Around January, Roland Quandt leaked that Samsung would be releasing a new 45W and dual 50W charger for their new range of luxury smartphones. The S24 Ultra and S24+ can draw power at 45W, which makes for ridiculously low charging times. On the other hand, the standard S24 only draws 25W, the same as the S23.
For a phone priced at $1,300 (S24 Ultra), you'd think that such a hefty investment would be enough. Unfortunately, Samsung doesn't think the same. And they want you to spend more on their products right after you buy the phone. And it's for an essential accessory too - a charging adapter.
According to Quandt’s leaks, one of the new adapters will be called EP-T5020, and it is expected to charge at 45W when only one outlet is in use. When two are used simultaneously, the power drops down to 25W for each port. The other is EP-T4511, and will only have one power outlet like the old model.
The new EP-T5020 and EP-T4511 will be sold separately, and there's no indication as to what the price range will be either. I'd say you could expect to shell out another $50 for the adapter, which should hopefully come with a USB port too.
The existing 45W charger (EP-T4510) is available for around $30, and the only new feature the new one could add is USB PD 3.1. However, it'll be a redundant feature since the EP-T4510 already supports USB PD 3.0 and PDO, which comfortably covers the power range needs. The 3.1 version lets the wattage go up to 240W, which is more than you'll ever need.
Perhaps the design could undergo a small update, or Samsung S24-Ultra could use new materials to manufacture the adapter. In either case, the benefit for the end user is very limited.
Why Customers Feel Annoyed About Samsung's New Charger Releases
Since Samsung started shipping their new flagship models with USB C to USB C cables, they've essentially made all the old chargers obsolete. Which means you can't use the cable provided unless you already own an adapter with a USB C out.
Now, it's easy to see what Samsung S24-Ultra were thinking when they decided to make the shift. Most of their customers had Android devices with a USB C to USB charger that they were already using. And as a result, they probably didn't use the charger provided in the box.
Or, it could be that Samsung is trying to keep its cost of production as low as possible. And on top of that, they're trying to make more money by selling customers the adapter - an essential peripheral needed to make the smartphone work.
Most people making the jump to a premium phone (any of the S24 models) probably don't have a 45W charger with them already. Even though budget phones, say the OnePlus Nord series, for example, come with fast charging, they're not on the same level as the S24’s requirements for fast charging.
So, their existing adapters won't be able to unlock the full extent of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series’ fast charging capabilities. And by selling them the adapters separately, it's almost a payable add-on for the luxury smartphone experience.
Use Cases of the Dual 50W Charger
Now that Samsung S24-Ultra is planning to release a dual port charger, I can't help but wonder how exactly that would help when your smartphone only has one charging port.
The only practical use case I can find is if you need to charge your phone and power bank at the same time. But with a 5000mAh battery, the whole point is to get through the day without having to plug your phone in several times throughout the day.
Then again, in the off chance that you have two smartphones and only one power socket, you could benefit by not having to buy an extension outlet. But charging on 25W, your phone won't be powered up super fast. And as a result you're losing a bit of the efficiency and features that the premium S24 series' is bought for in the first place.
What Samsung Actually Said About Their Decision
It's common knowledge that Samsung S24-Ultra doesn't ship chargers with their phones anymore. You only get a C to C cable as mentioned above, which is difficult to use, especially with third party chargers because getting fast charging with them is a game of luck.
On their website, Samsung claims that they want to minimise e-waste caused by their products, which is why they don't ship the charging adapter with the phone anymore. At first glance, it'll seem like a noble decision to you, considering how vulnerable the environment is right now.
But, here's the kicker. Their paperware, including the physical warranty card, instruction manual and advertising flyers are still included in the box. Sure, you could argue that it's not e-waste, but if we're talking about sustainable practices, that's probably where most of the waste comes from in the first place.
What Samsung Could Have Done Instead
So, what's the alternative? If sustainability is really the root cause behind the decision to remove charger plugs, they could have added a discount or an option to add the adapter if a customer needed it.
On the other hand, they could have emailed the warranty card and other instructional material. Mainly, because people rarely produce physical warranty cards at all. And secondly, even if the instructional material is aimed at the older population, that still makes for a very small percentage of their target audience.
Conclusion
So, should you keep an eye on the EP-T5020? Even now, it's little more than speculation that Samsung will bring the product out. There haven't been many concrete updates since Quandt revealed the plans.
But considering Samsung's approach of making it a separate purchase altogether, you can expect the new outlet to last longer too. Which means even if you end up spending $40-50 more on the adapter, it's a long-term investment that should meet all your expectations.
