We deeply understand the types of fast charging for mobile devices - DASH Charge, Quick Charge, Pump Express and others. Features of fast charging, safety and conditions of use.
The battery capacity of smartphones is gradually increasing, but at the same time their energy consumption is also increasing. In order to reduce charging time, smartphone manufacturers have begun to introduce fast charging technology. At the moment, there are already more than a dozen such solutions.
In this article, the site will help you understand the existing fast charging standards.
The basis of any fast charging is to increase the voltage and current. In ordinary chargers, the voltage is 5 V, and in fast chargers it reaches 20 V. The minimum current in fast chargers is 2 A.
When using fast charging, the smartphone charges at a faster speed if it has the least amount of charge left, namely up to 50%, and after 50 percent it reduces the charging speed. This happens because the smartphone gradually lowers the voltage.
In addition, unlike classic chargers, most fast chargers are smart and communicate with the device using a special protocol.
For example, when using Quick Charge 4.0, the smartphone continuously sends information about the state of the battery to the charger, based on which the power supply adjusts the output power by changing the current and voltage.
Types of fast charging
Now it’s worth going over fast charging technologies. Many self-respecting manufacturers have their own designs, but most use more standardized solutions.
Qualcomm Quick Charge
Qualcomm Quick Charge is the most common fast charging technology at the moment. It laid the foundation for all other types of similar technologies. As of today, the fourth version of Quick Charge has been released.
The evolution of Quick Charge.
Quick Charge 1.0 was designed to achieve maximum device charging efficiency of up to 10 W, with a maximum current draw of 2 A through a standard adapter and with a voltage of 5 volts, allowing for 40% faster charging.
Quick Charge 2.0 uses chargers with output voltages of 5, 9, and even 12 volts, which increases the charger's power to a maximum of 36 watts.
Meizu used a prototype smartphone with a 3000 mAh battery. A five-minute connection to the network provided the smartphone with a 30% charge, and 60% after 10 minutes.
According to these indicators, the Meizu test device surpassed the Galaxy S7 Edge in charging speed, being 3.5 times faster. After 15 minutes, the charge indicator showed 85%, and it took 20 minutes to fully charge the smartphone to 100%.
These results were facilitated by the high-voltage direct charging method with a voltage of 11 V and a current of 5 A.
If we are talking about harm to the battery, then after 800 cycles the lithium-polymer battery has lost 20% of its original capacity. However, Meizu decided not to rush into the appearance of a commercial sample supporting this technology.
Initially, there was talk of releasing such a device at the end of 2017, but Meizu soon delayed the release until the first quarter of 2018.
Huawei Super Charge
The maximum fast charging power of Huawei Super Charge reaches 22.5 W at a voltage of 5 V. So far only Huawei P10, and .
The flagship of the Mate line is equipped with a 4000 mAh battery, which can be charged to 57% in half an hour. And to get 100% battery, you need to wait an hour and 10 minutes.
Fast charging safety. What will happen to the battery?
A battery can suffer from rapid charging due to two reasons: charging speed and temperature.
You've probably noticed that during fast charging, your smartphone heats up more than when using regular charging. Overheating is the main cause of battery explosions and fires. won't let you lie.
But we have nothing to fear: all fast charging technologies are equipped with a huge number of overheating protection systems. But they cannot protect against one thing - from the users themselves. More precisely, from their inattention and improper use of charging.
Here are a few simple rules that will keep you out of trouble when using fast charging:
- Charge smartphones only from original chargers with original cables
- Do not charge a damaged device
- If the smartphone case is bent or cracked, then it is better not to take risks and not use such a device at all.
- Do not place the device under a pillow or blanket when charging.
There is no need to worry about battery wear during fast charging. It is minor and does not reduce battery life. Moreover, why else are such technologies created if not to use them to their fullest?
The future of fast charging
But some people still don’t like fast charging. I wonder who might not like the fact that after charging the device for 15 minutes we can use it all day? This is Google.
