Mobile phones occupy a special position in the business and personal life of a modern person. Now it’s even difficult to imagine how, without them, you can quickly resolve at least one important issue in a short time, communicating with any audience at any distance, regardless of the country.
It is quite obvious that this requires the constant presence of the phone in a capable state. We can say that there is even a certain dependence on it. Finding himself without a phone or with it disconnected at the most inopportune moment, a business person immediately becomes lost, becomes helpless, and the usual rhythm of work is disrupted.
With such demand, the owner is forced to comply with all operating conditions so that the “assistant” does not unexpectedly fail in critical situations. To do this, it is not enough to simply protect your phone from damage and adverse environmental influences. It is very important to “feed” it on time and quickly, to replenish its energy reserves, that is, to recharge it.
A question immediately arises. What's the best way to do this?
What are the differences between types of chargers?
In order to add vital energy to the power source of a mobile phone, there are chargers (chargers). They differ in power and charging speed, depending on what device they are intended for.
There are regular and fast chargers. It is not difficult to guess that their main difference is the duration of the process. Of course, fast charging (QC) takes much less time. In situations where it is necessary to quickly return the phone to use, they try to use the memory that provides the knowledge base.
The power supply for the BZ has improved electrical characteristics. The values of these parameters can always be found on the memory case. With the same operating voltage of 5 V (this is their similarity), the current for fast charging should be twice as high (2 A). This is their difference. Conventional chargers require a constant current of 1 A.
Another difference is the increased requirements not only for the adapter, but also for the supply cord. It should have much greater throughput. Typically, the necessary components are packaged with the smartphone.
The speed at which the battery charges is almost doubled; The time of the process itself is reduced by approximately the same factor. Often, lack of time simply forces you to use fast charging, because circumstances do not allow you to delay this process. The main thing is that the phone is ready to receive data.
Only Power Delivery is suitable for iPhone
Although Apple gadgets use a fairly common fast charging standard, this protocol is not the most popular in the world.
Power Delivery (USB-PD) support has been available since iPhone 8 and iPhone X, released in fall 2022.
I’m glad that the box with last year’s flagships iPhone 11 Pro/11 Pro Max already has 18-watt charging with support for fast charging.
For owners of other models, we recommend purchasing Apple adapters with a Type-C port and a Type-C to Lightning cable. In theory, any Power Delivery (PD) power supply with a power from 18 to 100 W will be suitable.
Practical tests have shown that there is no point in using charging more powerful than 29-30W, and adapters with a power of more than 30W are not recommended for use with Apple smartphones. You will hardly notice any difference in charging speed, but the heating during power supply will be significant.
⚡ Cupertino residents claim that an iPhone, when using an 18-watt power supply, can replenish 50% of its charge in about 30-35 minutes .
What is the operating principle of such charging based on?
The technological secret of the BZ is to increase the value of current or voltage. Some manufacturers increase both at the same time.
The chipset (otherwise: board, circuit, processor) is the main “actor” in the device: it manages all the functions embedded in the device, stores them, and controls the operation. It also controls wireless charging. This is not his only role. His responsibilities include active management of the operation of other units, components, and components.
The circuit also contains so-called fast charging protocols, that is, the chipset is supplied with information about the state of the battery when it is charging. Based on the received data on current and voltage, the controller performs its work to regulate a safe process. There are several such protocols found in different smartphones. The most famous one, developed by Qualcomm, is called Quick Charpe 3.0.
It is known that in the first half hour the battery gains up to 50% of its capacity, and the remaining half over a longer period (almost an hour). This is explained by the uneven operation of the chipset, divided into intervals. At first, the chipset supplies more current, gradually reducing it and the voltage.
At lower power, the charging time increases. This is done to improve the safety of the smartphone and prevent breakdown, malfunction or fire.
Which smartphones support this feature?
Fast charging support depends on:
- chipset installed in the device;
- implementation of an advanced power chain.
We recommend: Disable Wi-Fi on Android phone
Compatibility with fast charging technology is established at the stage of creating a single-chip system, for which a separate chip is responsible. For example, a manufacturer installs a Snapdragon 665 with QC 3.0 support in a smartphone, but the device does not support it due to the brand’s reluctance to invest in an advanced power circuit. In the case of proprietary technologies like VOOC, the implementation of the knowledge base depends on design features: installation of special batteries, connector, power adapter.
Sometimes there are exceptions to the rules. The Redmi Note 8 Pro smartphone was launched based on MediaTek G90T but is compatible with Qualcomm's QC 3.0.
Note! Smartphone support for fast charging is indicated in the technical specifications of the device on the official website or box. The technology only works in combination with a proprietary power adapter or a licensed Power Bank.
