Kellen in News 7 years ago

Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4+ Gets Three Improvements Over 4.0

Back in November, Qualcomm announced both its new Snapdragon 835 processor and its newest version of fast charging technology, Quick Charge 4.0. While no current devices have been confirmed to support Quick Charge 4.0, even though there are a handful of them already running the Snapdragon 835 (Galaxy S8, U11), Qualcomm went ahead this morning and announced Quick Charge 4+.

Quick Charge 4+ includes every feature of Quick Charge 4.0, according to Qualcomm, but also features an additional three improvements. So you get the 50% charges in 15 minutes, “expanded charging intelligence,” and more safety awareness. On top of that, 4+ features Dual Charge technology, Intelligent Thermal Balancing, and Advanced Safety Features.

Qualcomm lists those three out as:

Dual Charge: already an option in earlier versions, but now more powerful, Dual Charge includes a second power management IC in the device. Charging a device via Dual Charge divides the charge current, allowing for lower thermal dissipation and reduced charge time
Intelligent Thermal Balancing: a further enhancement to Dual Charge, intelligent thermal balancing is engineered to move current via the coolest path autonomously, eliminating hot spots for optimized power delivery
Advanced Safety Features: Quick Charge 4 already includes rigorous built-in safety protocols. Quick Charge 4+ goes one step further and is designed to monitor both the case and connector temperature levels simultaneously. This extra layer of protection helps ward against overheating and short-circuit or damage to the Type-C connector.

To recap, you get potentially cooler charging temperatures that could lead to more charge in less time, less hotspots from charging, and new safety protocols to help better monitor temperature levels. As the graphic below describes, this could mean 15% faster charging that is up to 30% more efficient.

To go along with today’s bit of 4+ news, Qualcomm announced that the nubia Z17 will support Quick Charge 4+. So far, that’s the only device, though we should see more at some point.