Skip to main content

A watched pot never boils, but Meizu just fully charged a phone before our eyes

MWC 2025
Read our complete coverage of Mobile World Congress

Chinese smartphone maker Meizu made a lot of people stand around in a busy hall at Mobile World Congress and watch a battery charge from zero to 100 percent. That sounds like the tech equivalent of watching paint dry, and also, due to the usual amount of time such a process takes, a very long demonstration. Except this was Meizu’s new Super mCharge technology, and the cell went from zero to 100 in just 20 minutes.

It was never going to be the most visually exciting demo, but it was compelling for a simple reason — fast charge systems are usually promoted as giving a chunk of power in that same 20 minute window, rather than filling the entire battery up. The gathered crowds had no idea whether the Meizu charging system would just do the same. Instead, it rocketed to 30 percent in five minutes, and continued on. The chunky 11v/5A charging block feeds 55 watts of power to the phone.

Recommended Videos

Now, you may be concerned about safety standards, given recent battery-related explosions in the smartphone industry. Meizu says Super mCharge uses some clever circuitry inside the phone and charger to maximize efficiency, and the temperature won’t go beyond 39 degrees Centigrade (102 degrees Fahrenheit). This means it’s safe, and more reliable, too. Additionally, pushing the battery so hard during charging can reduce its longevity, but Meizu says a 3,000mAh battery with Super mCharge still has a lifetime of more than two years, and will still have 80 percent of its capacity available after 800 cycles.

While systems like OnePlus’s Dash Charge and Motorola’s TurboPower make charging less of a pain, neither completely fill the battery. Meizu’s Super mCharge has the potential to beat both, but it’s still in prototype stage, and we were told to expect a phone using it to be released before the end of the year. Great news, but we have also seen these tech demonstrations at Mobile World Congress before — Oppo’s Super VOOC battery charging for example — and are still waiting for the final product to arrive more than a year later.

One other thing: While we watched a battery charge up in 20 minutes, it’s difficult to assess whether it really worked, because we didn’t get to use the phone at either time.

Like most other fast charging systems, Super mCharge requires you to use a particular charger and cable, plus the phone and battery have to be Super mCharge compatible, meaning it’s a complete package that will only be available on Meizu’s hardware.

Andy Boxall
Andy has written about mobile technology for almost a decade. From 2G to 5G and smartphone to smartwatch, Andy knows tech.
I saw every Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 color. This is the best
The back of the Galaxy Z Fold 7

Most smartphones are variations of the same shades of black or white with a sprinkle of color thrown in here and there, but we've seen a growing trend among the best phones where at least one color is far more unique. 

Samsung is not immune to this trend and has led the way over the past few years with a core set of colors that are available across many or all retailers and partners, as well as a few exclusive colors that were only available through its online retail channel. 

Read more
Apple’s iOS 26 public beta may finally arrive next week
Could apple's iOS 26 beta drop next week?
The control center with Liquid Design on the iOS 26 developer beta 1 running on the iPhone 16 Pro

Why it matters: Apple fans dying to try the latest iPhone OS have faced a wait longer than expected for the iOS 26 public beta, diverging from Apple's usually rapid rollout. A near-term release could help ramp up user testing , work out bugs, and increase excitement ahead of the full launch this fall, especially as rivals like Google push AI-heavy Android updates.

The big idea: Multiple reports suggest Apple is looking at July 23rd for the iOS public beta debut, based on insights from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. This follows the developer beta 3 rollout on July 7, which skipped the typical one-week public follow-up.

Read more
Act fast and save $400 on the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar
The Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar in Carbon Gray.

We're getting to the point where it is more and more affordable to get one of the best smartwatches or fitness trackers. The tech has been around for quite some time and we're even to the point where some government officials are wanting everyone to have a health tracker. So, I shouldn't be too surprised to see this deal on the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar at its lowest price on Amazon, ever, but I am a little bit. I just covered the gray and orange version getting a $250 discount a few months ago and here I am, looking at a different color with a $400 discount. Right now you can get the 47mm, Carbon Gray colored, Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar for just $500, a very decent drop from its usual $900, by tapping the button below. If you want, however, keep on reading to get a reminder on just how great this smartwatch is.

$500 at Amazon

Read more