Here's why the Poco X2 charges faster than the Realme X2

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• Here's why the Poco X2 charges faster than the Realme X2

In the never-ending skirmish between Xiaomi and Realme, the latest sticking point is the charging speed between their latest mid-range – the Poco X2 and the Realme X2. Let's understand the technical differences between the two and discern if there are risks associated with one or the other. The Poco X2 was launched earlier this month, where it apparently overtook the Realme X2 as the new best smartphone at Rs 20,000. Aside from the other specs, one point that raised eyebrows is how Poco claimed that the 27W charging on the X2 was faster at filling its 4.500mAh battery, than the 30W VOOC on the Realme X2 charging for a bundle. 4000mAh. Independent tests seem to confirm these figures, leaving the curious perplexed.

#POCOX2 leaves the park with untouchable charging speed and #SmoothAF. Do other brands claim faster charging with a smaller battery? Yes indeed. #POCO pic.twitter.com/Bu1areZPox4 February 2020 To understand this phenomenon, we need to understand what a watt means. Watt (W) is a unit of power that measures the amount of energy released per second. However, this rate of energy transfer depends on several factors. The two main components are volts (V) and amps (A). Power = voltage X amperage In the context of the flow of electricity, volts can be understood as the force with which current flows, while amps have to do with the physical size of the medium, which in our case is the charging cable . A water pipe analogy is often used to simplify the concept, where watts will be the total flow of water, voltage will be the force with which the water will flow, and amps will be determined by the cross-sectional diameter of the pipe. An increase in voltage or amperage will increase the overall volume of current flow. This is where the charging standards of the two smartphones mainly vary. The Realme X2 implements VOOC 3.0 flash charging, which is rated at 30W. It does so with a voltage of 5V at 6A. This means that instead of boosting the voltage from the standard 5V, it uses a special wire and adapter that can run at higher amperage. It is a proprietary charging solution that will only work with compatible hardware. The phone checks this internally before charging begins. In contrast, the Poco X2 has 27W fast charging compared to power standards. It has three charging profiles at 5V 3A, 9V 3A and 12V 2.5A. Poco obviously chooses to increase the voltage without driving the amperage to abnormal levels.

More than just marketing

This is where things get interesting: the Realme X2 has a 4000mAh battery, while the Poco X2's battery is rated at 4500mAh, or 12.5% ​​more. Even with that, it manages to charge in a shorter time. However, VOOC charging hardly slows down when the phone is in use. For example, if you charge your phone while playing PUBG Mobile. Another factor that makes a difference is the decreasing current at the end that VOOC charging brings, which is conspicuously absent on the Poco X2. Charging slows down by 15-20% above to protect battery health and prevent overcharging at high power. The Poco X2 continues to charge at a relatively higher rate, which could theoretically damage the battery. Interestingly, Poco also claims that higher voltage charging, which is usually associated with overheating, actually keeps the phone relatively cooler. This could be due to some proprietary optimizations of the Poco X2, such as the LiquidCool heatsink.

The winner? You.

Either way, it is almost certain that neither manufacturer would go for a solution that could damage the battery or the phone as a whole. It's just a matter of very different approaches to the same result. It's also too early to say how these numbers will perform in the long term and whether the battery's capacity will deteriorate after hundreds of cycles. As this comparison shows, neither one nor the other is particularly worse than the other. And to ensure that your phone has a longer life, you can adopt a few practices for optimal results, such as using the included charger whenever possible, avoiding overcharging, and trying to maintain charge cycles in addition to speed improvements. charging, there are also other parameters that manufacturers can choose to improve charging speeds. Oppo has experimented with two-cell batteries, where both can be charged at these high rates. Ambient temperatures of the surroundings, the adapter and the battery can also slow power delivery, and this is also an area that manufacturers are exploring. The future of fast charging is bright and it is no longer limited to high-end smartphones. Is wireless charging next?