Qualcomm Dismisses Quick Charge 3.0 And USB-C Compatibility Fears With HTC 10 And LG G5
It was Google's Benson Leung that called out shoddy USB Type-C cables sold on Amazon until one especially poorly built cable destroyed his Chromebook Pixel. Now one of his older posts on Google+ has HTC 10 and LG G5 owners worried that they might in for an awful surprise as well, one that's related to Qualcomm's Quick Charge standard.
In a post last fall, Leung warned that the official USB Type-C spec as laid out by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) doesn't allow for variable voltage schemes such as the one Qualcomm uses. Per the official spec, the Vbus line of the USB Type-C port should run between 4.45 and 5.25 volts. Qualcomm's proprietary Quick Charge technology gooses voltage to 9 or 12 volts.
"This section of the Type-C specification 4.8.2 calls out chargers and devices that want to use a proprietary charging method and restricts them specifically from modifying Vbus (which is what QC does to get to 9V and 12V), and from altering roles from source to sink," Leung said.
That doesn't bode well for the HTC 10 and LG G5, both of which are flagship Android devices. After all, nobody wants to risk burning their house down and setting their neighborhood ablaze for the convenience of charging a handset faster than normal. Should you be worried about that? Qualcomm doesn't think so.
In a statement provided to Android Centeral, Qualcomm downplayed Leung's concerns and points out that it hasn't received a single complaint about its Quick Charge technology.
"Qualcomm Quick Charge is designed to be connector-independent. It can be implemented in a device that supports a variety of connectors, including USB Type-A, USB micro, USB Type-C, and others. When an OEM chooses to implement Quick Charge into their device, they can configure the voltage to fit within the specifications of the USB Type-C standard. We have received no reports of user experience or device malfunction issues with or without USB Type-C connectors," Qualcomm stated.
The company's statement makes it sound like using those devices is safe, and both are UL listed and CE Mark certified to boot. So case closed, right? Not so fast—Qualcomm didn't say whether or not phones like the HTC 10 and LG G5 are within spec, just that it hasn't received any complaints to date. Do with that information what you will.
In a post last fall, Leung warned that the official USB Type-C spec as laid out by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) doesn't allow for variable voltage schemes such as the one Qualcomm uses. Per the official spec, the Vbus line of the USB Type-C port should run between 4.45 and 5.25 volts. Qualcomm's proprietary Quick Charge technology gooses voltage to 9 or 12 volts.
"This section of the Type-C specification 4.8.2 calls out chargers and devices that want to use a proprietary charging method and restricts them specifically from modifying Vbus (which is what QC does to get to 9V and 12V), and from altering roles from source to sink," Leung said.
That doesn't bode well for the HTC 10 and LG G5, both of which are flagship Android devices. After all, nobody wants to risk burning their house down and setting their neighborhood ablaze for the convenience of charging a handset faster than normal. Should you be worried about that? Qualcomm doesn't think so.
In a statement provided to Android Centeral, Qualcomm downplayed Leung's concerns and points out that it hasn't received a single complaint about its Quick Charge technology.
"Qualcomm Quick Charge is designed to be connector-independent. It can be implemented in a device that supports a variety of connectors, including USB Type-A, USB micro, USB Type-C, and others. When an OEM chooses to implement Quick Charge into their device, they can configure the voltage to fit within the specifications of the USB Type-C standard. We have received no reports of user experience or device malfunction issues with or without USB Type-C connectors," Qualcomm stated.
The company's statement makes it sound like using those devices is safe, and both are UL listed and CE Mark certified to boot. So case closed, right? Not so fast—Qualcomm didn't say whether or not phones like the HTC 10 and LG G5 are within spec, just that it hasn't received any complaints to date. Do with that information what you will.
