico]

On Tue, 04 Feb 2014 17:28:30 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

> The EU has decided that there should be exactly one standard charger.
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_External_Power_Supply>

Hi Jeff,
I myself recently purchased the Moto G, so this is useful information.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5541/12344729295_b954a7ec30_o.gif

In point of fact, I read with interest everything you post, and after
reading your reference, one sentence struck me as particularly useful
with respect to what comes with the Moto G by default:
"A common EPS must include a cable with a Micro USB-B connector
for connecting to a mobile phone."

So, *that* explains why the Motorola Google Moto-G, which we know
does not come with a charger, at least comes with a USB cable!

PS: I've been clamoring for a common-charge standard since USB was
invented! I never bought an earbud, phones, cameras, GPS, etc. that
wasn't common (mini-USB in those days). People used to make fun of
me, but, now they're reaping the benefits of the idea that we really
don't need to have a separate charger format & connector for every
device.

[Danny D'Amico]

On Tue, 04 Feb 2014 15:15:26 +0000, Amanda Williams wrote:

> Yeah any micro-usb charger will do... I use the same charger for my phone
> and my tablet... it was originally a charger for an old long deceased
> phone

Not really but close enough.
The moto g specs say 1amp to 1.5 amp, IIRC.

That's *high* current for most chargers, which are usually, in my
experience anyway, about 500ma to about 800ma.

So, in *my* experience, *most* chargers don't meet the moto-g spec,
if the spec indeed is 1 amp and above.

And, certainly, you're not going to get a 1.5Amp charger for 3 bucks
as someone here had proposed. If you can, please post the URL to the
site and I'll buy a dozen! :)

[Danny D'Amico]

On Tue, 04 Feb 2014 08:18:08 -0700, Tony Hwang wrote:

> Won't it charge thru USB port? My laptop has feature to
> boost USB output current to charge many different things
> on USB port. Also There is Car DC 12V to USB charger you
> can buy.

Yes. But if the Moto-G spec is really 1 amp to 1.5 amp
recommended charger capability, the real question is
whether your laptop and car adapter can meet the current
spec for the Moto G.

[Jeff Liebermann]

Your nightmare has only just begun. It's not quite a neat as it could
have been.
<http://blog.curioussystem.com/2010/08/the-dirty-truth-about-usb-device-charging/>
<http://www.instructables.com/id/Modify-a-cheap-USB-charger-to-feed-an-iPod-iPhone/>
Apple and the rest of the industry have gone separate ways in their
methods of negotiating the proper charging current. The result is
that you'll find chargers with two USB connectors, labeled Apple, and
everyone else. Also note the 3.1A charging current:
<http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=331119653295>

Since Apple chose to release it's iPhone 5 with a non EU standard
connector and charging system, one would have expected a reaction from
the standards manufacturers in Brussels. Note that there is no law
demanding that standard chargers be used. Well, it took about a year,
but it finally arrived:
<http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2297365/eu-announces-compulsory-common-charger-standard>
Yawn.

Apple... think different, very different:
<https://www.google.com/search?q=apple+different&tbm=isch>

[Leviatan]

A Danny D'Amico se le ha ocurrido que:

> Yes. But if the Moto-G spec is really 1 amp to 1.5 amp
> recommended charger capability, the real question is
> whether your laptop and car adapter can meet the current
> spec for the Moto G.

Linear or switched voltage regulators, as the ones used in phone
chargers, are mostly self current limiting, so there is no risk, just
that moto-G will tabe a bit longer to charge.

--
Un saludo,
Alberto

[Danny D'Amico]

On Thu, 06 Feb 2014 07:59:10 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

> It's not quite a neat as it could have been.

Hi Jeff,
You picked an EXCELLENT article to read!

That article was interesting in that it explained the Chinese standard,
the EU standard, and the Apple standard of USB charging circuits:
http://blog.curioussystem.com/2010/08/the-dirty-truth-about-usb-device-charging/

It was interesting that apple used voltages for their charging circuitry:
- low current: 2.8 volts across Data(+)
- high current: 2.0 volts across Data(-)

While the Chinese used shorts, and the EU used a resistor.

The five 1/8 watt resistor "hybrid" circuit in that article nicely explains how
a charger can work *either* for Apple (voltage) & EU (resistance) & Chinese
(short) charge circuits; but not all three at the same time!

