Quick Charge 4+ is the next fast charging spec for your smartphone

By Florence Ion
last updated

Who doesn't love fast charging? It's certainly become a necessary requirement when buying a smartphone, at least in the Android world. But part of that is because Qualcomm has been pushing the specification in every new smartphone debut for years. Can you blame them? Once you go fast charging, you never go back.

This time, we're hearing about Qualcomm's Quick Charge 4+, the evolutionary successor to last year's Quick Charge 4. This one is referred to as plus, however, because of its additional enhancements:

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 timeIntelligent 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 deliveryAdvanced 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.

A little infographic from Qualcomm.

A little infographic from Qualcomm.

Qualcomm adds the claim that devices utilizing Quick Charge 4+ will charge up to 15% faster than their predecessors and at 30% more efficiently. Charging will also be cooler, which could bode well for those of you in the hottest climates wielding scorching hot phones. Ouch.

Anyway, there aren't many devices using Qualcomm's Quick Charge 4+. At present, only the newly-announced Nubia Z17 is compatible, and that's arriving in July.

Florence Ion
Florence Ion

Florence Ion was formerly an editor and columnist at Android Central. She writes about Android-powered devices of all types and explores their usefulness in her everyday life. You can follow her on Twitter or watch her Tuesday nights on All About Android.

16 Comments
  • That's awesome, considering quickcharge 4.0 is basically vaporware at this point. Maybe we'll see 4.0+ in 2019.
  • Be nice if the manufacturers actually used it. 3.0 is great but this sounds awesome!
  • I have a stupid question.....
    What does "Up to 30% more efficient" mean on the Qualcomm diagram?
    How is charging not efficient?
  • I'm not completely sure but my guess would be that they're referring to power that is lost during the charging process when converting it to energy that the phone's battery can store. For example, a 3000 mah battery pack may only charge a phone with a 3000 mah battery to 90%, yet the battery pack would still be depleted.
  • More efficient than QC 4.
  • I recall reading that Google does not want OEM's using Qualcomm's proprietary charging tech in their phones anymore and even wrote this: "Type-C devices are STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to not support proprietary charging methods that modify Vbus voltage beyond default levels, or alter sink/source roles as such may result in interoperability issues with the chargers or devices that support the standard USB Power Delivery methods. While this is called out as "STRONGLY RECOMMENDED", in future Android versions we might REQUIRE all type-C devices to support full interoperability with standard type-C chargers.?
  • Quick Charge 4.0 is supposed to use the type C PD requirement Google is pushing manufacturers to use. And QC 4.0 was released with the 835 according to Qualcomm, but it doesn't seem like any manufacturer has decided to use it or follow Google's type C PD requirement.
  • And these ever more robust charging capabilities don't wreak havoc on the lifespan of Li-on batteries? Kind of a concern given user replaceable batteries are going the way of the dodo.
  • This has been asked since QC was introduced. If QC was ruining batteries, you would have heard about it by now.
  • I couldn't remember the answer so I asked again. Suppose I could have done a Google search but I was here so....
  • The phone mentioned seems rather Nice and a decent price.. is it available in the states and specifically on Sprint network?
  • Nope. China only so far
  • My phone charges quick already
  • Could not care less.
    I prefer wireless charging and a phone that DOESN'T need to be charged more than once a day.
  • I don't think the s8 has even QC 3.0 much less last years 4.0
  • Quick Charge 3.0 was one of my favorite features with the HTC 10. I'm no longer concerned with the battery, and I rarely need the car charger or power banks because the phone fully charges so quickly before I leave home and work. Quick Charge 4+ sounds like a nice improvement.