If you’ve purchased a new phone recently, there’s a good chance the power supply in the box is capable of charging your phone significantly faster than any of the other chargers you have in the house. This little slice of magic is called Quick Charge from Qualcomm, and it’s a two-step process that promises to safely charge your phone faster than any other tech out there right now.
Quick Charge 4.0 has three key improvements: It’s 20% faster and 30% more efficient than Quick Charge 3 and runs about five degrees Celsius cooler. Additional “battery saver” features will prolong the life of the battery in your phone, and QC 4.0 is said to be fully USB-C USB-PD (Power Delivery) compliant.
We all love faster charging and batteries that live longer. But the last feature in our list is perhaps the most important. The latest Android Compatibility Definition Document, Google has strongly recommended manufacturers move away from non-standard USB-C charging solutions like Quick Charge and adhere to the USB-PD spec. With QC 4.0, you’ll not only be able to extend your phone usage by up to five hours with just five minutes of charging, but won’t have to worry as much about matching the charger to the thing being charged.
QC 4.0 also includes the latest iteration of Qualcomm’s custom power management algorithm, Intelligent Negotiation for Optimum Voltage (INOV). Additions include real-time thermal management which will regulate the temperature during power delivery to keep things safer and more efficient. New power management ICs are also part of the picture and will come with QC 4-ready devices.
Currently, it’s unclear why the current crop of Snapdragon 835 devices out there do not support Quick Charge 4.0, but it is at least refreshing to know that there will be Quick Charge 4.0-compatible smartphones coming rather soon. With many manufacturers having yet to announce their flagships with the Snapdragon 835, it’s possible that we could see an influx of flagship smartphones over the summer. Watch this space.
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