Organizational problems of manufacturing companies
KB technology is becoming increasingly popular among users. More and more owners of modern mobile phones are paying attention to it. Many manufacturers produce products that can be quickly charged. But there is still no single list of such companies. Therefore, it is difficult to immediately figure out whose model has this capability.
Also, there are no contractual obligations between manufacturing companies regarding device compatibility. This deprives the owner of a mobile phone of one brand of the opportunity to use components of another when the need arises.
The lack of common manufacturing standards is a big disadvantage.
Samsung has its own Adaptive Fast Charging standard, but it's outdated
Samsung did not stand aside and developed its own AFC standard, which does not prevent most of the company’s smartphones from charging perfectly using the Quick Charge protocol.
The main feature of this charging is that the adapter can quickly recharge the battery in 9V mode at 1.6A up to approximately 80% of the capacity, and then switch to the usual 5V - 2A for final charging.
The technology is already quite outdated, because it debuted in the Galaxy Note 4 models in 2014 and was compatible with Quick Charge 2.0.
All Samsung smartphones of recent years that support newer Quick Charge standards can be charged faster using the most common method, and not using the proprietary AFC protocol.
⚡ Currently, Adaptive Fast Charging allows you to replenish 60% of the battery capacity (the total capacity of which is 3300 mAh) in about 30 minutes .
How to activate the fast charging feature?
You can activate (enable) such a function if it is technologically embedded in a specific model. But if it is not provided at all, then the problem solves itself: there is no way to enable the missing function. You can, of course, connect a more powerful power supply to speed up the process. At first, the battery seems to start charging faster, but very soon this will lead to failure of the power source.
Only the presence of a knowledge base support function in a smartphone allows you to put it into practice. To do this you need to follow several steps. Use the “Settings” program. In the “Power” item o (thus make this function active).
Common questions and answers
Vyacheslav
For several years he worked in mobile phone stores of two large operators. I understand tariffs well and see all the pitfalls. I love gadgets, especially Android ones.
Ask a Question
Question to the expert
The connected phone does not charge and the charging indicator does not appear
Most likely, the problem is in the “charger” or cable. You need to try charging the gadget with others. It is also possible that the gadget's USB connector may break. Only repairs will help here
There is a charging indicator, but the smartphone is not charging
The power controller is probably broken. The problem can only be solved by repair
Battery drains in a matter of hours
The most common cause of the problem is an old battery. In this case it needs to be replaced
The battery charges at different speeds, quickly loses charge, behaves strangely
Perhaps the problem is in the firmware. It's worth trying to reset it to factory settings. You can also install custom firmware. But this should be done only if the user is confident in his abilities. Otherwise, you can ruin your phone
4.1/5 — (21 votes)
How to cancel the fast charging support function?
For example, a smartphone is equipped with a knowledge base function. For some reason, it was decided to abandon it, disable it, that is, deactivate it. You need to go the same way as to enable the function. Go to “Settings”, in the “Power” section, uncheck o.
But if the “Enable” option was not entered in advance, then to disable this function it is enough to connect normal charging, which the battery will accept as such and automatically switch to slow charging. It will respond to the memory again only with the next one and the presence of the required charger and wire.
How to use the battery correctly
Here are a few rules that will help maximize the “life” of your phone battery.
- Full discharge must not be allowed. The service life of lithium-ion batteries is determined by the number of complete operating cycles (that is, discharging from 100% to 0%). Therefore, the less the battery is completely discharged, the better.
- You need to discharge the battery to 0 every 3-4 months. A constant full charge is also harmful. Therefore, the battery needs to be discharged to 0 every few months.
- You should only use the supplied “charger”. Another may cause damage to the device due to the difference in voltage and current.
- Do not allow the battery to overheat. Lithium-ion batteries are sensitive to temperature increases. Therefore, you should not leave your phone in direct sunlight or near radiators or other heat sources.
Does fast charging harm your smartphone?
A very important condition for safe and long-term operation of the power source is the temperature to which the battery heats up. If its temperature rises during charging, the chipset reduces the current and voltage.
As soon as the temperature reaches an acceptable value, the processor raises its electrical characteristics. It all depends on the quality and suitability of the equipment used, as well as the clarity of the processor.
If the controller accurately performs its duties, there is no need to worry about the device overheating.
Compatibility and Security
To charge your smartphone quickly, it is not enough to purchase a power adapter that supports Fast Charge. The unit requires an appropriate cable, as well as support for fast charging by the device itself. If these requirements are not met, the phone will charge in standard mode.