Yes, yes, don't be surprised. The Good Corporation does not like the fact that there are so many competing standards and it is promoting its technology: USB Power Delivery, which is found in the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. The Internet giant has published official compatibility of devices with this type of fast charging:
USB Power Delivery operates in the following modes: 5 V/2 A (10 W), 12 V/1.5 A (18 W), 12 V/3 A (36 W), 12-20 V/3 A (up to 60 W) and 12-20 V/4.75-5 A (up to 100 W).
I can’t even believe that in the near future monitors will be powered by USB. After all, the USB connector was created in order to remove all other connectors, but it didn’t quite work out. The endless change of standards, first USB 2.0 and 3.0, then Type-C - all this is starting to irritate. But changes are just around the corner, we look forward to new technologies!
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That's all. I tried to talk about all the types of fast charging that are already used and that are just waiting for widespread use. If I missed anything, feel free to point it out to me in the comments below.
There are no compact batteries with high capacity yet. Such devices are at the development stage. Of course there are some prototypes, but they are not used. Smartphone manufacturers took a different route - they came up with a way to charge the phone faster, and much faster. To do this, it must support fast charging technology (it can be called differently) and be equipped with a special charger that can provide high current.
Note that cheap phones in the price category up to 10 thousand rubles do not have this function. Fast charging is available in flagships and more or less expensive smartphones that cannot be classified as either flagships or budget phones. However, hardware is improving and becoming cheaper, so if during 2018 state employees begin to produce fast-charging technologies, it will be logical.
How does fast charging work?
To fill the battery faster, you need a high-power charger. In standard models, the voltage does not exceed 5 V, and the current does not exceed 2-2.5 A (most often it is 1 Ampere). In special adapters, the current can reach 5 A and the voltage 20 V. However, this is not the main difference. Classic “slow” charges simply provide a stable serial current, and “smart” and fast devices can “communicate” with a smartphone through a special protocol.
For example, the popular Quick Charge 3.0 technology from the famous processor manufacturer Qualcomm is based on “communication” between the smartphone and the charger. The phone sends information to the charger about the state of the battery, and based on this information, the power supply can adjust the power output by changing the current or voltage. This voltage determination system is called Intelligent Negotiation for Optimum Voltage or INOV.
The highest power is produced by the adapter when the battery is empty. That is why manufacturers most often indicate the operating efficiency of their chargers based on the time it takes to fill the battery to 50%. For example, with a completely empty battery, Quick Charge 3.0 (the name of one of the technologies) creates an initial voltage of 20 V, and then as the battery capacity increases, the voltage can drop down to 3.2 V.
The fast charging function is only available if the processor supports this technology and with a special charger, which is usually supplied by the manufacturer itself. If it breaks, you can buy a new one, but it must be certified. And although there are few fakes on the market, you should never use an untested accessory, as charging the battery in the wrong mode can not only destroy your smartphone, but also cause a fire.
Technologies
Every self-respecting chipset (processor) manufacturer has created its own unique fast charging technology. We will indicate the most common of them.
Quick Charge
Qualcomm is a leading manufacturer of chipsets for smartphones. Xiaomi, some Samsung, Asus, Google Pixel and other manufacturers purchase chips from this brand and successfully use them in manufactured phones. It was Qualcomm that was the first to create fast charging technology. At the moment, the latest processors use Quick Charge 3.0. It is supported by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (latest) 821, 820, 625, 620, 618, 617, 430 chips. Processors starting from 625 can be used even in budget smartphones.
Quick Charge 3.0 technology allows you to fully charge a 3300 mAh battery from scratch in 96 minutes. This is an excellent result. Qualcomm also announced that the fourth version of the standard will be implemented in 2017, but 2017 is already coming to an end, and the company’s latest processor, Snapdragon 835, has only received the third version. This is what is used in phones based on this chipset.
Pump Express
Qualcomm's closest competitor is MediaTek, which also produces processors for phones. However, its products are most often used in budget Chinese phones like Meizu. Its own fast charging technology Pump Express 3.0 (the latest version at the moment) allows you to fully charge the Meizu Pro 6 smartphone with 2560 mAh batteries in just 1 hour.
Technology support is only possible if you have a USB Type-C port and one of the supported SoCs (the company does not disclose the entire list).
