So you newly acquired yourself a heavy-duty beef 240W fast charger and you're all hyped up to top up all your gizmos like lighting up an entire village. Then there is the twist: your secondary phone continues at the same snail's pace of a slowpoke tortoise on a rainy day. Why?
Anybody is welcome to the exciting battlefield of charging protocols where speed doesn't just talk in watts alone, but compatibility too. Let's get to the inside story.
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| Credits to Kipkorir Arap Ananda on X for the ideation on this article and some provoking thoughts on charging protocals. |
Fast Charger ≠ Always Fast Charging
Having a charger that reads 240W doesn't always mean that all of your gear will benefit from that power. Think of this — your vehicle is capable of 180 km/h but, when you're in a school area, you're only allowed to do 30. It's the same with phones and charging specifications.
Let's say:
- Your primary phone supports 240W fast charging.
- Your backup phone is just 18W.
If both phones share the same charging protocol (like SuperVOOC for Oppo, Realme, and OnePlus), then yes — you can charge both phones with the 240W charger. But the second phone will be charged at its supported top speed — 18W. The charger won't force more power into the phone than it can take. It's smart like that.
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| OnePlus 8T comes with its bundled WarpCharge charging brick of 30W. Source: Pexels |
Compatibility Is Key: Protocols Matter More Than Watts
Most new phones tend to be picky. Phone makers intentionally limit charging speeds if you're charging through third-party or cross-brand chargers. This is why using your Oppo 80W charger with a Samsung Galaxy or Redmi might only give you 15W — not due to a malfunctioning charger, but simply because the phones don't communicate in the same "charging language".
Consider charging protocols to be various dialects:
- Oppo/Realme/OnePlus: SuperVOOC / VOOC
- Samsung: Programmable Power Supply / Power Delivery (PPS / PD)
- Xiaomi: Mi TurboCharge / Power Delivery
- Apple: USB Power Delivery PD
- TECNO: USB Power Delivery (PD) and Quick Charge (QC)
If the protocols do not match, you're stuck at the underwhelming 10-15W fallback speed no matter how "super" your charger is.
Same Wattage, Different Results?
Here's the twist: Not all 45W chargers are equal. One 45W charger can top up your phone in a wink, and another one with the same rating crawls along. Why? Once more — charging protocols.
For example, a 45W Samsung charger utilizes PPS, dynamically varying voltage and current for optimal efficiency — excellent for Samsung smartphones, but what use for others?. A 45W OnePlus charger would depend on SuperVOOC, which isn't supported by your iPhone or Pixel.
Bottom line: it's not just about the watts. It's about whether your phone and charger "talk" to each other.
Pro Tips Before You Plug In
- Match brands if possible — or at least charging protocols.
- Look for USB PD support if you want the most universal compatibility.
- Don’t assume higher wattage = faster charging for all devices.
- Check your phone’s charging spec sheet — if it caps at 25W, that 120W charger won’t change a thing.
- Be cautious with generic fast chargers — some don’t play nice with every device.
TL;DR: Charge Smart, Not Just Fast
Fast charging is a dance between your phone, the charger, and the cable. The charger might be the party DJ with 240W bangers, but if your phone just wants chill 18W lo-fi beats, that's all it's going to groove to.
So don't be doling out dollars for a next-gen hyperwarp charging brick before you ensure that your device is speaking the same charging language. Compatibility is greater than clout.
Want to dive into the weeds of particular charging standards like the USB PD vs the SuperVOOC vs Quick Charge? Let me know — I've got a charger-sized vault of information just waiting to jump.
