New technology will allow users to charge their phones in just nine minutes, and it could be ready by this summer, according to tech media reports.
After a trend of smartphones growing in size and weight to accomodate larger batteries, the new technology is expected to aid companies in designing smaller and thinner phones. The new technology, which allows for quick charging without causing battery damage, was unveiled at last week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
The new charger is developed by Oppo, the fourth-largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, based in China, which, together with its sub-brands OnePlus, Realme, and Vivo, has been rapidly expanding across the world.
Oppo exhibited their SuperVooc charging technology, which uses 240 watts of power to charge a 4,500mAh (ampere-hour) battery from 1% to 100% in nine minutes. It takes 15 minutes with a 150-watt version.
Fast charging and long battery life are significant selling points for mobile devices, according to experts, and Apple and Samsung are already working on imitating the innovation, as well as developing wireless charging.
The technology breakthrough could become a gamechanger in terms of phone design, as, for instance, due to the increasing size of its battery, the iPhone has become increasingly heavy over time.
Because too much electricity can cause batteries to overheat and destroy gadgets, most phones, including iPhones and Samsungs, can only take in 10 to 30 watts.
And several years ago, Samsung even had to recall millions of phones owing to overheating batteries, with some even catching fire after becoming too hot.