Adaptive Fast Charging
Samsung is not far behind. Adaptive Fast Charging technology is implemented in Exynos processors. It is supported by all S series phones starting from Samsung Galaxy S6. The Note line has also acquired a new development - all smartphones, starting with the Galaxy Note 4, support it. The charging power from Samsung is 15 W at a voltage of 9 V, which is enough to fill a 3000 mAh battery to 50% within 30 minutes.
What about Apple?
For the first time, fast charging appeared on iPhones just the other day. Apple has implemented the technology in the new flagships iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. During the presentation, it was stated that the phone will be able to charge up to 50% within 30 minutes. However, buyers will be disappointed - Apple does not supply special adapters. As standard, the kit comes with a regular 5 W plug, which does not support the technology. Therefore, in order to be able to quickly charge your phone, you will have to buy a charger with a power of 29, 61 or 87 W. And although they claim that the iPhone 8 requires 61 W charging, this is all complete nonsense. The maximum current that any of the new flagships can draw is a 29 W charger.
Other technologies
There are other manufacturers who have created their own technologies. We will indicate them briefly so as not to bore you too much:
- OPPO implements Flash Charging or Dash Charge technology in its phones.
- Huawei is not standing aside with its HiSilicon processors with Super Charge technology. Huawei Mate 9, P10 and P10 Plus so far have this technology, but the list will expand.
- Meizu is working on creating a revolutionary Super mCharge technology, which in theory will be able to charge a 3000 mAh battery in just 20 minutes.
So far, these are all currently known fast charging technologies that are used in various phones. Their principle is approximately the same, but there may be technical differences.
Conclusion
Finally, I would like to give some valuable advice. If the processor manufacturer’s website states that the chip supports fast charging technology, this does not mean that the smartphone with this chip will use this technology. The chipset developer only provides this opportunity, and the smartphone manufacturer decides whether to include it in the model’s functionality or not.
Also, when purchasing a power supply, you need to check which fast charging standards it supports and whether it matches the smartphone. Not all fast chargers are universal, and many of them are not capable of charging phones with other SoCs.
The high energy consumption of modern smartphones forces their owners to constantly use the charger, sometimes even several times a day.
Since recharging a battery to 100% usually takes about 2 hours, a few years ago Qualcomm developed Quick Charge technology to significantly reduce this process. In recent years, its technical implementation has become widespread and developed, but disputes over the safety of fast charging for a smartphone battery and the advisability of its use have not subsided to this day. Can this technology somehow harm the smartphone?
How does the fast charging feature work?
To find out whether you can trust, you first need to decide what exactly it is and how exactly it works. Like Quick Charge itself, all analogues available today (for example, Pump Express from MediaTek) are implemented in the form of special high-power power supplies. With their help, phones receive the maximum possible amount of energy from the outlet.
This approach is achieved by increasing the current and voltage received at the input by the smartphone battery. Previously, gadget manufacturers used chargers with a throughput of 5 volts and 2 amperes (5V/2A), but in this case, the process of charging the battery still takes about several hours. Now modern power supplies have increased energy capacity due to:
- Voltage increase up to 20 volts.
- The increase in the strength of the current flowing inside is up to 5 amperes.
The implementation of such technology requires an appropriate level of control not only on the part of the charger, but also in the processor of the mobile gadget. When you connect a Quick Charge-enabled smartphone to a power outlet, you see something interesting. The maximum battery charging speed is often observed only during the first half hour, until approximately 40-50% of the capacity is reached. After this, replenishment of the battery's energy resources to 100% proceeds in a much less active mode.
Thus, the internal controller of the mobile phone controls the amount of power that the device's battery should receive. Special algorithms not only optimize the amount of input current and voltage to achieve rapid charging, but also prevent. Thanks to this, wear and tear of the smartphone’s battery is not observed if the existing charging rules are observed.
Does Quick Charge harm your smartphone battery?
Manufacturers of mobile devices that support fast charging are constantly working to improve this technology. Today, gadgets that work with the latest generation are appearing on the market. An example of this is Qualcomm's chipset called Snapdragon 845, present in many flagships last year. However, even today it deserves some attention for some rather important innovations.
