Samsung 45W Travel Adapter review: Future-proof charging isn’t cheap
Picking out the best phone charging accessories isn’t an easy business these days, what with the various standards and protocols used for fast charging. But getting your head around the charging accessory industry is increasingly important as high-end smartphones start shipping without a charger in the box.
If you’re looking for an adapter to power up your latest Samsung Galaxy S21 series smartphone, official accessories are the logical starting place. Boasting 45W of power, Samsung’s Super Fast Charging 2.0 Travel Adapter is capable of charging any Galaxy smartphone and more. It’s also suitable for tablets and even laptops too. Let’s dive into Android Authority’s Samsung 45W Travel Adapter review.
What you need to know about the Samsung 45W Travel Adapter
- Samsung SuperFast Charging 2.0 (45W) Travel Adapter: $50/£39/€50/Rs. 2,999
As an official accessory, Samsung’s 45W Travel Adapter comes in a selection of plug socket variants for use around the world. It’s available in white and black options (in selected regions). The adapter does not feature an interchangeable plug type, so is fixed for the region of purchase.
Samsung includes a one-meter USB-C to USB-C cable in the box, which is built to support up to 5A of current for fast charging. While the charger is a little larger than previous lower power models, it’s eminently portable for a 45W product.
Read more: USB Power Delivery explained
The most important feature of this particular adapter is support for the USB Power Delivery Programmable Power Supply (USB PD PPS) charging standard. This is a requirement to charge up the Samsung Galaxy S21 and other recent generation Galaxy handsets at their maximum speed. Chargers that don’t support USB PD PPS are capped at a slower 15W with Samsung’s latest phones.
| USB Power Delivery Programmable Power Supply Modes |
USB Power Delivery 3.0 Modes | |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung 45W Travel Adapter Supported USB PD Modes |
3.3V - 11V, 5A 3.3V - 16V, 3A 3.3V - 21V, 2.25A |
5V, 3A 9V, 3A 15V, 3A 20V, 2.25A |
We tested the charger’s various modes to verify compatibility. In addition to three PPS modes up to 21V, the adapter can also power USB Power Delivery 3.0 gadgets that require 5V, 9V, 15V, or 20V settings. In other words, this charger offers support for all USB Power Delivery gadgets that require up to 45W of power. This includes previous generation Samsung smartphones and handsets from a wide range of other manufacturers.
What’s good?
The Samsung 45W Travel Adapter supports the latest USB Power Delivery PPS specification. Making it a great future-proof purchase for Samsung Galaxy phones, other smartphones, and even USB-C chargeable tablets and some laptops. To ensure compatibility, we charged up the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, Microsoft’s Surface X Pro tablet, and the Honor MagicBook Pro laptop. The results are very good.
| Samsung 45W Travel Adapter Test | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | Microsoft Surface Book X | Honor MagicBook Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USB Power Test | 25W / 25W | 18.7W / 20W | 41W / 60W | 41.8W / 65W |
| Voltage & Current | 8.91V, 2.82A | 8.95V, 2.09A | 19.8V, 2.06A | 19.8V, 2.11A |
| Charging Standard | USB PD PPS | USB PD 3.0 | USB PD 3.0 | USB PD 3.0 |
| Power from wall | 30.8W | 22.4W | 47.9W | 48.9W |
| Energy Efficiency | 81.6%, good. | 83.5%, good. | 85.2%, very good. | 85.4%, very good. |
You’ll receive fast charging speeds with traditional USB Power Delivery gadgets, including the iPhone 12 series at a full 20W and up to about 42W for more powerful electronics. This makes the Samsung 45W Travel Adapter suitable for smartphones and tablets, as well as some smaller laptops. However, 45W will take a couple of hours to fully charge large-capacity laptops, so you may prefer a 60W-100W charger.
Still, if you’re looking for a charger that can power a wide selection of the latest USB-C gadgets, Samsung’s 45W Travel Adapter is an excellent choice.
See also: This is the best Samsung Galaxy S21 charger you can buy
What’s not so good?
With the latest charging technology and fast speeds on board, the only quibble I have with Samsung’s 45W charger is the price. $50 is a little more than you’ll spend on a rival product with the same specifications. See the much cheaper Elecjet 45W USB PD PPS charger, for example. Granted, quality chargers with the right specs for Samsung’s Galaxy flagships aren’t common yet. But unless you can grab the charger at a discount, you’re definitely paying a Samsung premium here.
The lack of interchangeable regional plugs, which are increasingly common in rival products, is also a notable drawback. Especially for a plug branded as a “travel” adapter.
Similarly, around $50 will often net you two USB ports from third-party products. The ability to charge two phones at once would make the most of the charger’s 45W capabilities. If you’re only planning to charge a single Galaxy S21 series smartphone, Samsung’s 25W Travel Adapter has you covered just as well for half the price. If you don’t need USB PD PPS support to charge your gadgets, a multi-charger will also offer better value for money.
Samsung 45W Travel Adapter review: Should I buy it?
If you are in the market for an official Samsung charger suitable for more than just smartphones, then this is the product for you. The Samsung 45W Travel Adapter sports the latest charging standards to fast charge its entire Galaxy handset portfolio, smartphones from other brands, tablets, and even laptops.
If you need a charger for power-hungry USB-C gadgets, Samsung's 45W Travel Adapter is an excellent choice.
However, the 45W model is overkill for just charging up most smartphones. Samsung’s more affordable 25W model may be a better-fit for Galaxy S21 customers. Likewise, those looking to charge high-power laptops or multiple devices at once can find more suitable products on the market for the same price. Such as the 65W RavPower Pioneer 4-port charging station.
Top Samsung 45W Travel Adapter questions and answers
Q: Does it fast charge the Samsung Galaxy S21?
A: Yes, Samsung’s 45W Travel Adapter charges the Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, and S21 Ultra at their fastest 25W speeds. The adapter also fast chargest other previous generation Samsung Galaxy S and Note smartphones at 25W and 45W for some models.
Q: Can it charge my laptop or tablet?
A: Yes. Providing that your laptop supports charging via a UBS-C port and USB Power Delivery. It will charge up to 45W, which is reasonably fast for a tablet and suitable for smaller laptops.
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