Mobile fast charging technologies continue to advance and Chinese manufacturers are exploring the limits and the delicate balance between speed and safety. In recent days we have heard from Oppo and Vivo and they are spectacular, with a recharging system that includes chargers of 120 and 125 watts respectively.
Autonomy is a feature that the industry has not fully resolved correctly due to the increase in size, functions and performance of the latest generations of smart phones. Little to do with the “dumb mobiles” that lasted us for weeks, if you give your smartphone a hard time, it can hardly last a day without having to charge it. If the autonomy has not improved, the charging systems have.
The industry organization responsible for the USB standard, generally used in mobile phones, promoted the standard. USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) that offers fast charging for mobiles with a maximum established in the 5A and 100 watts. The standard, along with programmable power supplies (PPS) and quality cabling, allow devices to dynamically alter and manage charging power for faster, more efficient charging. Also safe, because more energy generates more temperature and we all know what happens when a phone’s battery gets too hot.
How far can fast mobile charging go?
Samsung’s Galaxy S20s were the first certified for PPS and USB-PD with recharges of up to 45 watts, and virtually all manufacturers promise “fast charge” on some of their models with this standard or with others because Qualcomm has its own (” Quick Charge 4.0+ ») with chargers up to 45 watts. Terminals like the Lenovo Legion promise up to 90 watts and Xiaomi announced a charging technology of up to 100 watts.
All of the above will be left behind in future smartphones. OPPO is ready to raise the benchmark of fast mobile charging to 125 wattsAble to fully charge a 4,000 mAh capacity battery in just 10 minutes.
If you don’t like waiting to charge, the wait is almost over. ? #FlashForward pic.twitter.com/Uq54uJEphQ
– OPPO (@oppo) July 13, 2020
Vivo is another that is in the ointment and this week announced a system with fast charge of 120 wattsAble to fully charge a 4,000 mAh battery in 15 minutes or 50 percent charge in just five minutes. Oppo and Vivo are brands of the Chinese firm BBK Electronics, so we assume they will use the same technology.
These types of systems are a relief for users, but how far can manufacturers go in this race? These technologies require quality chargers and cabling to achieve the promised speed and safe recharges to avoid damaging the terminals. And we will have to verify that its benefits do not overcome disadvantages such as shorter battery life.
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