First of all, we should note a significantly improved approach to battery power management, which allows you to dynamically adjust the incoming voltage in the range from 3.2 to 20 volts. Innovative INOV technology controls the current strength, which significantly reduces the likelihood of overheating. Also, as the battery charge increases, the energy output through the power supply decreases.
Based on all of the above, we can judge the very high level of reliability and safety of the latest versions of smartphone fast charging. Why does the battery wear out in some mobile devices? Misuse of Quick Charge capabilities is often the culprit. Thanks to accelerated charging up to 50%, which takes only half an hour, many users get used to replenishing the battery only up to half. As a rule, this leads to a gradual decrease in capacity.
- You need to monitor the temperature conditions in which the smartphone is located during fast charging, and from sources of additional heat.
- It is not recommended to use Quick Charge power supplies on gadgets with chipsets that do not support this technology. This can cause the battery to swell and fail due to severe overheating.
- You need to charge your phone only using an original certified device or a high-quality one.
Results and conclusions
Current smartphone fast charging technologies do not in any way affect the wear rate of its battery. To effectively preserve the energy properties of the battery, you need to follow the basic rules of working with Quick Charge and. In any case, it is impossible to guarantee the gradual loss of battery capacity, since its service life is usually limited to 3-4 years.
Once upon a time, phones had weak batteries, so they charged quite quickly. Since then, their capacity has increased by about 5-10 times, and their charging time should have increased by the same amount. Manufacturers solve this problem in many ways, but their options are limited because they try to adhere to established standards.
Most smartphones are charged from chargers that produce a voltage of 5 volts with a current ranging from 0.5 to 2 amperes. However, there are accelerated charging technologies that provide increased voltage and current. The operating principle of any battery is based on an electrochemical process that allows you to accumulate energy and then release it. Modern mobile devices most often use lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries, which have high capacity and low self-discharge. They have many disadvantages - over time they gradually lose their nominal capacity, and when heated and damaged they can ignite.
Fast charging technology is based on the principle of supplying the maximum permissible voltage at a current strength that allows you to charge as quickly as possible. At the same time, it is important that the battery is not damaged, does not fail, and does not lose its characteristics. The voltage is selected individually for each device and charging conditions and can be increased or decreased. In the case of Qualcomm Qiack Charge technology, charging is carried out at voltages from 3.6 to 20 volts in 0.2 volt increments and current up to 3 amperes. The controller built into the processor analyzes several parameters, including battery temperature, and allows you to limit or increase the energy supply. Devices are charged in a similar way using most other technologies.
Oppo has invented its proprietary VOOC Flash Charging technology, which works differently. The charger supplies a current of 5 volts with a power of 4.5 amps to an 8-pin battery. The battery is divided into several cells, and the energy is evenly distributed between them. This technology allows you to “carefully” charge batteries without exposing them to the risk of overheating even in the event of a controller failure or failure.
There are also more radical solutions - for example, charging the battery in a few seconds. This technology is far from perfect - the battery discharges several times faster and it is very short-lived.
Chargers that support fast charging technologies are universal - they can charge smartphones from any manufacturer, including older models. It is unlikely that we should expect a sharp breakthrough in accelerated charging technologies. Most likely, they will gradually improve, and within a few years the generally accepted norm will be to fully charge a smartphone within half an hour or even faster.
Phones usually run out of charge at the most inopportune moment, when there is catastrophically little time to charge. We turn on the first charger we come across with a wire and wait... Sometimes the charge occurs quickly, and sometimes it takes a treacherously long time, and after a while we are again left without communication.
Let's look at the process of charging a phone and all its components. And we’ll try to give recommendations that will help you choose the right chargers and always stay connected.
Modern communication devices are charged from 5 Volts, this is the voltage that is present at the output of the USB connector of a computer, router, TV, and so on. Chargers that are plugged into a socket are usually equipped with this connector. But in addition to voltage, an important parameter is the current with which the charge occurs.
If we talk about a computer, then the standard maximum current value for USB 2.0 is 0.5 A (amps), which is not very much for modern devices. If the charging device requires a higher current (1-2 A), then charging will take a painfully long time and may never be completed.
