You are an ordinary person living in modern society, and your phone has become an indispensable part of your life. But have you ever thought about the long and exciting technological journey behind the development of mobile phone chargers from simple charging devices to intelligent fast charging today?
In the early days of mobile phones, it was an era dominated by feature phones. At that time, mobile phones had simple functions, small screens, and low power consumption, so chargers were also very rudimentary. 5W slow charging chargers were the mainstream at that time, they were like bulky small boxes with long charging cables. At that time, it often took several hours to fully charge your small phone, like a long waiting ceremony. These early chargers did not have much complex technology behind them, mainly simple voltage conversion, converting mains power into a voltage suitable for mobile phone batteries.
With the rise of smartphones, everything is starting to change. The large screen, multifunctionality, and high energy consumption mode of smartphones have put forward higher requirements for charging speed. So, fast charging technology began to take the stage.
In the initial exploration of fast charging solutions, one approach was to use high voltage and low current. This process is like carefully lifting a heavy object, first converting the 220V mains power into a relatively lower voltage, such as 12V, 9V, or 5V, and then further converting it into a lower voltage and a relatively larger current input into the phone battery through the internal data cable and power management chip of the phone. This method was an innovation at the time, although it improved the charging speed, there were also some problems, such as charging heat and having a certain impact on the stability of charging efficiency.
Afterwards, the scheme of high current and low voltage was also introduced. This is like a more direct way, directly charging the battery with the appropriate voltage and current, reducing the intermediate voltage reduction process, thereby reducing energy loss and heat generation, and achieving power improvement. It has also given rise to the new experience of fast charging with a bright screen. However, this method requires specific data cables, chargers, and charging ports to be compatible. For example, OPPO has made comprehensive modifications to chargers, interfaces, data cables, etc. to achieve 22.5V fast charging.
In 2017, Meizu's charge pump technology was a major breakthrough. A charge pump is like an efficient energy converter in a charger, which uses capacitors as energy storage components to directly convert voltage and current. This technology has increased the conversion rate from 90% of traditional ICs to 98%, greatly reducing energy loss, and also reducing heat generation. It has successfully achieved high voltage and high current fast charging of 55W. This technology should have been an important opportunity for Meizu, but unfortunately, Meizu was unable to mass produce it in time and was pushed to the market by other competitors.
In 2024, fast charging technology continues to move towards higher power. On August 14th, domestic technology brought amazing 300W fast charging technology. Behind this achievement lies countless technological wisdom. On the one hand, it is the innovation of battery materials. Through in-depth research and extensive experiments, researchers have developed new types of lithium battery materials. This material can improve the energy density of the battery while adapting well to the needs of high-power charging, ensuring the stability and safety of the battery during rapid charging. On the other hand, the charging equipment and cables have also been comprehensively upgraded. The charging adapter and data cable required for 300W fast charging have undergone countless rigorous tests and optimizations, and can still maintain low-temperature operation under high power output, effectively avoiding equipment overheating and potential safety hazards.
In addition to the improvement of fast charging speed, chargers are also developing towards intelligence. From fast charging to smart charging, this is a qualitative leap. The current smart charger is like a thoughtful little butler, it is no longer just satisfied with fast charging. It can analyze the battery status of your phone, your historical charging data, and even automatically adjust the charging strategy based on factors such as temperature and humidity during charging. This intelligent algorithm is like injecting a smart brain into the charger, such as the application of AI technology in the charger, which dynamically adjusts the charging strategy by analyzing the battery health status, usage habits, and historical charging data of the device. When your phone battery is about to be fully charged, the AI charger will slow down the charging speed to avoid overcharging causing damage to the battery.
Moreover, smart chargers can also predict battery life. It not only monitors the battery status in real-time, but also predicts the health status and remaining lifespan of the battery by analyzing your device usage habits. This is like a private doctor who can provide you with scientific and reasonable battery maintenance advice. When it detects that the battery is starting to decline, it will remind you to replace the battery or adjust your usage habits to avoid accidental power outages or battery failures.