In recent years we have noticed that fast charging is becoming more and more important in the world of mobile phones: the faster we can charge the battery of our smartphones, the better, or at least that is the case. impression. Today, manufacturers They no longer want to offer more and more megapixels, but rather faster and faster chargers.
Currently, most of us expect a mobile phone to have at least 33W charging, but the faster the better. This is why we are already seeing many mobile phones with fast charging. 100 W, 120 W and 240 W includedand some manufacturers are already working on 300W fast charging. But extreme speeds have some drawbacks, both in wired and wireless charging.
Faster, but not too fast. Or at least not all the time
As we mentioned, there is a wide range of mobile phones in today’s market with fast charging of 100W or more. In this sense, manufacturers such as Xiaomi, iQOO and OPPO are some of the protagonists if we talk about the fastest charging mobile phones on the market.
In the case of fast wired charging, there are phones that promise to charge the battery to 100% in less than 10 minutes, which seems incredible. Here are some of the fastest fast charging speeds currently:
- 240W – Full charge in less than 10 minutes. A mobile phone that has this charge is the Realme GT5
- 200W – Full charge in 10 minutes. The iQOO 10 Pro has this charging speed
- 165W – Full charge in 16 minutes. The ZTE Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro+ has this charging speed
- 150W – Full charge in 18 minutes. The OnePlus 10T has this charging speed
- 125W – Full charge in approximately 23 minutes. The Motorola Edge 50 Pro has this charging speed
- 120W – Full charge in approximately 27 minutes. The Xiaomi 14 Pro and many other phones have this charging speed
The idea of being able to fully charge your phone in the time it takes to get ready for work or college is really tempting. Having to connect the phone only while I take a shower in the morning and brush my teeth makes the user experience even more comfortable and convenient. But all that glitters isn’t gold, as we’ll see later in this article.
In the case of fast wireless charging, the speeds are not so extreme, but there are still some surprises:
- 80W Yes 66W – Full charge in 40-46 minutes. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Honor Magic6 Pro have this charging speed, but only in certain territories, like China
- 50W – Full charge in less than 60 minutes. The Motorola Edge 50 Pro has this charging speed
- 23W – Full charge in less than two hours. The Google Pixel 8 Pro has this loading speed
As we can see, wireless fast charging does not have the same speed as wired fast charging, but the progress of this technology continues to be surprising, achieving full charges in less than two hours thanks to this technology.
However, there are currently not many mobile phones on the market with fast wireless charging. In general, most devices supporting this technology typically have loads between 5W and 15W, with a few exceptions like those mentioned above. SO, wireless fast charging is still far from wired fast chargingif we talk about speed.
Which fast charge is best for me?
It doesn’t matter whether it is wired or wireless, mobile battery charging today is faster than ever. However, this may carry some risks for the mobile device, especially regarding its battery life.
Before we continue, let’s be clear: using fast charging does not in itself destroy the battery of our cell phones, The problem lies in how we use fast charging
Heat is the biggest enemy of our mobile battery, this is the biggest obstacle we face. Fast charging can produce more heat, especially in summer or if we charge the phone outside and not inside a room, and excessive heat damages the battery of smartphones.
This is why many experts recommend using fast charging only in specific cases, and not all the time. In other words, the general recommendation is: If you need to charge your phone in a short time, before going out, use fast charging; Otherwise, you can use a charger that is not super fast. Likewise, it is not recommended to use fast charging to leave your phone charging all night.
This recommendation applies to both wired and wireless fast charging. However, in the latter case another aspect must be considered: wireless charging can consume more electricity due to its operation, this charging generates more heat for longerit is therefore less efficient in terms of energy consumption.
In general, both types of fast charging can be used by following the necessary precautions, such as avoiding the cell phone being exposed to excessive heat and not using ultra-fast charging unless we really need it. However, wired fast charging is more efficient and consumes less electricity than wireless charging, which can be an important consideration for us as users.
Cover photo | Ivan Linares for Xataka
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