One thing you will do for the rest of your phone’s lifespan is to charge it. And while processors, cameras, screen size, updates availability, and after-sales services are important considerations when buying a phone, the charging capability of the phone is also very important. In the last decade, the smartphone industry has experienced remarkable technology advancements as far as charging is concerned that we now have a phone that can charge from 0-100 in less than 20 minutes. That is truly astonishing! There are different charging standards in the smartphone world, and the most popular is arguably the USB Power Delivery (also known as USB-PD); USB-PD relies on the capability of USB 3.1. in fact, many OEMs use USB-PD to execute their proprietary charging standards. Qualcomm’s Quick Charge (the charging standard for all phones that have Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Socs), Samsung’s proprietary Fast Charging and Adaptive Fast Charging (for Samsung phones), and Xaiomi’s Hypercharge are some of the more popular charging standards in the Android world
However, what constitutes fast charging differs from one phone to another. The iPhone’s approach to fast charging differs from Samsung’s, Xiaomi’s, or Huawei’s. Here is each major phone maker’s approach to fast charging:
Apple (iPhone)
Errrrm… Apple fans, look away! Among the major smartphone OEMs, Apple’s fast charging is one of the least impressive. But like we said here, Apple doesn’t jump on technology trends until they are ready. It took the arrival of the iPhone 8 before Apple implemented any form of fast charging. Even for their recent phones, the numbers are relatively not impressive, but it’s apple; incremental but optimised upgrading is their bread and butter, so when Apple eventually joins the race, rest assured we will have something worthwhile… Here is a list of iPhones and their charging speed:
For proper context, Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 8, released in August 2019, does 18W, while the Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition uses Xiaomi’s proprietary Hypercharge fast charging technology to deliver 210W meaning the 4300mAh will be completely charged in under 10 minutes… That is insane! Come on, Apple, Keep up.
Samsung
In many circles, Samsung is considered the king of the Android smartphone market. It isn’t easy to disagree. Samsung has consistently set the tone for all Android OEMs, and they are universally regarded as the Android OS’s answer to Apple’s iPhones. But surprisingly, Samsung has refused to be caught in the fast-charging race. Since the Samsung S10 5G in 2019, for its flagship phones, Samsung has used either 25W charging or 45W charging. The S10 was 25W; the Note 10 plus had 45W. Since then, only the Note 20 Ultra, Samsung S21 Ultra, and the S22 Ultra support 45W. Every other flagship and upper midranger has support for only 25W.
Others
Xiaomi, Oppo, One Plus, Huawei are some of the biggest proponents of higher fast charging. In fact, if fast charging means a lot to you, these brands are some of the first places to begin your search. Xiaomi and Oppo have phones that support 200W. Remember that their charging technology is proprietary, and some of your regular chargers will not deliver the high charging speed of their follow-come chargers.
What does this mean for you?
We have mentioned here that your battery is an important component of your phone, and charging it without care can mess up your experience with your phone. If you use any OEM-certified chargers, especially those available here, it is very unlikely that your phone will be adversely affected. However, that a charger charges your friend’s phone for a ridiculously short period does not mean you will enjoy the same speed. Fast charging technologies are not the same for all phones. Temper your expectations with reality and knowledge…
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