Qualcomm takes the wraps off Quick Charge feature, already present in 70 devices

Qualcomm has revealed that its latest chipset, which is already in use in 70 smartphones and tablets, includes a new technology called Quick Charge 1.0. The technology allows batteries to charge much faster than otherwise possible.

The chipset maker states that a smartphone battery might take more than four hours to charge fully under normal circumstances. However, thanks to Quick Charge, the same battery can be charged up to 40 percent faster.

Snapdragon S4 Pro

Already, USB 3.0 ports on PCs allow phones to charge faster, but it is surprising that Qualcomm had kept such a feature under wraps till now. The phones that have the Quick Charge feature have been available in the market for many months.

“A phone with Qualcomm Quick Charge 1.0 can charge up to 40% faster than older phones. A phone without Quick Charge 1.0 could be stuck plugged in charging for more than four hours. With Quick Charge 1.0, the same phone can reach its full charge in three hours or less. The less time you spend charging your mobile device, the more time you get to use it; your mobile device becomes truly mobile,” Qualcomm revealed in an official blog post.

The post further said, “Quick Charge 1.0 is offered to our customers as an integrated solution (as part of the PMIC, or power management integrated circuit) and a standalone solution that interfaces to the USB connector.  Any phone or tablet’s charging port can be enabled with Quick Charge.”

According to the blog, Qualcomm acquired this technology when it bought over Summit Microelectronics in June 2012. According to a press release issued at the time, the company entered this decision to meet “the demand for more sophisticated battery management”. 

“Summit Microelectronics is a leader in providing flexible, highly integrated power management solutions combining precision power regulation with sophisticated digital control in a single chip. In particular, the company’s fast charging solutions are found in a variety of leading mobile phones, tablets, and e-readers,” the press release said.

The company also released a list of devices which have Qualcomm Quick Charge 1.0 support. The list includes high-end devices like the HTC Butterfly, HTC One S, LG Optimus G, Nexus 4, Motorola’s Droid RAZR HD, Droid RAZR M and Droid RAZR Maxx HD; Samsung’s Galaxy S III (US version), Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (LTE), Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 (LTE) and Sony’s Xperia T and Xperia V phones.