Can Qualcomm’s Quick Charge Technology and USB Type-C Co-Exist on the Same Connector?

Can Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology and USB Type-C co-exist? Okay, let’s set aside the answer and look at some facts at first.

Who’s the trigger? Benson Leung, a popular USB Type-C evangelist of sorts, has expressed concern over USB Type-C specification initially; and then there’s gradually been some safety concerns about mixing the two technologies, in particular, two new flagship smartphones, the HTC 10 and LG G5 embrace both technologies. 

Why such concerns occurred? As Android Authority outlines, the USB Type-C specification requires that a port’s Vbus line should be held between 4.45 and 5.25 volts; while, Qualcomm’s Quick Charge boosts this voltage to 9 or 12 volts for faster charging speed. On the surface, it’s clear that Qualcomm’s Quick Charge breaches the port’s baseline specifications. 

How Qualcomm responded? In seeking to get to the bottom of the situation, Android Central reached out to Qualcomm for an official statement, and they replied, “Qualcomm Quick Charge is designed to be connector-independent. It can be implemented in a device that supports a variety of connectors, including USB Type-A, USB micro, USB Type-C, and others. When an OEM chooses to implement Quick Charge into their device, they can configure the voltage to fit within the specifications of the USB Type-C standard. We have received no reports of user experience or device malfunction issues with or without USB Type-C connectors. At Qualcomm Technologies, we are continuously working to provide the best solutions for our customers and consumers. Qualcomm Quick Charge is a leading edge fast charging solution with more than 70 devices and 200 accessories supporting one of the two most recent versions of Quick Charge, with even more currently in development.”

Actually, this statement doesn’t directly address the controversial issue; it sounds more like the devices in question are engineered to be safe and charge rapidly via Quick Charge over the USB Type-C connector. Instead, Qualcomm has recommended customers to use the charging components provided by the manufacturer or certified replacement equipment at all times. ===＞ See reliable and reputable top best Quick Charge 3.0 portable charger and power banks ＜===

Ask Back: Is this really a problem?  Yes, this certainly means that the two standards are completely incompatible with one another on a single device. While, if for proper and safe charging, both charger accessories and chargeable device would implement specific hardware and software requirements. So there’s no potential danger resulting from attempting to use chargers across devices. 

What’s the fact? Actually, if you look at the Qualcomm Quick Charge specifications, spare a little time thinking about that, you would find that when the voltage goes up, then the amperage drops. So the total current going through the wire remains the same. And the final result is that both charging speeds and efficiency go up. 

What do you think, is it an issue that OEMs are breaking the standard? Or no big deal? Share your thoughts down in the comments.