Charge Galaxy Note 5 battery

how to charge Galaxy Note 5 battery properly? How to use wireless charging and fast wireless charging to charge Galaxy Note 5? How to use fast charging on Galaxy Note 5?.....

Although Galaxy Note 5 battery has a smaller capacity than that of Galaxy Note 4 (3000mAh vs 3220mAh), and the battery is non-removable as discussed in top 5 Galaxy Note 5 defects,  Samsung did introduce some exciting new technologies in Samsung Galaxy Note 5 battery:  fast charging, wireless charging and fast wireless charging.

In this guide, I will share with you on how to charge Galaxy Note 5 battery properly, how to use Galaxy Note 5 fast charging, how to use Galaxy Note 5 wireless charging, and how to use Galaxy Note 5 fast wireless charging. Some frequently asked questions on Galaxy Note 5 battery are also answered.

Because Galaxy Note 5 battery is sealed behind the glass back cover, you cannot use a spare battery.  You also have to visit Samsung service center to replace the battery if needed.

Most battery has a life span of 2-5 years depending on usage and cell quality. Heavy users may have to replace the battery after 12-18 months.

Properly charging Galaxy Note 5 battery can make your battery last longer.

Of course, it is unwise to sacrifice your usage to “protect” you battery: your Galaxy Note 5 costs about $700 and the battery only costs about $50.  The value of your Galaxy Note 5 is redeemed through your usage, not through keeping it fresh.

How to charge Galaxy Note 5 battery

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 can be charged through the USB port (multipurpose jack)  in the bottom with normal USB cable, or charged wirelessly (read on).

In your Galaxy Note 5 box, you can find the charger and an USB cable. You should try to use these official charger and cable.

Do not use low-quality chargers. Such chargers may cause fire and may damage your Galaxy Note 5.  If you want to get a spare charger, try to get it from reliable suppliers.

USB cable may also affect charging. If you want to get a spare USB cable, try to get it from a computer hardware store, not from handphone shops.

To charge Galaxy Note 5 through USB cable, you may follow these steps.

Step 1:  Connect USB cable to the charger

There is no way to get it wrong!  Only the “big” end of the USB cable can be inserted into the charger.

Please make sure it is inserted tightly.

Step 2: Connect USB cable to Galaxy Note 5.

Now, insert the “small” end of the USB cable to the micro USB port in the bottom of Galaxy Note 5 as shown below.

Please note the orientation of the cable. The narrow side of the connector should be on top. For Samsung USB cables, the USB icon should be facing upwards as shown below.

If you put it in the wrong orientation and push it violently, you may damage the USB connector on the phone and the cable.

Step 3: Plug charger into an electric socket.

You can plug the charger into an electric socket or extension.  If there is a switch for the socket, turn the power on.

Step 4: Wait till Galaxy Note 5 is fully charged.

The indicator LED in the top left of Galaxy Note 5 (see Galaxy Note 5 layout) should turn red.

Now it is time to relax.

With the official Samsung charger, it should take about 90 mins (from 0%) to charge the battery to full.

You can check the status by waking up the screen. In the lock screen it should shows you the battery charging status.

Once Galaxy Note 5 battery is fully charged, the indicator LED should turn green. So, it is not necessary to wake up the screen to check the charging status.

Step 5: Disconnect USB cable from Galaxy Note 5

Once Galaxy Note 5 battery is fully charged, you can and should disconnect USB cable from Galaxy Note 5.

Step 6: Unplug the charger from socket

It is recommended to unplug the charger from the socket or turn off power for the socket.

Is fast charging harmful to Galaxy Note 5 battery?

The official Samsung charger for Galaxy Note 5 in your box is actually a fast charger (adaptive charger). This is why you can charge Galaxy Note 5 in about 1.5 hours.

Fast charging is supported and enabled in Galaxy Note 5. You cannot disable it. This is different from Galaxy Note 4, in which you can disable fast charging if you are not comfortable with it.

Fast charging is achieved through elevated voltage (from 5V to 9V), not through increased current. The adaptive charger has a special chip to communicate with the battery (and the phone) to determine the proper output power depending on battery level and other parameters. Once the battery level reaches above about 50-60%, the charger will function as a normal wall charger and fast charging is essentially disabled.

Theoretically, fast charging may increase wear and tear to the battery cells due to higher charging power.

But technically, the impact is very marginal. You should not worry too much about it.

It may slightly shorten life span of Galaxy Note 5 battery. But the gains of shorter charging time usually offer more value for the phone.

