Affordable smartphones keep getting better and better with new design, bezel-less displays, quad-camera setup, big batteries, and more. However, one feature that many affordable smartphones lack is the ability to fast charge. Qualcomm is finally stepping in to bring standardized fast charging to mid-rangers, with Quick Charge 3+.
Qualcomm has introduced Qualcomm Quick Charge 3+ technology, the latest addition to the Quick Charge family. With this new technology, Qualcomm aims to bring the Quick Charge capability to affordable smartphones. This move by Qualcomm is a bit of a surprise.
After announcing QC 4+ in 2017, we expected to hear about the QC 5 standards. But, Qualcomm is going backwards, at least in terms of naming, with QC 3+ and the company’s aim here is to bring fast charging at a lower price point.
At 35% faster rate
While most brands offer fast charging capabilities on their smartphones, they tend to implement proprietary charging solutions. These fast-charging standards are good but require dedicated chargers all the time to make use of the fast charging capabilities.
The first device to embark this new Quick Charge 3+ is the recently launched Mi 10 Youth which is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset. The Mi 10 Youth supports both Quick Charge 4+ and Quick Charge 3+ charging standards.
Qualcomm claims that with Quick Charge 3+, a device can go from 0% to 50% in 15 minutes, which is 35% faster and 9 degrees Celsius cooler comparing to previous generations. The QC 3+ will support the industry-standard USB type A to Type-C cables and accessories.
The Quick Charge 3+ supports new PMICs (Power management integrated circuits) which is a scalable architecture that allows smartphone makers to move to a higher power with the same software implementation. It also eliminates the need for external components such as OVP (Over Voltage Protection) chip, sense resistor and others, thereby reducing the cost.
Furthermore, the Quick Charge 3+ is backwards compatible with previous-generation Quick Charge devices which means the newer devices can work with Quick Charge 3+ accessories. It also features integrated cable power capability and several other safety mechanisms.
We can expect more mid-range smartphone launching later this year to feature Qualcomm Quick Charge 3+.
