any possible harm in mixing USB charger for mobile phones?

DarkManX

Diamond Member
Feb 1, 2000
3,796
2
76
is there any potential harm in using a motorola RAZR charger on a blackberry for example? someone told me the "polarity" can be different... but that would make no sense since either device will charge of the USB port on the computer... and basically the USB specs have specifications for the wiring dont they?
 

snor

Senior member
Feb 3, 2006
889
0
76
I find that the AC adapter USB chargers DO have a difference. For instance: My blackberry, Motorola and creative Zen Do not all work with the adapter. They all need their separate AC adapters. However, if I simply use the usb cable connected to my computer, they all work.
 

KentState

Diamond Member
Oct 19, 2001
8,397
393
126
Check the adapters. The power output is different between some of the Motorola charges and the real USB charges like on the Blackberry. Just because they use an USB connector, doesn't mean it's a true USB connection.
 

foghorn67

Lifer
Jan 3, 2006
11,883
63
91
Originally posted by: snor
I find that the AC adapter USB chargers DO have a difference. For instance: My blackberry, Motorola and creative Zen Do not all work with the adapter. They all need their separate AC adapters. However, if I simply use the usb cable connected to my computer, they all work.

I have what you described above and they all work with a Moto adaptor. The blackberry does allow more voltage than the Moto chargers, so a BB charger will trip most Moto phones into "wrong ac adaptor" or whatever the error is.
If you look at the power outputs on all your USB chargers that came with your devices, use the one that uses the least output, then you will be good to go.
 

uli2000

Golden Member
Jul 28, 2006
1,257
1
71
Make sure you look at the output. BB/HTC smartphone charger alot of the time put out 1000mA, while something like a razr charger puts out 500mA. Putting your BB/HTC on a moto charger wont hurt it (will just charge slower), but putting a Razr on a BB charger could fry it. Hooking it up to a computer is no problem for any of them since it puts out a max of 500mA.
 
Aug 25, 2004
11,151
1
81
Originally posted by: uli2000
Make sure you look at the output. BB/HTC smartphone charger alot of the time put out 1000mA, while something like a razr charger puts out 500mA. Putting your BB/HTC on a moto charger wont hurt it (will just charge slower), but putting a Razr on a BB charger could fry it. Hooking it up to a computer is no problem for any of them since it puts out a max of 500mA.

Not really. Even though the charger is rated to 1000mA, the phone will only pull what it needs.