Qualcomm Quick Charge 5 Plus: New fast charging standard promises cooler, faster charging at up to 140W

It’s been a few years since we last heard about Qualcomm’s fast charging tech. The last major standard, Quick Charge 5, was announced all the way back in 2020. Today, the company is introducing an enhanced version called Qualcomm Quick Charge 5+, which promises a cooler, more consistent charging experience for your devices while still delivering superfast 100W+ charging speeds.

Heat is the biggest enemy of battery health and longevity, but also an unavoidable reality when using super-fast charging tech. Qualcomm says its new Quick Charge 5 Plus protocol avoids the pitfalls of other fast charging solutions by using lower voltage at higher currents, allowing devices to maintain their peak charging speeds for longer periods. Moreover, it can smartly adjust voltage and current to your device's needs and push up to 140W of power at 20V/7A. "In comparison, solutions limited to 5A often rely on higher voltage to achieve more wattage, resulting in greater heat, lower efficiency, and higher costs. Quick Charge 5+ takes a smarter, more efficient path," the company said in a press release. 

Qualcomm isn’t providing hard numbers on efficiency or speed gains over the Quick Charge 5, but it’s reasonable to expect the new standard will offer slightly faster charging overall. For reference, the QC5 boasted 100W+ charging speeds, with the ability to charge a 4,500mAh battery from 0 to 50% in just 5 minutes (Anker 200W GaN charger curr. $65). 

Quick Charge 5 Plus is backward compatible with previous Quick Charge versions, and since it leverages USB PD-PPS as its underlying protocol, you should be able to use a Quick Charge 5+ certified charger to power a wide range of devices, including your iPhone and laptop.

Availability

The first devices with Quick Charge 5+ support are set to be announced at the Snapdragon Summit 2025, taking place from September 23 to 25, while the QC5+ certified accessories and chargers will hit the market later this year.