When the news came in on Monday 31st May that Xiaomi is unveiling its latest fast charging system it was a sort of Deja Vu at least for me. Like a Lamborghini Aventador or a Koenigsegg Agera racing from 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds but that’s a story for another day. In the highly competitive world of smartphones, charging speeds have become another way for phone manufacturers to stand out from the crowd. It’s almost an obsession when looking at modern day smartphone tech. Of course nobody wants a charging system that takes ages to get his/her smartphone fully charged. China’s multinational electronics giant Xiaomi has recently put its new fast charging system to the test & in the process, broken world records for wired & wireless charging speeds.
Using a modified Mi 11Pro with a 4000mAh battery, Xiaomi says it brought the phone’s charge level from 0 to 50% in just three & a half minutes and to full charge 100% in only 8 minutes over a 200W wired ”HyperCharge” system. With a 120W wireless charge the phone takes 15 minutes to go from 0-100% battery charge level. 8 minutes is roughly the same time an iPhone takes to reach 100% from 99%. So yeah…there’s a stark contrast to Xiaomi’s new charging system can accomplish if it reaches the global market. Phone charging speeds are a point of emphasis for Chinese smartphone manufacturing companies as they frequently release demonstrations of breakthroughs that may or may not be seen in final products.
This is not new territory for Xiaomi as two years ago it showcased a 100W charging system that could charge a 4000mAh battery in 17 minutes. Other companies have displayed their fast charging progress. Vivo is one such example, by demonstrating its 120W fast charger fully charging a 4000mAh gaming phone in 15 minutes. Another tech company-Oppo which licenses its fast charging tech to OnePlus. It charged a 4000mAh battery in 20 minutes using a 12W system and in 30 minutes using a 65W wireless VOOC tech.
On the flip side its good to be open minded, progress is always welcome and the thought of fully charging a phone in eight minutes is actually impressive. As of now we still don’t know how this fast charging system can or may impact battery health. A lighting quick charge does demand a smartphone battery that’s able to withstand the high electric current being passed on to it in a short period of time without suffering damage.
A phone’s ability to make it through a whole day on its own juice (battery power) is and will continue being a key factor for a long time. Its not yet known when Xiaomi will integrate this innovation into their phones however it still remains something worth looking out for. On a separate article I will be diving deeper on both the wired & wireless charging systems, the pros, cons as well as recommendations when it comes purchasing either.
