New Nubia Z17 charges to 50 percent in 20 mins, first to use Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+
So far, the newly launched ZTE Nubia Z17 is the only phone to meet the requirements of the new standard.
Qualcomm has announced Quick Charge 4+, the latest iteration of its battery-saving technology for ever more powerful and power-hungry smartphone processors.
Unlike previous versions of Qualcomm's standard, Quick Charge 4+ isn't a feature tied to specific chips, but rather a special "plus" program for devices that have included three specified features.
Essentially, it's everything Quick Charge 4 was plus these enhancements, which result in a battery that Qualcomm claims is three percent cooler, will charge up to 15 percent faster, and is up to 30 percent more efficient.
Qualcomm only launched Quick Charge 4 in November and the first processor to support it is the current top processor, the Snapdragon 835, which powers the new Windows 10 lineup of ARM-based PCs, Samsung's Galaxy S8, and LG's G6.
So far, however, the only phone that meets the requirements for the Quick Charge 4+ logo comes from ZTE's independently branded Nubia, which just announced the Snapdragon 835-powered Nubia Z17.
Nubia says the device can charge a battery to 50 percent within 20 minutes. The 5.5-inch edge-to-edge display phone features a huge 8GB memory, 128GB storage, and a dual camera with a 23- and 12-megapixel configuration. Nubia hasn't revealed if it will be available in the US and Europe, but it will sell in China for ¥3,999, which converts to about $588.
The three features device makers need to enable include Dual Charge, Intelligent Thermal Balancing, and advanced security features.
According to Qualcomm, Dual Charge is an option in earlier versions, but is now more powerful, while Intelligent Thermal Balancing enhances Dual Charge "to move current via the coolest path autonomously, eliminating hot spots for optimized power delivery".
The extra security features build on Quick Charge 4's safety protocols to monitor the case and connector temperature levels simultaneously to "prevent overheating and short-circuit or damage to the Type-C connector".
Accessories can such as chargers and USB hubs can also get the Quick Charge 4+ logo and they'll be include backward compatibility with Quick Charge 3.0 and Quick Charge 2.0 devices.
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