Qualcomm currently leads the fast charging market for smartphones, but Mediatek announced plans to dethrone its rival at Computex. Pump Express 3.0 is the company’s new charging technology, said to be able to power a phone battery up to 70% charge in 20 minutes.
Pump Express 3.0 will be available on the Mediatek Helio P20 and future phone chipsets by the end of the year. Mediatek says that the speed achieved is almost twice as fast as competing solutions, and five times faster than conventional charging.
The system relies on USB-C ports. It is said to be the first solution to enable direct charging through USB-C power delivery; this bypasses charging circuitry inside the phone and prevents it from overheating, Mediatek says. Electrical current is routed from the adaptor directly to the battery. The firm says that Pump Express 3.0 is ‘ultra safe’, with bi-directional communication and more than 20 safety and protection systems built in.