How to use wireless charging to charge Galaxy Note 5 battery?

Like Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note 5 also has a built-in wireless charging coil. This means you can charge Galaxy Note 5 battery through wireless charging.

To use wireless charging to charge Galaxy Note 5 battery, you need awireless charging pad.  Unfortunately, Samsung did not bundle it in the box.

Galaxy Note 5 wireless charging supports both Qi and PMA charging standards. So, it is easy to get a wireless charging pad for Galaxy Note 5. It should cost you less than $40.

Please note, if you want to use “fast” wireless charging for Galaxy Note 5 (see next section), you have to use Samsung’s fast wireless charging pad. There are no offers from other vendors.

It is very simple to use wireless charging to charge Galaxy Note 5 battery.  You just put Galaxy Note 5 in the center of the wireless charging pad.  The charging pad should illuminate certain color (for Samsung wireless charging pad, it is blue)  to indicate the charging is progress.

Once Galaxy Note 5 battery is fully charged, the charging pad will also change color. For Samsung wireless charging pad, the color is green.

Of course, you can check the charging status by waking up the Galaxy Note 5 screen.

How to use fast wireless charging to charge Galaxy Note 5 battery

In addition to normal wireless charging, Galaxy Note 5 also introduced fast wireless charging, which is 50% faster than normal wireless charging.

Unfortunately, only Samsung currently offers the fast wireless charging pad. It will cost you about$70 in Amazon.

Please note, Samsung sells both normal wireless charging pad and fast wireless charging pad. For fast wireless charging pad, it is clearly marked with “fast charge” as shown below.

Fast wireless charging pad will function as normal wireless charging pad if the device does not support fast wireless charging. Currently, only Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 edge+ support this.

Must I charge Galaxy Note 5 battery before using it for the first time?

Samsung recommends you to charge Galaxy Note 5 battery before using it for the first time.

This is not a requirement, just a recommendation.

In reality, as Samsung does not offer 1-for-1 replacement in many regions, you have to test Galaxy Note 5 before making payment.

The new Galaxy Note 5 battery should have about 50% capacity when leaving factory. It is enough for you to try and test the phone.

If you want, you can use Galaxy note 5 till it reminds you to connect to the charger.

Of course, if you want to play safe. You can charge Galaxy Note 5 battery to full before using it.

But is is NOT necessary to leave it on the charger for 8 hours.

FAQs on charging Galaxy Note 5 battery

What’s the typical charging time for Galaxy Note 5?

The typical charging time when you charge Galaxy Note 5 battery (from 5% to fully charged) varies:

• Using the official adapter charger:  about (usually less than) 90 mins (1.5 hours) .
• Using normal Samsung wireless charging pad : about 3 hours.
• Using fast wireless charging pad:  about 120 mins (2 hours)

Is leaving Galaxy Note 5 on the charger overnight harmful for the battery?

No, there are no evidences to show it is harmful to Galaxy Note 5 battery.

But it is a BAD habit.

Then, is leaving Galaxy Note 5 on the charger overnight good for the battery?

No, there are no evidences to show it is good for Galaxy Note 5 battery,.

But it is a BAD habit.

How to disable Galaxy Note 5 fast charging?

Unlike in Galaxy Note 4, you cannot disable fast charging in Galaxy Note 5.

If you really want to disable Galaxy Note 5 fast charging, you can use non-adaptive chargers, i.e., normal wall chargers.

Why fast charging is not working on Galaxy Note 5?

You need use an adaptive charger (like the one in your Galaxy Note 5 box).

Why fast charging is not fast when charging my Galaxy Note 5 battery?

Fast charging will be essentially disabled if:

• the screen is on, or
• after battery level reaches about 50-60%.

Also, it is important to insert both ends of the cable tightly into the charger and Galaxy Note 5.

I was told, to use fast charging, I must plug the charger to the wall socket, not an extension. Is this true?

It is totally wrong.

As long as power is supplies to the charger, the charger has no idea it is from a socket or an extension.

Of course, stable voltage is important to keep the charger cool and efficient.

Why is Galaxy Note 5 battery still charging when it is 100%?

It is normal.

100% means reaching 100% based on estimation. It can take a few more mins, even longer,  to reach “fully charged”.

Fully charged is a hardware state of the battery, not an estimation.

For other Galaxy Note 5 features and detailed Galaxy Note 5 how-to guides , please check Galaxy Note 5 how-to guides page.