[OZDOUG]

If I use a phone charger that has the same output (5v), but has a different mA rating (350mA as opposed to 800mA), does this only affect the charging rate? That is it, that it will take longer to charge the devise using the 350mA unit as opposed to the 800mA unit? I am also assuming it will not damage the phone in the long run.

[SRX660]

5 volts is 5 volts. I have chargers that charge anywhere from .5 amps to 1.2 amps. These are blackberry, HTC, samsung, and others like the chinese travel chargers and car charger's. They all work the same. Yes, a lower amp rating will take longer to charge the phone. Now there are some chargers that will overcharge the battery because they do NOT have a monitor circuit that will stop the charging when the battery is charged. I avoid these(they are always the real cheap chargers you see on Ebay). Go for the brand names if your not sure as even those are still cheap on Ebay.

Reality is that phone batterys are really only 3.7 volts, and lithium ion battery's can be destroyed by overcharging. That's why monitoring circuits are necessary in the charger's. If chargers charged at only 3.7 volts you would be charging the phones for a half day to get a full charge. By charging at 5.1 volts the charge is quicker at the cost of the battery's life. The trade off here is you will not own the phone long enough to need to buy a replacement battery before you trade up to a newer phone. That is unless you get the phone damp, that kills battery's very fast.

SRX660