Battery Charging
The efficiency and practicality of recharging portable devices, such as mobile phones, heavily rely on the circuitry involved in the battery charging process.
The charging protocol varies based on the battery type and size, playing a crucial role in determining battery longevity and everyday usability.
Modern battery chargers dynamically adjust charging parameters based on the battery’s current charge level. Charging an empty battery can be done at a faster rate without compromising safety. Many benchmarks, including ours, measure the charging level reached after a 30-minute session on an empty battery.
Standard chargers typically output 5V/1A, which equals 5W of power. Any charging speed faster than this is considered quick or fast charging.
The realm of quick charging is fragmented, with each manufacturer often implementing its own proprietary technology. The most common solution is 5V/2A charging, delivering 10W of power, supported by most phones.
Qualcomm’s QuickCharge protocol is utilized by smartphones with Qualcomm chipsets, peaking at 18W. MediaTek introduced its own charging standard called Pump Express, while USB Power Delivery offers a universal quick charging standard, supporting up to 18W.
Oppo, Vivo, and OnePlus collaborate, sharing intellectual property and R&D, resulting in similar quick charging solutions. Oppo’s VOOC Flash charge, Vivo’s Fast battery charging, and OnePlus’ Fast Charge all output 18-20W.
In 2018, these manufacturers introduced even faster implementations, with Oppo’s Super VOOC Flash charge delivering 50W, Vivo’s Dual-Engine Fast Charge providing 22.5W, and OnePlus’ Warp charge offering up to 30W.
Huawei employs its proprietary SuperCharge technology, capable of delivering 40W (22.5W in common implementations). Meizu’s mCharge outputs up to 24W, and the future Super mCharge is anticipated to reach 55W.
Wireless charging, based on the Qi standard, uses electromagnetic induction to transfer energy. Qi charging pads typically provide a nominal power output of 5W, but faster chargers can reach up to 15W for compatible devices.
Qi charging is backward compatible, ensuring compatibility between different Qi-enabled devices, regardless of the supported revision.
As technology continues to evolve, manufacturers strive to enhance charging speeds and convenience, enabling users to recharge their devices quickly and efficiently.
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