Your next Android phone may charge incredibly fast, going from 0% to 50% in some cases in just five minutes – if it uses Qualcomm's newest charging standard.
Qualcomm's Quick Charge 5 platform is the latest 100W technology for increasingly power-hungry mobile devices, further evolving the charging standards that fall into the 3.3V to 20V range. A full charge, from 0% to 100%, will take just 15 minutes.
Yes, Oppo just revealed its rival charging tech, but Qualcomm notes that its solution is ready to go and tipped for a new Xiaomi device in the coming months.
Quick Charge 5 is also a platform, meaning while Oppo's charging tech is bound for Oppo (and maybe OnePlus) phones in the future, Qualcomm's 100W charging is able to become part of a variety of new devices running the Snapdragon 865 chipset.
What this means for you – and what it doesn't
The impressive 0% to 50% in five minutes stat is based on a 4,500mAh battery size – your mileage may vary depending on battery capacity. Large flagship smartphones and expansive foldable phones with 5,000mAh batteries may take longer to charge.
But that's where Quick Charge 5 is going to be most useful: on big devices that have such large batteries and long charging times under normal conditions. 0% to 50% is a great stat, but big phones and even laptops is where this tech will shine.
Qualcomm's platform comes with other perks besides 4x faster charging versus last-gen charging speeds. It'll run 10 degrees C cooler and 70% more efficient, too. It also has a 'Smart Identification' feature for thermal protection against wayward chargers.
100W charging is biggest leap in Qualcomm's fast charging tech, but we won't see it in devices for several months, according to the company.
The good news is that it'll all be backwards compatible, so Quick Charge 5 charging accessories you may come across will work with your current devices while you wait for the tech to arrive in the next generation of phones.
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