A new technology is being introduced that will make it possible to fully charge your phone in nine minutes. This could also mean companies do not have to continue designing bigger and thicker phones to fit in giant batteries.
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The SuperVooc charging tech
The technology was showcased at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last week by Chinese phone maker Oppo. The company is the fourth biggest in the world and has been gaining grounds in the UK with its sub-brands OnePlus, Realme and Vivo.
Industry watchers say Apple and Samsung are already working on replicating the unique feature of this technology, as fast charging and long battery life is a key selling point for mobile devices.
Stuart Miles, founder of tech website Pocket-Lint.co.uk, told the MailOnline:
Companies are saying if you cannot make it last longer, let’s make it charge quicker. The new technology from Oppo only takes nine minutes – less than it takes to shower and brush your teeth in the morning – to have a full charge.
He thinks with this new technology, smaller batteries will be developed, allowing slimmer and lighter phones.
According to Miles, iPhone has become heavier over the years due to the growing size of its battery.
Super speedy charging like this means smaller batteries – after all, if you can fill them up in a matter of minutes, then you don’t need a giant one.
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Not just speed
Oppo’s new technology has been in development since 2014 during the tech show, they demonstrated through a video how using 240 watts of power allowed a 4,500mAh battery to go from one percent to 100 percent in nine minutes.
A 150-watt version will charge a phone in 15 minutes. As is the case now, most phones can only take in ten to 30 watts because too much power can cause batteries to overheat and damage devices.
A particular case in point is Samsung recalling millions of phones in 2016 due to overheating batteries, with some getting too hot, they burst into flames.
Neil Monger, Oppo’s UK product manager, said:
It’s not just about speed – it is also about doing it in a way that is safe for our customers. For example, if you just try to put more power into a battery without the relevant safeguards, it may cause longer-term battery damage that causes it to degrade quicker over time. We test and test to avoid that.
