Fast charging is nothing new, but smartphone manufacturers are in a battle to see who can top the latest charging speed. Hoping to take the title is Realme, with its new GT3 smartphone launched at MWC 2023. This new device gives itself the title of the fastest charging global smartphone, with a speed of 240W.

Here, we take a look at Realme's new GT3, its fast charging speed, and the smartphone's regular features.

Realme Launches GT3 at MWC 2023 With 240W Charging Speed

Realme's main focus on the GT3 smartphone is the charging speed. It boasts 240W speeds for juicing up the device over wired charging. It's currently the maximum speed that mass-produced USB-C devices can access, to Realme is really leading the pack here.

But what exactly does 240W mean in the real world? You can charge the GT3 from 0% to 20% in just 80 seconds–that's enough to catch up on a YouTube video or TV episode. In a live demo, the device actually managed to get to 23% within this same 80 seconds, so it seems that things can get a little quicker.

Live demo of Realme GT3 on stage

What's more, it only takes nine and a half minutes to fully charge the Realme GT3's 4,600mAh battery. The brand wants you to count the seconds it takes your phone to charge, and the charging speed gets shown directly on the lock screen when plugged in.

To achieve such a fast charging speed, the Realme GT3 combines a dedicated chip to manage on-device charging more efficiently with a custom 12A charging cable. This cable claims the crown as the industry's fastest current, which juices up your device as quickly as possible. You'll also find a large liquid cooling system to keep things safe while charging, and to make things more efficient.

Realme GT3 Side Angle

Worried that all this fast charging will ruin your device's battery? Don't be. Realme tested the GT3 and found it has an 80% lifespan after over 1600 charging cycles with 240W enabled. This is more than double the industry standard of 80% battery health after 800 charging cycles. Gone are the days of fast charging ruining your battery life over time.

It is worth noting that Redmi revealed it's currently working on a device with 300W charging. This device isn't available yet, and it's unclear how Redmi is going to achieve this with USB-C's limitations. But faster charging is on the way.

What Else Can Realme's Latest Smartphone Do?

Charging isn't the only thing that counts when it comes to smartphones, however. This 6.7-inch smartphone boasts an AMOLED display that can crank up to 1,400 nits of brightness, and 144Hz on the refresh rate. If this wasn't enough, the display boasts a 1240 x 2772 resolution, and up to one billion colors.

Inside, you'll find the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset (which is one of the latest), a dedicated Adreno 730 GPU, and a 4,600mAh battery. On the rear, you'll find a triple camera system with a 50MP main snapper alongside an 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro lens. It also supports 4K video, stereo audio, HDR10+, and an under-display optical fingerprint sensor.

Realme GT3 Line-Up

The Realme GT3 will be available in 8+128GB, 12+256GB, 16+256GB, 16+512GB, and 16+1TB specifications following the launch at MWC 2023. Pricing will start from $649, but this price may vary between retailers. It's unclear exactly when the smartphone will hit the shelves, however.

Fast Charging Gets Even Faster at MWC 2023

With Realme's GT3 announcement, fast charging speeds have levelled up to be quicker than ever before. With 200W speeds only recently being broken, it's clear that smartphone brands show no signs of slowing things down.

There's plenty more news from MWC 2023, ranging from other smartphones to wild concepts. Plus, we've handed out awards to the best products shown at the tech exhibition.