:(

[Danny D'Amico]

On Thu, 06 Feb 2014 17:55:55 +0100, Leviatan wrote:

> Linear or switched voltage regulators, as the ones used in phone chargers,
> are mostly self current limiting, so there is no risk, just that moto-G
> will tabe a bit longer to charge.

I understood that the risk of the Moto-G sinking too much current is
minimal (since I assumed it had current-limiting circuitry to prevent
battery overcharging).

However, if the Moto-G takes, say, 1 Amp to just run whatever is running
on it (admittedly high, but this is just a worst-case scenario), and if
the USB port is only a typical 500mA port, then the battery will slowly
discharge.

In practice, if you're charging your Moto-G, most of the time you're not
also using it, except in the case of GPS and bluetooth and dashcams which
is what you'd be using in a car.

So, the key problem is that the *car* charger has to be beefy just to
keep up with the demands of the phone, and not just those of the battery.

PS: I'm debugging exactly that problem on my Samsung Galaxy S3 as we speak.

[Danny D'Amico]

On Thu, 06 Feb 2014 07:59:10 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

> Your nightmare has only just begun.

Hi Jeff,

While I abhor needlessly-multi-page howto articles, I read your reference:
http://instructables.com/id/Modify-a-cheap-USB-charger-to-feed-an-iPod-iPhone

What I learned was, for the Apple USB charging standard:
a) 2.0 V on D+ and 2.0 V on D- puts out 500 mA on the power pins
b) 2.0 V on D+ and 2.8 V on D- puts out 1 A on the power pins

It was also interesting that the author chose 220 Ohm & 330 Ohm resistors
because the ratio is what matters, more so than the resistance itself.

What I learned from this is to make sure that I buy a charger that is
to the EU or Chinese standard, and not to the Apple standard.

Also, I realized, from this article, that I *probably* could convert
my dual port chargers from having one port at 1.0 A and another at 2.1 A,
to both ports being at 2.1A, but, that's just a hunch at this point.

[Danny D'Amico]

On Thu, 06 Feb 2014 07:59:10 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

> Also note the 3.1A charging current:
> <http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=331119653295>

I couldn't figure out what the "N/A" meant, versus the "A" on
that device, but, I do agree, 3.1 Amps on each port simultaneously
is six amps of power (if it really can do that) out of a cigarette
lighter socket!

[Danny D'Amico]

On Thu, 06 Feb 2014 17:26:56 +0000, Danny D'Amico wrote:

> 3.1 Amps on each port simultaneously is six amps of power
> (if it really can do that) out of a cigarette lighter socket!

OOps. Six amps of current (not power!).

The power would be 6A x 5V = 30 Watts!

[Danny D'Amico]

On Thu, 06 Feb 2014 07:59:10 -0800, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

> Note that there is no law demanding that standard chargers be used.
> Well, it took about a year, but it finally arrived:

Hi Jeff,
I read that article with interest:
http://theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2297365/eu-announces-compulsory-common-charger-standard

One the one hand, you don't want government to stifle innovation with
enforced standards; but on the other hand, are the non-conforming Apple
chargers really innovative?

I suspect the "think different" part of the Apple non-standard chargers is
merely an attempt to force unsuspecting users to buy specific hardware.

[Leviatan]

Danny D'Amico, pensando en voz alta, dice:

> And, certainly, you're not going to get a 1.5Amp charger for 3 bucks
> as someone here had proposed. If you can, please post the URL to the
> site and I'll buy a dozen! :)

http://dx.com/s/usb+car+charger+1.5A

Enjoy!

--
Un saludo,
Alberto

[Bert]

In news:MPG.2d5ac596...@news.eternal-september.org Seth
Goodman <seth...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Any Motorola charger ...

In the bad old days, Motorola played games with their phones and
chargers (jumpers and/or resistors in the phone-end of the USB cable)
such that the phones would only charge from Motorola chargers or
accurate clones. They wouldn't charge from a PC USB port unless Motorola
drivers were installed.

These days, I'm pretty sure any charger with an adequate current
capacity will work.

--
be...@iphouse.com St. Paul, MN

[James Grady]

On Tue, 04 Feb 2014 08:59:30 -0500, SC Tom wrote:

> The output of the charger really doesn't matter, as long as it meets the
> minimum requirements of the device

Which is as much as 1.5 Amps!

So, it /does/ matter.

A lot!

