The company has introduced the Quick Charge 5 standard, promising a significant breakthrough in smartphone charging efficiency. The new standard allows for charging the battery up to 50% in just 5 minutes and fully in 15 minutes. While actual performance may vary, the progress is impressive.
It has been four years since the announcement of the fourth generation of Qualcomm’s fast charging standard, with the enhanced version Quick Charge 4+ becoming available in 2017. However, this latest update marks the most significant leap forward for the company, especially in terms of charging speed. According to Qualcomm, the fifth generation is 70% more efficient than its predecessor, four times faster, and manages to keep temperatures 10 degrees Celsius lower.
Quick Charge 5 technology supports charging at over 100 watts and is capable of rapidly charging batteries divided into two cells. Another enhancement includes the use of the PD-PPS standard for more precise control of voltage and current during charging. The advantages of Quick Charge 5 also lie in its potential universality — any device supporting USB PD-PPS can charge smartphones that support this standard.
The usefulness of such acceleration for the phone itself is a question that requires further research. It is believed that fast charging may shorten battery life, but the significance of this impact has yet to be determined. In any case, if the 15-minute charging technology is successfully implemented, users will be able to charge their devices at any time, avoiding the need to leave them charging overnight.
At the end of last year, Qualcomm’s president, Cristiano Amon, stated that smartphones may soon give way to functional AR glasses. This is due to the emergence of fast connections, increased processor power, and the miniaturization of new technologies.
