Samsung Galaxy S20 Guides

Everything about Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra

USB-C

How to use SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C on Galaxy S20, S10, S9 and S8?

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SanDisk Ultra Dual DriveYou can simply plug SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C in and immediately use it on Galaxy S20, S10, S9 and S8  to transfer files, back up your data, or enjoy media saved in the drive.

This Galaxy S20 accessories guide explains how Sandisk Ultra Dual Drive USB work on Galaxy S20 and computers, when you may need this thumb drive, how to mount, unmount and access Sandisk Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C on Galaxy S20, S10, S9 and S8, and when you should use the companion Memory Zone app and when not.

This is a continuation of this post which shows how to use the external USB drive on Galaxy S8, S9, S10, and S20 and explains the limitations and caveats of using a USB thumb drive. In this post, we focus on a specific product: Sandisk Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C. It is one of the most reliable dual USB thumb drives that work on both PC and smartphones.

A brief review of using thumb drives and portable drives on smartphones

Traditionally, a USB device can be a master (host) or a salve (peripheral). When using a smartphone as a USB device, traditionally, the smartphone will be a slave device. For example, when you connect Galaxy S6 to the PC, it will be shown as a storage device. You cannot access the PC storage from the phone.

USB OTG (USB On-The-Go) standard allows a device to perform both master and slave roles.

To use USB accessories or peripherals (for example, USB Ethernet, USB MIDI)  on the smartphone (which becomes a USB host),  you need to meet two requirements:

  • The smartphone must support USB OTG. Most Android phones, including Galaxy phones, support USB OTG.
  • You need to use a USB OTG cable (or a USB OTG adapter). Some USB peripherals may have proper connector already. In this case, you do not need a cable or an adapter.

So, it is a bit complicated to use a thumb drive on the phone with a micro USB port. If the phone does not support USB OTG, then you cannot use it at all.

USB-C (USB Type C) dramatically simplifies it.

In USB -C specifications, the smartphone just needs to support the dual-role port (DRP). Then all USB accessories with a USB-C connector/port can be paired to the phone as a slave device.  So, you can use the USB … Read the rest

What is fast charging, super-fast charging, fast wireless charging and fast wireless charging 2.0?

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What is fast charging, super-fast charging, fast wireless charging and fast wireless charging 2.0?Samsung bragged a lot about fast charging and super-fast charging for Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra.

But these are not industrial standards, although there are some industrial standards behind.

So, as an owner of Galaxy S20, you may be confused with the Qualcomm quick charge (QC)  or USB power delivery.

This Galaxy S20 guide explains the meaning of fast charging, adaptive fast charge, super-fast charging, fast wireless charging, and fast wireless charging 2.0, and the link to industrial standards.

What are fast charging, adaptive fast charging, and super-fast charging on Galaxy S20?

Before you charge Galaxy S20 battery, you may need to understand some jargons used on “fast” charging.

The old USB charger usually charges up to 5W (5V, 1A). The fast USB charging usually refers to charging up to 10W (5V, 2A).

But Samsung coined “adaptive fast charging” for charging up to 15W (9V, 1.67A) since Galaxy S6. Up to Galaxy S10, the 15W adaptive fast charger had been bundled with Galaxy S and Note devices.

Adaptive fast charging supports both 10W USB fast charging, and 15W proprietary fast charging. The 15W fast charging can be activated only when the battery level is lower than about 60%.

Samsung minted “super-fast charging” when Galaxy Note and Note 10+ were announced last year. It refers to up to 25W charging for Galaxy Note 10, and up to 45W for Galaxy Note 10+.

Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ support super-fast charging up to 25W, and Galaxy S20 Ultra up to 45W, as explained in the differences among Galaxy S20 models.

Adaptive fast charging and super-fast charging were not industrial standards. Samsung minted them.

The industrial standards related to USB charging for phones have two different sets:

  1. Qualcomm Quick Charge (QC). All Samsung devices, including Galaxy S20, only support QC 2.0. FYI, the latest version is QC4+. Probably due to licensing cost for Samsung’s Exynos chips used in some regions, Samsung chose not to support QC 3.0 or QC4 on all their phones including those with Snapdragon chips.
  2. USB Power Delivery (PD). USB PD became popular with the wide adoption of USB-C, although USB PD does not rely on USB-C. Also, there are no licencing fees involved.  Samsung does not explicitly state the support of USB PD. But Galaxy S20 did get the fast USB charger certificate from
… Read the rest