Xiaomi launches an 80-watt wireless charging method.
Xiaomi
A new challenger joined the ultra-fast charging wars on Monday, as Xiaomi unveiled an 80-watt charging system it says will fully revitalize a phone battery in less than 20 minutes.
The Chinese phone maker says its new charging method, “80W Mi Wireless Charging Technology,” can charge a 4,000mAh battery to 10% in one minute, 40% in eight minutes and 100% in 19 minutes. This is a step up from last year’s 30-watt charging tech, which refills a similar battery size to half in around 25 minutes, according to the company.
Xiaomi didn’t specify how the charging method works or whether it will ship with a device. But the Chinese-phone maker does lay claim to the title for shipping the fastest wireless charger with a commercially available handset. The Mi Ultra 10, released in China earlier this year, made waves for its 50W wireless charging that’s quoted to fully revitalize its 4,500mAh battery in 40 minutes, along with a 120-watt wired charger. For context, anything 18 watts and above is considered fast charging.
But Xiaomi is hardly alone in its quest to build blazing-fast phone chargers, facing stiff competition from homegrown rivals. In July, Oppo launched its 120W “Flash Charge,” which is also advertised to fully refill a battery in less than 20 minutes, while 120-watt charging tech from Vivo hit the market in 2019. By comparison, Apple’s MagSafe chargers for the iPhone 12 family give you up to 15 watts of power.
