Many new smartphones come with the fast charging feature. Unlike the preceding years, we no longer need to wait for hours on end before we can recharge the batteries of our devices.
Manufacturers nowadays boast of fast charging speeds and phones that could get charged in less than an hour. There are even phones that claim to get 60% charged in 30 minutes or less!
So, what is the fastest charging phone? How does fast charging work? Let's take a look.
What Is Fast Charging?
As the name implies, fast charging is a feature that enables you to charge or power your device in less time than you would for a normal device. Fast charging entails sending more power into your device in a relatively short period of time. In fast charging, the number of watts (W) entering into your device's battery is increased.
The average smartphone receives about 2.5W to 6W while charging from its USB port. Fast chargers raise that amount about 10 times, with some phones heading towards 120W! You should note that not all phones support fast charging and that all chargers aren't fast chargers.
For fast charging to work, you need a charger and a phone that supports fast charging. So, if you use a fast charger on a phone that doesn't support fast charging, or doesn't have the fast charging features, it would charge at normal speed. The same thing happens when you use a normal charger on a fast charging phone—your phone gets charged at normal speed.
How Does Fast Charging Work?
Watt is the SI unit for power. Power is the product of the current in amperes and the voltage in volts. Increasing the current or voltage also increases the power that flows through the charger and into the device. In fast charging, either the voltage or current is increased—while the other stays put.
When the voltage increases, the device heats up faster while thicker cables are needed when the current is increased instead. Different companies have their fast charging techniques. Some of them include:
- Qualcomm (Quick Charge)
- USB Power Delivery
- OnePlus (Dash Charge)
- Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging
- Huawei’s (Super Charge)
- MediaTek (Pump Express or PE)]
- OnePlus Warp Charging
What Is the World’s Fastest Charging Phone?
As of July 2021, the fastest charging phone in the world is the Vivo iQOO 7. With its 120W fast charging speed, it charges its 4,000mAh fully (from 0% to 100%) in less than 30 minutes. But this is debatable because its closest runner-up, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra with a battery capacity of 4,500mAh has the same 120W charging speed and charges fully in just over 20 minutes—even with a greater battery capacity.
The Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra also charges to 70% in about six minutes, making it a very close second to the Vivo iQOO 7. The OnePlus 9 Pro is a close third as it charges its 4,500mAh battery fully in around 30 minutes with its 65W fast charging speed.
Other phone brands like RealMe, OPPO, and Poco follow the rest in fast charging speeds. The fastest wireless charging phone is the Xiaomi Mi11 Ultra with its 67W wireless charging speed. Although wireless charging is a new concept, it is starting to hold its ground among wired-charging phones.
Do Android Phones Charge Faster Than iPhones?
Yes, Android phones charge faster than iPhones even without the fast charging feature. In 15 minutes of charging, phones like the MotoX and OnePlus went up to 20% (from 0%) while the iPhone only got 9%.
Is Fast Charging Dangerous?
Many people are worried that fast charging may cause damage to phone batteries. On the contrary, fast charging will not damage your phone battery. In fast charging, there are two phases. In the first phase, the battery charges at a fast speed to 50 to 70%. Then, in the second phase, it slows down to let the battery cool and prevent damage.
Fast Charging and the Future
The future of fast charging is going to be very interesting as it tilts to the wireless charging space, with wireless charging phones slowly catching up with wired chargers. It is only a matter of time before all phones include the fast charging feature and become fast charging phones.