Huawei has filed a trademark application for something called SuperCharge. What could it be? Because we’ve only got the name to go on, we can only speculate, but it would definitely suit some form of fast battery charging technology. If so, it’s excellent news. Huawei is slightly behind the competition, many of which have their own fast charge systems, or employ Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology to make sure our phones are up and running in double quick time.
We know Huawei has been working on a quick charge method too. Last year, Huawei’s battery division revealed a prototype system that promised to add 50 percent power to a 3,000mAh cell in only five minutes. Rather than leave us skeptically rubbing our chins at the thought, it showed the tech working on video, and explained a little about how it works. Changes have been made to the battery and the charger, and to make it possible, it took considerable research to avoid damaging the battery or lessening its lifespan.
The trademark application, which was filed in Europe, contains a list of what it calls “goods and services,” all of which may relate in some way to the SuperCharge name. These include mentions of smartphones and smartwatches, along wth batteries and battery chargers. How welcome would a fast charger be for the company? Huawei’s otherwise great P9 smartphone fell behind in recent battery charging tests, taking two hours to fully charge up, while other phones with fast charging managed 90 minutes or less.
If Huawei’s SuperCharge name is attached to the same fast charging tech demonstrated last year, then it has the potential to beat many of those stronger devices. However, it may not hold the crown for long. Rival Chinese brand Oppo has also got a new fast charging system in development. Called Super VOOC, it’s capable of taking a 2,500mAh battery from zero to 100 percent charge in 15 minutes, and it’s expected to be in a phone before the end of 2016.
When will we see Huawei’s effort in a real phone? We don’t know yet, but it may take the opportunity to introduce a SuperCharging smartphone at the IFA tech show in Berlin, which takes place at the end of August.
