You may be charging your cell phone with the power adapter that came in the box. It works and will do the job, yes, but possibly much slower than your phone can handle.
You can buy an external charger instead, and if you choose right it will charge the device much faster. Most high-end cell phones are able to take advantage of more powerful chargers to cut the time it takes to charge in half.
The same is true of laptops. Normally, we use the charger that came with them in the box, but today, thanks to USB-C charging, it is also possible to find more efficient third-party chargers capable of charging devices much faster.
Charging with more power until recently meant using a very large power adapter but things have changed a lot in the last year thanks to a technology known as GaN. With GaN you can have a charger that's even smaller than the one that came with your computer or cell phone, and still get these devices to charge faster!
What is GaN
GaN is short for gallium nitride, which is the semiconductor element that replaces silicon in transistors in some of the newer current adapters.
One of the problems with silicon transistors is that their efficiency drops when temperatures above 120 degrees Celsius are reached. This forces to design complex systems of thermal protection and refrigeration, which end up influencing the size of the adapters.
A transistor made with gallium nitride as a semiconductor, however, is stable up to 400 degrees and that, together with the higher conductivity and efficiency of the material itself, allows the manufacture of much more compact and lightweight adapters, which consume less and waste less energy in form of heat.
Try these
The best news is that GaN chargers are not an unattainable luxury. Although its price is higher than that of traditional chargers, it is small extra compensates for the small size or the functions of the same. If you also travel for business (not now, of course, but when things return to normal), its smaller size and weight will be a relief for your hand luggage or your work bag.
These are some of the models that we recommend:
PD Charger, RAVPower 61W USB C Charger ($ 25.99; amazon.com)
Despite its small size, not much larger than an iPad's charger, this RavPower adapter is capable of giving 61W of power. That means it is powerful enough to carry a MacBook Air or iPad Pro, even though it can be easily carried in your pocket.
RAVPower - 65W USB C Charger ($ 32.99, originally $ 39.99; amazon.com)
Similar to the previous model but adds a USB-A port just growing a few inches. It is one of our favorite chargers and the only thing you will need for a short trip.
Anker 30W PIQ 3.0 & GaN Tech Power Delivery ($ 23.99; amazon.com)
If you don't need that much power, this Anker charger will surprise you with how slim it is. About the size of a credit card, it can be carried comfortably in a purse and has enough power even to charge a MacBook Air.
USB C Charger, RAVPower 90W 2-Port PD 3.0 Wall ($ 47.99; amazon.com)
USB C AUKEY Omnia 65W PD Quick Charger with Foldable Plug ($ 45.99; amazon.com)
Less power than the previous RAVpower (65W in total), but still enough to charge a MacBook Pro and at the same time a cell phone with 18W fast charge.
AUKEY Omnia USB C 100W ($ 39.99; amazon.com)
Designed for the larger-screen MacBook Pro, this charger is capable of delivering 100W of power to the built-in USB-C port, but it occupies and weighs exactly half that of Apple's included with the machine.
AUKEY USB C 30 W Wall Charger ($ 18.99; amazon.com)
If you are looking for a charger as tiny as the one that usually comes with iPhone and other cell phones, this is the one for you. It is practically the same size but is 6 times more powerful, reaching 30W to its USB-C port. It will even charge a MacBook Air! (although a little slower than usual).
Note: The above prices reflect the price at the time of article posting.