Another requirement for using Fast Charge is equipment from the smartphone manufacturer. Smartphones from companies such as Huawei, Apple and OPPO, in combination with power supplies of other standards, produce low speed indicators. But Quick Charge is supported on most devices.
When developing fast charging technologies, special attention is paid to safety. Therefore, manufacturers equip power adapters with a special chip that reduces power when the charge reaches 70-80%.
Alternative charging methods in 10 minutes or more
Let's look at several alternative methods that will help you charge your mobile phone on the go or come in handy in case of emergency.
Power Bank
According to statistics, the charge level of a modern phone is enough, on average, for 15 hours of active work (calls, watching videos or games for 1-2 hours, communicating in instant messengers). It turns out that a person can be left without communication at the most inopportune moment.
To prevent this from happening, you should purchase an external battery, also known as a Power Bank. In 2022, you can actually buy a device within 1,500 rubles. For example, a Power Bank from Xiaomi with a battery capacity of 10,000 maH costs about $20 on AliExpress. It will last for 2-3 charge cycles to 100%.
Wireless charger
Top smartphone models are capable of receiving power wirelessly. This technology is implemented on all the latest iPhone models and many expensive Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, etc.
Wireless charging is a lifesaver on the road if the option is available in the car. For the last 2-3 years, most decent cars have had special compartments or shelves where you can charge your phone wirelessly. You are looking for this sign:
Put your laptop in your backpack
If you urgently need to leave the house, but you don’t have a power bank or a car with a USB adapter, a laptop will help you. Of course, there is no talk of fast charging, but maintaining the “life” of the gadget is ensured by a minimum 4000 mAh battery. This life hack is especially relevant when camping in nature.
Quick Charge
At the moment, this is the most common fast charging standard from Qualcomm . It is supported by most Android smartphones with modern Snapdragon processors.
The first generation was released back in 2013. Since then, the technology has gone through three rounds of evolution.
Charging became faster, and the module was supplemented with an increasing number of new chips, not only to speed up the process, but also to increase safety.
Now the output power of some Quick Charges reaches 24W , but most manufacturers limit this figure to 18W.
Thus, the fourth generation Quick Charge in 15-20 minutes .
Dispelling myths
A wide variety of technologies and chargers of different power have given rise to a huge number of misconceptions around USB. For example, some users do not use more powerful chargers for fear of burning their smartphone. But in vain, let us remember the first section of the article with the USB theory: the interface is designed in such a way that all devices are compatible with each other, therefore, before applying power, the controller negotiates the optimal power - the smartphone will not take more than it needs. You should be wary of chargers of unknown origin; the first lot you come across on AliExpress for three pennies can really do harm.
Another point is to look for an AC adapter or portable battery. The easiest way is branded accessories from the device manufacturer; the same Samsung or Huawei sells chargers and produces portable batteries and wireless chargers. If we are talking about third-party companies, you will have to find out what fast charging standards the smartphone supports. The manufacturer’s website, competent reviews and the included charger will help with this. Then all you have to do is find a compatible adapter in the store. I repeat, choose only reputable brands from a medium or high budget - saving a couple of hundred rubles will not lead to anything good.
USB theory
The essence and purpose of USB is reflected in the abbreviation, Universal Serial Bus or universal serial bus, created for easy connection of peripherals to computers. The range of devices is incredibly wide: from simple mice and keyboards to audio devices, storage devices and even more complex equipment. The key idea is universality and widespread standardization: all devices must be compatible with each other, at least electrically. The second point is that the user should not think about what device he is connecting: identification and configuration is the task of the interface.
One of the know-how of the interface is the ability to power peripherals directly from the port without additional wires and external power supplies. Please note: The supply voltage is 5 volts and the current varies from 0.5 amps in USB 2.0 to 0.9 amps in version 3.0 adopted in 2008. This is enough to provide electricity to the vast majority of undemanding devices. The standard also allows for additional power in special cases, prime examples: printers, 3.5-inch hard drives.
A typical USB 2.0 cable has only 4 wires: two of them are responsible for power, and two more carry information. This is the basis of the standard that we will rely on throughout the story. As the interface develops, additional contacts are added. For example, miniUSB and microUSB have a fifth pin to initiate host mode, and the higher speeds in version 3.0 required 9 pins. Modern Type-C is even more sophisticated and, due to symmetry and greater functionality, contains up to 24 contacts.
Super mCharge
A development with this name was demonstrated last year by Meizu .
The most powerful of all 11V mobile chargers can deliver up to 55W of power. This is comparable to the power supply of some modern laptops.
This charging method imposes severe restrictions on the cable used. Only a special cord with a smart module and additional protection can power the device as quickly as possible.
The creators of the technology claim that a 3000 mAh battery can be fully charged in 20 minutes .
