Smartphone filmmakers always have to contend with the limitations of the battery. Quick Charge 5 changes everything: it charges devices from 0 to 50 percent battery power in just five minutes.

Everyone wants to have a fast charger for their smartphone and filmmakers using smartphones are some of the people asking for the newest tech to allow them to shoot for longer periods of time. Qualcomm’s new solution, named Quick Charge 5, may be all they need, as the new charging platform is, according to the company, the world’s fastest commercial charging solution for Android devices, besides being the world’s first commercial 100W+ charging platform.

The Quick Charge 5 delivers, says Qualcomm, “unprecedented mobile phone charging speed and efficiency improvements compared to previous versions while enabling new battery technology, accessories, and safety features. The world’s first commercially viable fast charging platform to support more than 100W charging power in a smartphone, Quick Charge 5 is engineered to allow users to charge devices from 0 to 50 percent battery power in just five minutes – representing the fastest mobile phone charging capabilities available. Quick Charge 5 also uses Qualcomm Battery Saver and the new Qualcomm Smart Identification of Adapter Capabilities technology to support unparalleled efficiency and help extend the battery life cycle on a users’ device.

70% more efficient than Quick Charge 4

“Quick Charge 5, our fastest and most versatile charging solution, will enable consumers to enjoy their devices for longer periods of time, without worrying about the time required to recharge. We are proud to expand our technology portfolio and make accessible 100W+ charging a commercial reality,” said Ev Roach, VP Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We work closely with manufacturers to create industry-leading devices that meet consumers’ demand for more immersive and accessible mobile experiences.”

Building upon Qualcomm Technologies’ long-standing leadership in fast charging solutions, Quick Charge 5 is the newest addition to the industry’s leading fast-charging ecosystem. Affording exponential improvements from its predecessors, Quick Charge 5 is 70 percent more efficient than Quick Charge 4 and offers 10 times the power delivery of Quick Charge 1. This solution supports 2S batteries and 20 Volts of power delivery.

According to Qualcomm, “Quick Charge 5 sets a new standard for charging performance by charging up to four times faster than the previous generation. While Quick Charge 5 charges devices at blazing fast speeds, it also keeps extreme safety measures in mind; Quick Charge 5 incorporates 12 separate voltage, current and temperature protections, including USB-input overvoltage protection at 25V and external power controls beyond 30V.

Increase safety, extend battery life

The new charger also runs 10 degrees Celsius cooler than Quick Charge 4. Quick Charge 5 enables Dual/Triple Charge technology, adaptive input voltage, INOV4, Qualcomm Battery Saver and the new Qualcomm Smart Identification of Adapter Capabilities technology, which work together to maximize power transfer efficiency, increase safety and help extend the battery life cycle on a users’ device.

For optimal Quick Charge 5 performance, Qualcomm Technologies is introducing the newest and next generation premium tier power management ICs (PMIC), Qualcomm SMB1396 and Qualcomm SMB1398. Supporting 1SnP and 2SnP batteries, wired and wireless input paths, adaptive operation based on the power source (3 level buck and DIV/2), and scalability (primary and secondary to provide higher power), Qualcomm SMB1396 and Qualcomm SMB1398 are engineered to provide maximum efficiency above 98 percent. Finally, they can support higher than 20V input voltage operation to accommodate the highest power levels from both wireless and wired power sources. Qualcomm SMB1396/SMB1398 are now available.

Quick Charge technology is the industry leading fast-charging method, available on more than 1,200 mobile devices, accessories, and controllers – ranging from car adapters to docking stations – and unifying the handset and laptop charging ecosystem. Backwards compatible with Quick Charge 2.0, 3.0, 4, 4+ and existing handsets powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile platform, Quick Charge 5 is a single accessory that addresses a variety of charging implementations in mobile devices.

From 0 to 100 percent: around 15 minutes

This solution’s support for more than 100W charging capabilities functions within the same footprint as the previous 45W solution, cutting down on users’ need to purchase additional Quick Charge-certified accessories across devices. Quick Charge 5 is optimized to take advantage of both USB-PD and Type-C technologies, addressing future Android requirements. Compatibility with industry standards like USB Type-C protocols also help users benefit from Quick Charge 5’s inherent scalability and expansion into additional devices.

“Quick Charge solutions are widely available in a variety of mobile devices. The latest generation of Quick Charge 5 not only provides superior charging capabilities but helps intelligently extend a device’s battery life and reduce thermal output,” said Zhang Lei, Mi Phone vice president and hardware R&D general manager at Xiaomi.

“Xiaomi – he continued – has always been committed to proactively driving the adoption of new technologies and accelerating the fulfillment of enhanced experiences. In the future, more Xiaomi users will be able to enjoy high-speed, safe and superior charging experiences enabled by Quick Charge 5.”

Quick Charge 5 is currently sampling with customers and is expected to appear in commercial devices in Q3 2020. Quick Charge 5 is supported on Snapdragon 865, 865 Plus, and future premium- and high-tier Snapdragon mobile platforms. For some more real world numbers that might interest ProVideo Coalition readers who are also smartphone filmmakers, let me share the total time it takes for Quick Charge 5 to charge a battery from 0 to 100 percent: around 15 minutes. Not bad, not bad at all!