In the previous post we spoke about:
- What is Quick Charge?
- Hardware and software.
- Types of Quick Charge
- Qualcomm Quick Charge
3. Types of Quick Charge
MediaTek Pump Express
Chip manufacturer MediaTek has its own quick-charging version, which is gracefully named Pump Express.
The slogan of this technology is “charge less, live more”, which according to official calculations translates into figures such as “75% charge in 20/30/35 minutes”.
MediaTek Pump Express follows the same principle as Qualcomm’s Quick Charge and, as you can see from the graph above, has also received three revisions to improve its efficiency and safety since 2014.
This Mediatek document even details the technology equivalences between Express Pump and Quick Charge. Basically, MediaTek Express Pump 1.0 is like Quick Charge 2.0, Express Pump 2.0 is like Quick Charge 3.0 and the last Express Pump 3.0, although in the graph is not completed, would be equivalent to the new Quick Charge 4.0, also compatible with USB Power Delivery and with less overheating.
OnePlus DASH
We follow the repertoire of funny names with OnePlus DASH, or race, the exclusive charging technology of the OnePlus 3.
In this case the premise is as follows: 30 minutes of charging give you full power for one day, which is not the same as a full charge, but approximately 50% of the 3,400 mAh battery of the OnePlus 3T.
Dash Charge sends more current than other fast charging systems and does so by causing less overheating of the phone.
This means you can charge it at full speed while playing or watching high-resolution video without affecting performance or getting too hot.
The bad news is that you need to use the official charger and cable to get these benefits.
Oppo VOOC
The Chinese manufacturer Oppo has its own special rapid charging system under the name VOOC, which stands for Voltage Open Loop Multi-step Constant-Current Charging. Yes, the initials don’t seem to match, but that’s another story.
According to official figures, VOOC is four times faster than a conventional charger and should provide 75% battery in 30 minutes.
A year ago, at the 2016 MWC, we knew of its Super VOOC review, according to which a 2500 mAh battery would charge to 45% with just five minutes of charge.
VOOC and Super VOOC use a different method than Quick Charge. Instead of increasing the voltage, the amperage is increased. This means that charged devices do not overheat and battery life is not reduced as much as with other technologies. Instead, you need to use the official chargers and cables.
Meizu mCharge
We finished our list of quick charging systems with the Chinese company Meizu. The premise is this: you can charge a 3,000 mAh battery in just 20 minutes, and without generating a lot of heat in the process.
To achieve this, Meizu mCharge includes a charger that provides a current of 11V and 5A (i.e. a power of 55 watts, compared to 18 for Quick Charge 3.0). To reach this charging speed and for the phone not to exceed 39 degrees, you need once again to use its cable and charger.
How do I know if my phone has quick charge?
This is all very well, but probably at this point you are wondering if your phone is compatible with some kind of quick charge.
Although it sounds obvious, probably the easiest way to check it is to read the technical specifications of your device, although incomprehensibly sometimes the data is not included.
Another effective and low-tech way to check if your phone is compatible with fast charging is to take a look at its charger.
There you will usually find the logo of the technology (Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging, Quick Charge…). Of course, it can also be the case that the charger does not include the data… or that the quick charger is not included with the device that is.
There are several requirements for a fast charging technology is active in the device, so you should not fall into making assumptions such as because your mobile Snapdragon automatically supports Quick Charge or because your mobile is Oppo automatically has VOOC.
You can check the official lists of compatible devices on some of these systems, although there is no guarantee that they are up to date including the latest releases.
Qualcomm has this PDF with the list of devices compatible with Quick Charge 3.0 and you can find OPPO compatible VOOC mobile phones here. OnePlus DASH is compatible with OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T.
If at this point you still don’t know if your mobile is compatible with quick charging or not, you can go to the Android Settings – About – Battery and see the official power specification of the device (you can also get this data sometimes in the back of the mobile, its charger or in its manual).
Considering that most devices operate at 5 volts and 1 or 1.5 amps, any number above that could be an indication that it supports some kind of quick charging.
The image above compares an original, no-quick charge Galaxy A5 with a 2017 Galaxy A5, which does include Samsung’s Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging, which is more or less the same as Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0.
In this case, the 9 volts expose quick charging capabilities, although it would have taken a look at the official charger to discover the same thing.
