Alongside their latest mobile processor, the Snapdragon 835, Qualcomm have taken the wraps of the next iteration of their fast-charging standard, Quick Charge 4. The big news for the new standard is the claim of 5 hours of charge from just 5 minutes of charge*.
Before we jump into the other features let’s have a look at the fine print of that claim. That test was based on charging a 2,750mAh battery, the battery started on empty and charging the throttled when the device reached 40°C. It’s also unclear what temperature the device started at, what the ambient temperature was, however in the end even if the exact results are reached it charges fast.
Other advantages include up to 20 percent faster charging, or 30 percent more efficient while charging up to 5° C cooler that the previous Quick Charge 3.0 standard. Qualcomm is also promoting 50% charging in just 15 minutes, with all of the same caveats as before.
The new standard will work over USB C or microUSB, Qualcomm state that the new standard is compliant with the USB Power Delivery specifications, hopefully, it passes muster with the internet’s self-appointed guardians of USB.
The spec also contains battery saving algorithms designed to protect the longevity of your battery over the years by measuring voltage, current, and temperature accurately while protecting the battery, system, cables, and connectors.
We hope fasting charging is not taken as an excuse by OEMs to include smaller batteries in their devices, whilst fast charging is great it’s only useful when you have a charger and it seems many consumer have been conned into carrying a portable battery and thinking that;s a good idea!
Are you looking forward to new fast charging? Let us know below.
