How to enable Android phones to charge from 0% to 50% in five minutes
Qualcomm's Quick Charge 5 technology debuts with 100W charging
Your next Android phone can charge incredibly fast, going from 0% to 50% in just five minutes in some cases – if it uses Qualcomm's new charging standard.
Qualcomm's Quick Charge 5 platform is the latest 100W technology for increasingly power-hungry mobile devices, further evolving charging standards that fall within the 3.3V to 20V range. A full charge, from 0% to 100%, takes just 15 minutes
Yes, Oppo has just released its rival charging technology, but Qualcomm notes that its solution is ready to go and is tipped for a new Xiaomi device in the coming months.
Quick Charge 5 is also a platform, meaning Oppo's charging technology is bound for future Oppo (and possibly OnePlus) phones, with Qualcomm's 100W charging capable of becoming part of various new devices powered by the Snapdragon 865 chipset.
What it means for you - and what it doesn't
An impressive 0% to 50% status in five minutes is based on a 4,500mAh battery size – your mileage may vary depending on battery capacity. Larger flagship smartphones and wider foldable phones with 5,000mAh batteries may take longer to charge.
But that's where Quick Charge 5 will be most useful: in larger devices with such large batteries and long charging times under normal conditions. 0% to 50% is a great start, but larger phones and even laptops are where this technology will shine.
Qualcomm's platform has other benefits besides 4x faster charging versus last-gen charging speed. It will also run 10 degrees Celsius cooler and 70% more efficient. It also has a 'Smart Identification' point for thermal protection against wayward chargers.
100W charging is Qualcomm's biggest leap forward in fast charging technology, but according to the company, we won't see it in devices for months.
The good news is that it will all be backward compatible, so Quick Charge 5 charging accessories will work with your current devices while you wait for the technology to arrive in the next generation of phones.