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Dhruv Bhutani \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
I\u2019m old enough to remember when most smartphones topped out at 5W or even 10W charging speeds. In fact, my first proper Android phone<\/a> was 2012\u2019s Sony Xperia V, and it offered a mere 5W power level.<\/p>\n The world has moved on rapidly, with 45W, 65W, 80W, and even 120W charge speeds now available. But even so, some users still prefer slow charging. However, to be honest, I think most people don\u2019t realize they want fast charging until they\u2019ve actually used it.<\/p>\n How fast charging became a game-changer for me<\/p>\n The first phone that made me realize the value of fast charging was my HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro, which I bought in late 2018. The phone packed an impressive 40W charging speed, allowing me to get a full charge in about an hour. This power level also enabled a 70% charge in just 30 minutes. Either way, it changed the way I viewed charging as I quickly went from overnight or evening charging to spot charging whenever it was convenient.<\/p>\n This quickly became indispensable for work trips. It meant I could charge my phone for 15 to 30 minutes between events and meetings and be good to go for the rest of the day. Fast charging has become especially important on these trips as I often bring two or three phones, a laptop, a handheld console, and neckband earphones \u2014 but only one USB-C PD charger<\/a>. It\u2019s not an issue for fast-charging devices, but it does mean that a slow-charging device like my Pixel 7 Pro can become a bottleneck when I have a queue of gadgets that need a top-up.<\/p>\n Fast charging has changed the way I use my phone, especially when I’m traveling or about to leave the house.<\/p>\n I\u2019m also a little spontaneous when it comes to grocery shopping, and fast charging has only encouraged this habit. I\u2019ve lost count of the times I\u2019ve decided to shop at the crack of dawn, only to realize my phone\u2019s battery is low. That stops me in my tracks with my Pixel, but it\u2019s not an issue with fast-charging devices like the vivo X200 Ultra<\/a>. I can plug in, get dressed, put on shoes, use the bathroom, and have at least 20 to 30% extra juice when I need to leave.<\/p>\n Hadlee Simons \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n Another reason I came to this conclusion about fast charging was speaking to the people in my life. I bought two older POCO phones for my parents earlier this year, which offered ~67W wired charging speeds. \u201cIt charges fast!\u201d they noted in surprise when I asked them about their phones a week later. This was also the slightly less surprised but still very positive refrain when I asked them how the phones held up after a month.<\/p>\n My girlfriend also praised this feature when I asked about her mid-tier Xiaomi phone\u2019s 67W charging speed. She\u2019s occasionally realized her battery was low as we were preparing for an outing. However, she notes that she can now plug in, sort out her hair, and get a 50% charge when we have to leave home.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not that people don\u2019t want it. It\u2019s just not something people think about,\u201d she explained, adding that it wasn\u2019t a priority until she used a phone with this tech.<\/p>\n Fast charging also applies to one of my other gadgets. I still use a pair of OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z neckband earphones that I bought in 2020. I was enticed by the ability to get 10 hours of juice after a 10-minute charge, as I hated the idea of using a charging case. It\u2019s been roughly five years and, despite some minor battery degradation, I still use these earphones when I\u2019m doing chores or playing on my Steam Deck<\/a>. That\u2019s largely due to the fast charging, which means that even if I forget to charge them, I can get serious playtime within 10 minutes. Best of all, subsequent models increase that figure to 27 hours of playback in 10 minutes.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just me who feels this way<\/p>\n Robert Triggs \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n I\u2019m not the only Android Authority team member who loves fast charging. Senior Writer Aamir Siddiqui said the OnePlus 3 astounded him at the time because it offered fast charging that didn\u2019t heat up the phone. He said Dash\/VOOC charging was the reason he kept upgrading to a new OnePlus phone until the OnePlus 8 Pro.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t even recall the last time I had battery anxiety on a OnePlus phone<\/a>, because I know I can top up within minutes before heading out,\u201d Aamir explained. He also said that he\u2019s forced himself into a \u201ccharging routine\u201d with Samsung, Google, and Apple phones due to their lack of fast charging. That means keeping the phone plugged in during bathtime and dinner so he\u2019s ready to go if he needs to leave home at short notice.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I don\u2019t follow the routine, there are days where I don\u2019t reach a full charge, and consequently come very close to a dead phone (which gives me anxiety),\u201d he concludes.<\/p>\n Colleague Ryan Haines also praised fast charging as a great addition he sometimes takes for granted:<\/p>\n I think for me it\u2019s very much a case of \u2018I forget how much I like fast charging until I don\u2019t have it\u2019 because I can get so used to it with the Razr Ultra<\/a> or a OnePlus phone. And then I go back to a Galaxy or an iPhone or a Pixel and I\u2019m like boo this STINKS.