Charging a Phone with a Power Bank - 2.1A vs 1A

[Tumor]

I've spent some time on Google because I thought using an amperage that's "too high" for your phone will damage the battery. Well, apparently it doesn't and the battery uses just as much as it should. But if that's true, it leads to the next question: Why does my power bank have two different outputs if using the higher one is better in every way?

(I don't know if it's important, but I have a Sony Xperia Z5 Premium.)

 

[dexxterlab97]

2.1A charge faster. 1A charges slower.

 

[mrmez]

Most phones use ~1A. Tablets 2A+.

Plugging your phone into the 2A charger won't hurt it. Plugging your tablet into the 1A output will charge it very slowly.

Most cheaper battery packs can't handle 2x2A output, and don't have intelligent circuits to figure out which device is on which output, so this is just a way of limiting it.

The 2 port battery I have is 3A total output, but you can use any port for any device.

 

[Tumor]

So the only reason the 1A port is there is that they really wanted it to have two ports but couldn't make both output 2.1A?

I also have a power socket to USB adapter with 4 ports. Two of them are 2.1A and the other two are 1A. Is this for the very same reason?

 

[mrmez]

Yep.

I use Anker brand chargers, check them out if you want something better.

My 5 port usb charger has 8A supplying up to ~2.1 to any port.
So can charge 3x tablets and 2x phones at almost full power, no need to use any specific port.