Realme’s next cheap phone could have ridiculously fast charging

Realme’s product showcase at MWC 2022 was headlined by the arrival of the Realme GT 2 series, but another announcement caught our attention for the potential implications it could have on the future of mobile technology as a whole. 

At the Barcelona-based trade show, Realme revealed that its upcoming GT Neo 3 handset – a direct successor to the GT Neo 2 – will be the first device to benefit from the brand’s new UltraDart Charging Architecture (UDCA). 

We’ve seen fast charging in smartphones for some time, but Realme claims that the GT Neo 3 will be capable of reaching 50% battery capacity in just five minutes using the company’s new 150W charging technology. If accurate, that speed would make the GT Neo 3 the world's fastest charging smartphone - that's particularly surprising given that this will likely be a pretty cheap phone. 

But Realme’s new charging architecture won’t just help boost charging speeds. According to the Chinese company, it’ll improve safety and battery life, too. 

By introducing the world’s first 100W-200W charging devices – an almighty jump in power over the charge technology used in all prior Realme handsets (which have typically utilized between 18W and 65W charging) – phones like the GT Neo 3 will benefit from better temperature management and battery protection.

That means – on paper, at least – users will be able to play games or watch videos on their mobile devices for longer periods of time, without fear of overheating the battery. Realme says its new UDCA architecture applies lithium batteries to “retain 80% battery capacity at 1000+ Complete Charge Cycles” – which basically means they’re wrapped in a nice layer of cotton wool to protect them from harm (don’t quote us on that, though). 

Realme will debut its new charging tech with the GT Neo 3, though we don’t have a release date for the device just yet. Moving forward, then, it's safe to expect the company’s future devices – both cheap and premium – to boast some of the fastest charging speeds around. 

Also at MWC, both OnePlus and Oppo announced their 150W charging solutions, though no smartphones were attached.

Making moves at MWC

As we alluded to at the top of this article, burgeoning mobile brand Realme also seized the opportunity of MWC 2022 to introduce fans to its first major foray into the flagship market. 

The GT 2 series, and in particular the Realme GT 2 Pro, is intended to rival high-end competitor offerings like the Oppo Find X5, OnePlus 10 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S22 while maintaining the relative affordability for which Realme has become known in recent years.

In our brief time spent with the device ahead of its MWC unveiling, the GT 2 Pro surprised us by boasting impressive visuals, seamless performance and quirky camera features – albeit alongside a few practical hiccups – that suggest this traditionally mid-range mobile brand has the chops to challenge the very top of the market with future handsets. 

Perhaps, too, Realme's next flagship will benefit from the super-fast charging speeds set to arrive with the GT Neo 3? If so, the likes of Samsung and Apple could have real competition on their hands.

• MWC (Mobile World Congress) is the world's largest showcase for the mobile industry, stuffed full of the newest phones, tablets, wearables and more. TechRadar is reporting on the show all week. Follow our MWC 2022 live blog for the very latest news as it happens and visit our dedicated MWC 2022 hub for a round-up of the biggest announcements.