Ultra-Fast Charging Is Getting Even Faster
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Published June 3, 2025
Minutes, not hours. That’s what consumers can soon expect when charging their laptops, smartphones, and wearables. The latest ultra-fast charging technologies being developed are setting new speed records and changing the way consumers power everyday devices.
These technologies are driven by advances in battery chemistry, power management, and high-wattage charging systems. The most recent smartphones and high-end laptops now support charging at over 100W, which dramatically cuts recharge time. Some new models can even reach a 50 percent charge in just five minutes. Additionally, high-performance laptops are experiencing similar breakthroughs, reducing machine downtime.
In this week’s New Tech Tuesdays, we examine some of the breakthroughs in ultra-fast charging technology and discuss the engineering behind these transformations that are poised to make big waves in a variety of consumer electronics.
The Tech Powering Ultra-Fast Charging
A few key innovations are behind this newest advancement in charging speeds. For example, gallium nitride (GaN) chargers are replacing traditional silicon-based adapters. This allows for higher power output in smaller, more efficient designs while lowering heat and energy loss. The latest standard, USB-C Power Delivery (PD) 3.1, supports up to 240W charging, so laptops, tablets, and gaming devices can charge faster with universal compatibility.[1]
Materials also play a significant role in fast charging. Graphene and solid-state batteries (SSBs) move us beyond the limitations of traditional lithium-ion, promising charges of up to 80 percent in less than 15 minutes without overheating risks.[2] Adaptive charging algorithms powered by artificial intelligence (AI) are also optimizing power input and dynamically adjusting voltages and currents to maximize charging speed while preserving battery health.
Today’s Biggest Breakthroughs
Consumers want quicker charging times, and manufacturers are striving to find solutions. One leading technology, Realme’s 320W SuperSonic Charge, can fully charge a smartphone in under five minutes.[3] It uses a folded battery comprised of four individual cells to allow simultaneous charging, distribute the high power input, and minimize heat generation. The SuperSonic Charge also measures just 3mm thick, surpassing previous industry records.
Furthermore, devices like the Xiaomi15 Ultra smartphone feature HyperCharge technology,[4] while the Apple iPhone 16 rolled out a fast-charging cable that delivers up to a 50 percent charge in around 30 minutes when used with a 20W adapter or higher.[5]
Beyond smartphones, multi-device charging is getting a makeover, too. At CES 2025, Ugreen’s 500W Nexode Desktop Charger showed off the world’s first 500W GaN charger that can quickly and simultaneously power up to six laptops, tablets, and mobile devices.[6] By using GaN transistors instead of silicon, the manufacturer achieved lower energy loss, a smaller size that maintained high output, and better thermal management.
The Next Wave
Charging speeds will continue to improve as the next wave of innovations focuses on higher energy densities, optimized thermal management, and better power regulation. Other innovations will include advancements in materials science, AI optimization, and new battery architectures.
One battery breakthrough the industry is very excited about is the transition to SSBs, which, unlike lithium-ion batteries that use liquid electrolytes, rely on solid electrolytes (Figure 1). This will offer advantages such as higher energy density with even faster charging in a smaller size, more safety by eliminating thermal runaway and overheating, and a longer lifespan that offers more charge cycles before degradation.
Figure 1: SSB technology is pivotal to enabling faster and safer charging in consumer devices. (Source: gunawan/stock.adobe.com)
AI-driven power management will expand and play a bigger role in battery health, too.[7] These systems use machine learning (ML) models to monitor power demands and battery temperature in real time and adjust charging based on user habits. For example, Apple’s current adaptive charging feature in recent iPhones slows charging overnight to minimize battery wear, but future models could include AI to deliver more personalized charging experiences.
The next phase of charging convenience will be high-power wireless charging, which relies on resonant inductive coupling and radio frequency (RF) power transfer to allow for actual long-distance wireless charging without physical contact, multi-device charging without heat buildup, and smarter power distribution.
Companies like Ossia are working on over-the-air charging without cables, so your devices would charge just by being near a power hub.[8]
The Newest Products for Your Newest Designs®
NXP Semiconductors MC3377x devices are battery junction box controller integrated circuits (ICs) designed specifically for automotive applications such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and EV charging, as well as industrial applications like battery management systems (BMSs) and energy storage systems (ESSs). The ICs offer four measurement channels that redundantly monitor current, temperature, and voltage, and then process the results on-chip, eliminating the need for a separate microcontroller.
Tuesday’s Takeaway
To consumers, ultra-fast charging is about speed. But there are many engineering considerations that make this happen, such as efficiency, safety, and adaptability. Folded battery architectures, GaN chargers, SSBs, and AI power management are starting to change how we power devices. As we look forward, wireless fast charging and AI will continue to work their way into consumer technology and make power delivery smarter.
Sources
[1]https://www.usb.org/usb-charger-pd#:~:text=Announced%20in%202021%2C%20the%20USB,C%20cables%20rated%20at%205A.
[2]https://www.quantumscape.com/technology/
[3]https://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/2024/08/15/realmes-foldable-battery-can-charge-at-320w-thats-0-to-100-in-45-minutes/
[4]https://www.mi.com/global/product/xiaomi-15-ultra/
[5]https://support.apple.com/en-us/121029
[6]https://www.ugreen.com/pages/visit-ugreen-at-ces-exhibition
[7]https://eatron.com/the-future-of-battery-management-aipower-on-the-edge
[8]https://www.ossia.com/news/wireless-power-is-coming