Another USB 3.0 standard (the connector is indicated by blue plastic inside) provides a current of up to 1 A, which is much better, but such connectors are only available on modern computers (TVs, routers and other devices are usually equipped with a USB 2.0 standard connector or even a USB 1.1 standard). That is, if we need to charge the phone from a computer, we should, if possible, choose the blue USB 3.0 connector; the device will charge much faster.
It is no coincidence that universal chargers have different prices; in most cases they differ in the maximum possible charging current - the higher the price, the higher the current, as a rule, and, accordingly, the potentially shorter charging time of the device (in this case, we do not take into account the markup for the brand and design) .
Of course, it is important to know the capabilities of your device in order to choose a charger with the required parameters. As a rule, most manufacturers indicate a maximum current of 1 A. But not all actually provide it. To compare different chargers, we will use a tester that shows current and voltage, as well as simulating a consumer with different current consumption.
Ideally, the charger should output 5 Volts and the maximum current that the device being charged can consume. But in reality the picture is different. To eliminate the influence of the cable connecting the charger and the phone, we will connect the tester directly to the charger.
Test 1 (5 Volts and 1 A stated):
We see that the voltage is 120 mV lower than declared and the current is 70 mA less.
Test 2 (5 Volts and 1 A stated):
We see that the voltage is slightly higher than declared and the current differs from the declared one by only 40 mA.
Test 3 (5 Volts and 1 A stated):
We see that the voltage is slightly higher than declared and the current corresponds to the declared one.
Test 4 (stated 5 Volts and 0.7 A):
The voltage and current are significantly lower than the previous ones; you should not expect fast charging from this device.
Test 5 (stated 5 Volts and 1 A):
Voltage and current correspond to the declared ones.
Test 6 (parameters not indicated):
The voltage and current are lower than the previous ones, you should not expect fast charging from this device.
Test 6 (charger combined with a block of sockets, stated 5 Volts and 2.4 A):
Very decent parameters.
Test 7 (charger combined with a tee of sockets, stated 5 Volts and 1 A):
Very good results.
As you can see, not all manufacturers were able to provide the declared characteristics, and in those cases where the voltage is lower than required and the current is lower, we will naturally get a longer charging time for the phone or tablet.
The second important element in the charging process is the cable connecting the charger to the phone. There are many options for such cables, some even with backlight. However, their main parameters are the material of the current-carrying conductors (preferably copper) and the thickness of the conductor (the thicker, the less the cable will affect the charging process). Let's test several cables.
Test 0 (tester connected directly to charger):
Test 1 (cable included with Sony Xperia Z3):
A good cable for a current of 1 A, at 2 A there is an overload and loss of parameters.
Test 2 (cable purchased separately):
Good cable for 1 A, loss of parameters at 2 A.
Test 3 (cable purchased separately):
Bad cable, charging will be very slow.
Test 4 (cable purchased separately):
And we will briefly consider the capabilities of modern devices to ensure their fast charging. In addition to the traditional mechanism for charging phone batteries, there are fast charging standards: QuickCharge 1.0 (2012) and QuickCharge 2.0 (2014). Phones that support these technologies charge much faster than their counterparts.
The leader in fast charging, according to phonearena.com, is the Samsung Galaxy S6 (1 hour 18 minutes with a battery capacity of 2,550 mAh). In second place is Oppo Find 7a (1 hour 22 minutes with a battery capacity of 2800 mAh), in third place is Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (1 hour 35 minutes with a battery capacity of 3220 mAh),
In fourth place is Google Nexus 6 (1 hour 38 minutes with a battery capacity of 3,220 mAh), in fifth place is HTC One M9 (1 hour 46 minutes with a battery capacity of 2,840 mAh). Fast charging technology is also supported by: LG G3, OnePlus One, Samsung Galaxy S5, LG G4, Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Apple iPhone 6, Motorola Moto G, Sony Xperia Z3 and a number of others.
So, if charging speed is important, you should choose phones that support QuickCharge technology.
Naturally, fast charging speeds are only possible when using high-quality chargers and cables that support the required currents and voltages. Of course, it is better to use the charger that comes with your phone. But if it is purchased separately, then when choosing, you should take into account the above described parameters.
