New Industry Products

Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 5 Showcases 0% to 50% Battery Charge in just Five Minutes

August 07, 2020 by Antonio Anzaldua Jr.

Qualcomm has developed the world’s first commercially viable fast charging platform to support more than 100W charging power in a smartphone, engineered to allow users to charge devices from 0 to 50% battery power in just five minutes.

If there is one aspect of life that most everyone demands move quickly, it’s a mobile device. The internet may not be quick enough, the video chat may lag, but the phone battery is something we trust will not lose its charge. Too often, however, it does.

 

Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 5 offers several layers of voltage, current, and temperature protection. Image used courtesy of Qualcomm Technologies.
Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 5 offers several layers of voltage, current, and temperature protection. Image used courtesy of Qualcomm Technologies.

 

The smartphone industry is always aiming to stay ahead of consumer. One of the bigger issues in this space is power management. Qualcomm Technologies, one of the world’s leading wireless power solution developers, has created a new fast-charging solution for smartphones. The Quick Charge 5, is a fifth-generation device that has the ability to charge 50% of the battery in only five minutes.

 

A Leap Forward for Charging

In 2013, Quick Charge 1.0, the phone can reach its full charge in three hours or less at 10W output. Over the years Qualcomm made improvements and in 2017 was able to have the Quick Charge 4 deliver 2.5 times more power to a mobile device. After producing an upgrade every year, Qualcomm waited until 2020 to announce the next-gen charging solution. The Quick Charge 5 is the newest addition that is 70 percent more efficient than predecessor Quick Charge 4 and offers 10 times the power delivery of Quick Charge 1 at 100W charging power.

 

Quick Charge 5 supports 2S batteries and 20 Volts of power delivery. Image(modified) used courtesy of Qualcomm Technologies.

 

Quick Charge 5 sets a new standard for charging performance by charging up to four times faster than the previous generation in half the time. Quick Charge 5 incorporates 12 separate voltage, current, and temperature protections, including USB-input overvoltage protection at 25V and external power controls beyond 30V. It also runs 10 degrees Celsius cooler than Quick Charge 4 which helps the overall temperature.

Quick Charge 5 enables Dual/Triple Charge technology, adaptive input voltage, Qualcomm Battery Saver, and the new Qualcomm Smart Identification of Adapter Capabilities technology. With power management ICs (PMIC), Qualcomm SMB1396, and Qualcomm SMB1398 working together to maximize power transfer efficiency, increase battery safety, and help extend the battery life cycle. 

 

Quick Charge enables a single accessory to address a variety of charging implementations in mobile devices. Image used courtesy of Qualcomm Technologies

 

Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 5 supports higher than 20V input voltage operation to accommodate the highest power levels from both wireless and wired power sources. Built with 100W charging capabilities functions within the same footprint as the previous 45W solution, and it cuts down on users’ need to purchase additional accessories across devices.

Ev Roach, the VP of Product Management discussed what this next-gen development meant for Qualcomm, “Quick Charge 5, our fastest and most versatile charging solution, will enable consumers to enjoy their devices for longer periods of time, without worrying about the time required to recharge. We are proud to expand our technology portfolio and make accessible 100W+ charging a commercial reality.”

Will there come a time when a full battery can be restored in under five minutes? Qualcomm Technologies may be the company to develop such a device since it’s are halfway there.