Chinese electronics company Realme unveiled its "SuperSonic" fast-charging system at an event in Shenzhen in August, giving a glimpse at the groundbreaking battery technology that can fully charge cellphones in less than five minutes.
Forbes contributor Ben Sin detailed the one-of-a-kind system that can charge at 320 watts, taking a 4,400 mAh battery from zero to 100 in approximately 4.5 minutes.
Realme debuted several new technologies at the same event, but Ben, also of Ben's Gadget Reviews (@bensgadgetreviews), called the charger "the star of the show" in a YouTube clip. For the fast charger to reach such quick speeds, developers had to create a four-piece ultra-thin battery that folds in half.
"The reason it's a four-piece battery is so that each piece can charge individually," Ben explained in the YouTube review.
Meanwhile, an "AirGap" voltage transformer is meant to keep the charging system safe by keeping the voltage separate from the battery.
As Ben noted, however, tens of millions of devices already use SuperVOOC fast charging without incident, including systems developed by Realme's parent company Oppo — which Ben visited six years ago to cover a fast-charging system.
"I haven't heard [of] any major incident of charging gone wrong," Ben wrote. "I have personally used SuperVOOC charging for years without issues."
Fast-charging systems are more than just convenient in the short term. When commercialized and developed further, they could help aid the transition to technologies that ultimately save consumers money while reducing pollution that causes global temperatures to rise.
Electric vehicles, for example, typically require less maintenance and don't release heat-trapping gases from their tailpipes.
However, some drivers are deterred from adopting them because of longer charging times (a common safety concern for women). Yet a breakthrough by University of Colorado Boulder researchers could eventually see EVs charge in as little as 10 minutes.
More information about potential applications for Realme's SuperSonic fast charging system isn't available, but Ben speculated it might be available sometime next year.
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