It seems that the smartphone world is moving steadily towards fast-charging tech. In 2020 we saw glimpses of this trend with Samsung announcing a pair of new Type-C power delivery (PD) controllers that provide up to 100 watts of power (20V / 5A). Xiaomi meanwhile showcased its own fast charging technology, called Mi Charge Turbo, again topping at 100W charging power. A new report from Digitimes hints that in 2021 we may see this supercharge tech becoming more widespread. Unikorn Semiconductor will extend the production of GaN-on-Si chips for fast charging devices from 65W chips to 100W ones in second-half 2021, according to Lee Biing-jye, chairman of Epistar, the parent company of Unikorn.
Apparently, the demand for GaN-on-Si chips has grown in the past months and Lee Biing-jye thinks that more devices will support 100W fast charging in 2021. No big names are mentioned in the report but Samsung is one of the manufacturers that supports the idea of “one adapter to charge them all” and a 100W charging tech is a way to achieve that. As Xiaomi showed, a 100W fast charger can completely charge a 4,000mAh battery in just 17 minutes! Exciting times ahead!
