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Vivo just unveiled new tech that can fully recharge a smartphone in 13 minutes

Published Jun 26th, 2019 7:31AM EDT
Vivo Super FlashCharge
Image: Vivo

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Chinese smartphone maker Vivo teased a few days ago a phone that supports 120W fast charging speeds, which is something unheard of in the mobile space. The technology would let you recharge a 4,000 mAh battery, which is almost as big as the one powering the Galaxy S10+ in just 13 minutes. And the company just unveiled the new charging tech, which it calls Vivo Super FlashCharge.

Vivo took the stage at MWC 2019 Shanghai to make several 5G-related announcements, GSM Arena reports, including the Vivo Iqoo 5G phone that’s hitting stores in the third quarter, as well as a pair of AR glasses that connect directly to a phone.

The 120W Super FlashCharge tech is easily a highlight of MWC 2019 Shanghai, as it could help set new battery charging standards for mobile devices.

Super FlashCharge supports charging at up to 120W (that’s 20V/6A), allowing you to hit a 50% charge in just five minutes, and 100% in 13 minutes. Again, we’re talking about a typical 4,000 mAh battery.

Image source: Weibo

It’s unclear at this time whether any of Vivo’s new phones, especially the upcoming 5G handset, will ship with a Super FlashCharger out of the box, but Vivo’s announcement should further increase competition in the mobile space. Not to mention that a USB-C charger that supports power of up to 120W can also recharge laptops.

Samsung has recently announced its own technology that would let it create universal chargers that support up to 100W, although Samsung’s fastest phones only do 25W charging.

Other smartphone makers, including Huawei, OnePlus, and Oppo all have various fast charging technologies for mobile devices, with speed ranging from 30W to 55W, depending on manufacturer and model.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.