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Senior Community Manager Luka Mlinar says having a charged phone is also important for his continuous glucose monitor (CGM):<\/p>\n For me a phone is more than a phone. Having my CGM tracker topped up when leaving the house is a bit more important to me. Having the convenience to put the phone on a charger for five to 10 minutes and getting something like 30% is huge. I personally don\u2019t need fast charging 99% of the time, but that one time in a hundred can be a really big deal.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Adam Birney \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n Fast charging<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Android Authority contributor Tushar Mehta notes that his wife has an iPhone, and that charging doesn\u2019t ordinarily matter to her:<\/p>\n But she also uses a Realme as a backup phone with ~100W charging, and it charges fully in about 30 minutes. She usually charges with a regular USB-C that can also work with her Mac. But every once in a while, I charge it for her with the original charger, and she\u2019s always amazed by how quickly it charges. Of course, she won\u2019t ditch her iPhone but it\u2019s just one of the ways she thinks Android is better. She says Apple will never be able to do this.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cFor me, the biggest relief is that I can sleep without worrying about charging my phone at night. I work from home, so that mostly wouldn\u2019t be an issue otherwise, but for days I have to step out for an event, I can get to 100% in less than an hour on most phones I have,\u201d Tushar says. \u201cEssentially, my phone charging habits have evolved significantly (and now I\u2019m spoiled).\u201d<\/p>\n Head of Data Science and Testing Solutions, Rob Triggs, says fast charging has become indispensable:<\/p>\n I\u2019m a chaotic person incapable of sticking to a routine, so fast charging has saved my bacon so many times that I really can\u2019t do without it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cI think the key thing for the naysayers is, yes, regular charging is fine for 90% of the time, especially if you charge overnight, at your desk, or you\u2019re tethered to a power bank, etc,\u201d Rob explains. \u201cBut it\u2019s those \u2019emergency\u2019 situations where you\u2019re on empty in the middle of the day that fast charging comes into its own; dashing out the door in a hurry, grabbing a quick top-up before you board a long flight, juicing up on a short drive somewhere, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n However, there is an outlier on the team. Jack-of-all-trades Jonathan Feist doesn\u2019t care for fast charging:<\/p>\n While I appreciate the conveniences afforded by fast charging, I truly just want a charger that\u2019ll take about six hours to fill the phone so I can charge while I sleep without worrying about the downside of that strategy. If I have to choose between the two, I would opt for a bigger battery over fast charging. The super-slow charger that takes all night is only helpful if the phone makes it all the way through the day in the first place.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The good news is that many phones today offer large batteries and<\/strong> fast charging. Furthermore, we\u2019ve seen plenty of phones with fast-charging toggles so you can activate super-fast charging only when needed. Another helpful feature we\u2019ve seen over the years is the ability for the phone to trickle-charge during the night and only hit 100% just before you need it.<\/p>\n Early fast-charging phones like my Mate 20 Pro weren\u2019t perfect, as battery degradation was a real problem back then. However, many devices today enjoy impressive charging speeds and can endure plenty of charging cycles.<\/p>\n Fast charging isn\u2019t for everyone, but it\u2019s for most people<\/p>\n Eric Zeman \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n In any event, I hope Apple, Google, and Samsung embrace fast charging across the board sooner rather than later. In a weird way, it reminds me of the switch to broadband and faster cellular speeds back in the 2000s. I begrudgingly grew accustomed to waiting for webpages and images to load on an EDGE or basic 3G connection. But it\u2019s hard to go back once you\u2019ve experienced significantly faster page and image downloads.<\/p>\n Fast charging has changed how I can get on with my day. A low battery on my slow-charging phone meant waiting 30 to 60 minutes for a meaningful charge before I could leave the house or wall outlet. On my newer phones, though? It just means I\u2019ll need to wait 10 or 15 minutes, and my battery concerns are gone. It\u2019s also been an unexpected draw-card for the people in my life who didn\u2019t think much of this tech in the first place.<\/p>\n Sure, some people prefer slow charging because it suits their routine or because they\u2019re concerned about battery health. I say more power to them, but only figuratively speaking (of course). Everyone else who hasn\u2019t used fast charging should give it a try. It might not change your life immediately, but the time will come when you\u2019ll be glad you had it.<\/p>\n Got a tip? Talk to us!<\/b>\u00a0Email our staff at\u00a0news@androidauthority.com<\/a>. You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it’s your choice.<\/p>\n![\"HUAWEI](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Huawei-Mate-20-Pro-wide-shot-of-home-screen.jpg\"\/ "\\"HUAWEI")
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