Quickly charge smartphone battery: Harmful or useful - you need to know that

With the latest fast charging technologies, you can charge your smartphone battery up to 50 percent in half an hour. We have found out for you whether this damages the battery.

How does fast battery charging work?

Lithium-ion batteries are installed in smartphones. These batteries are already fully developed, which means that their performance can no longer be increased.

Since a longer runtime is no longer technically possible, the charging process should at least be accelerated. Fast charging technologies improve charging in two ways:

• With more tension
• With more electricity

The standard for quick charging is called quick charge

Many companies develop their own rapid charging protocols, but the Qualcomm quick charger called Quick Charge has prevailed.

• The "Quick Charge" quick charger can be used with HTC, LG or Nokia and other Android smartphones.
• It works with all phones that have Qualcomm processors installed.
• Manufacturers such as OnePlus Dash Charge, Huawei Super Charge, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charge and Motorola Turbo Charge are based on or are compatible with Qualcomm's Quick Charge.

What happens when you charge your phone?

When the phone is normally charged, a voltage of 5 volts and current of 1 ampere are supplied via a normal USB cable. The USB cable transfers 5 watts of power to your smartphone.

• Quick-Charge charges the battery in version 3.0 with a voltage of up to 20 volts and current of 4.6 amps.
• It is not charged with more than 20 watts so that the smartphone battery is not damaged.
• The result: 50% battery charge within half an hour. However, it takes a little longer to produce the remaining battery capacity.

Is fast charging harmful to the battery?

Fast charging generates not only electricity, but also heat. The smartphone can heat up to 40 ° Celsius. With Quick Charge, the power supply is throttled so that the device is not damaged. In order not to damage the battery when charging, you should note a few additional tips:

• Do not use the phone while charging.
• Activate flight mode to speed up the loading process.
• Charge the battery in a shady and cool environment if possible.
• If your phone is not compatible with Quick Charge, but you charge it with such a USB charger, the smartphone will not be damaged. It only charges as much energy as it needs.

You can find more tips on how to use your battery gently in our next practical tip.