Most usb chargers can't deliver anywhere near that current.

Some can, of course. So, it matters a LOT to get those that can!

[gregz]

Wasn't that long ago, my flip phone was like that.

Greg

[SC Tom]

"James Grady" <jgr...@not.for.spam.calmes.edu> wrote in message
news:pan.2014.02...@not.for.spam.calmes.edu...

You obviously missed the last part of the sentence. Let me quote it for you:
"as long as it meets the minimum requirements of the device". If you're
going to take one line out of context, at least be accurate about it :-)

Even if a device calls for 1.5A, it will still be charged by a .5A output.
It'll just take a lot longer to do so, and would probably need to be turned
off in order to complete the charge cycle. I have an Asus tablet that
"requires" a 2.1A charger, but will still charge to completion with my .7A
phone charger, if I turn it off and leave it plugged in overnight. I have
done that a few times when I inadvertently forgot to pack the tablet
charger.
--
SC Tom

[SC Tom]

"Danny D'Amico" <da...@is.invalid> wrote in message
news:pan.2014.02...@is.invalid...

There are a couple of games that when I run them on my Asus Memo Smart10,
the charger mostly "breaks even", or the battery will still slightly
discharge while on the charger. It's a 2.1A charger (came with the tablet),
but still won't keep up. One that comes to mind first is "Real Racing". My
guess is between the processing power required, the graphics, and the
constant wifi connection, it's more than the poor battery can handle :-(
If I disable the wifi (airplane mode), it'll do OK, but when off charger,
it's still a drain on the battery. I usually reserve playing that game when
near an outlet :-)

I haven't played the game while in the car, but I have a USB car charger
that works fine when using the GPS travel program. It has a dual output of
1A and 2.1A. I got it from Amazon a while back for my old Creative Labs MP3
player, but it works great for my phone and tablet now.

<http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003PU01M4/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1>

I don't recall what it cost them, but it wasn't as expensive as it is now
:-( I see there's a new daul-2.1A one available.
--
SC Tom

[SC Tom]

"Danny D'Amico" <da...@is.invalid> wrote in message
news:pan.2014.02...@is.invalid...

I find it strange that the power points in my Escape are fused at 15A, and
my lighter is on a 40A fuse! I kinda would have thought it would be the
opposite.
--
SC Tom

[Anssi Saari]

Well yes, but remember the original purpose of that socket. It takes
considerable power to heat a coil to the bright orange glow to light a
cigarette. And these days people like to plug in mini-fridges and
whatnot, also inverters to run their mains voltage stuff in cars so
probably the limits on power output have gone up if anything.

Quick googling says typically the fuse for the lighter is 10-20 A, so
from the typical 14-ish volts (while engine is running) that's 140-280
watts.

[Rodney Pont]

On Fri, 7 Feb 2014 09:09:15 -0500, SC Tom wrote:

>>> 3.1 Amps on each port simultaneously is six amps of power
>>> (if it really can do that) out of a cigarette lighter socket!
>>
>> OOps. Six amps of current (not power!).
>>
>> The power would be 6A x 5V = 30 Watts!
>>
>
>I find it strange that the power points in my Escape are fused at 15A, and
>my lighter is on a 40A fuse! I kinda would have thought it would be the
>opposite.

Don't forget that the lighter is a short when you first press it in and
the resistance rises as it heats up so it will take a large initial
current which drops as it heats.

At 12v 30W is 2.5A and they wouldn't have any problem supplying that
Danny. I'd expect them to be able to supply 8 amps depending on the
quality of the plug and you can buy sockets rated at 20A.


--
Faster, cheaper, quieter than HS2
and built in 5 years;
UKUltraspeed <http://www.500kmh.com/>

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Fri, 7 Feb 2014 09:09:15 -0500, "SC Tom" <s...@tom.net> wrote:

>I find it strange that the power points in my Escape are fused at 15A, and
>my lighter is on a 40A fuse! I kinda would have thought it would be the
>opposite.

Ever seen a cancer stick lighter octopus connector? Something like
this:
<http://www.amazon.com/Three-Way-Cigarette-Lighter-Socket-Splitter/dp/B0018NB3OK>
In order for that to work, you would need 3ea 15amp fuses, one in each
plug, and a 45A fuse in the cancer stick lighter plug. If you reverse
the situation, plugging two devices into the octopus connector will
blow the 15a fuse.