After Oppo teased a 150W SuperVOOC fast charging technology at the MWC expo earlier this year, saying it will debut as soon as this spring in a OnePlus phone, the handset in question is finally official.
The OnePlus Ace is powered by America's most popular brand of mobile chipsets, believe it or not - MediaTek - albeit the Dimensity 8100 model, but the more interesting part of its specs sheet is that its 4500 mAh battery can be charged at 150W power.
This means that the phone's battery can go from a depleted state to 50% capacity in just 5 minutes before you get out of the door, and ten minutes more will give you a full charge to last the day out and about. The rest of the OnePlus Ace specs are as follows:
6.7" 120Hz 1080p OLED display
50MP main /8MP ultrawide/2MP macro cameras
Up to 12GB RAM
Up to 512GB storage
4500 mAh battery
150W charging speeds
5nm Dimensity 8100 processor
The OnePlus Ace is available in black and blue
The OnePlus Ace price starts at the equivalent of about $390, but it is a model for China only for now, whereas globally it will most likely appear as the OnePlus 10R. It is also available as the Realme GT Neo3 which was actually the first phone with 150W fast charging announced.
All these brands are under the umbrella of one and the same BBK holding company, that is why they are releasing seemingly the same phone under different names in different markets. The Ace, however, offers versions with higher storage, so hopefully that will translate to the global OnePlus 10R release as well which is expected to be unveiled on April 28.
What about the battery longevity with those ultrafast charging speeds, you ask? Well, here's the scoop.
How safe are 150W charging speeds for the life of the battery?
When announcing the technology, Oppo said that, due to its novel battery chemistry and charge monitoring algorithms, collectively called the Battery Health Engine (BHE), the 150W-capable batteries are able to go through 1600 full recharge-discharge cycles before they fall to 80% capacity retention.
This is double what is available right now on the best of them like the iPhone 13 Pro Max or Oppo Find X5 Pro battery packs. This means that even if you charge your phone from empty to full every day, the 15-minute-charge battery will retain at least 80% capacity for more than four years. Since we usually don't charge 0-100% every day, it's about to last twice longer, which bodes well for both the resale value, and the environment.
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The Battery Health Engine tech is based on a proprietary battery management chip and approaches the solution from two sides: the Smart Battery Health Algorithm, and the Battery Healing Technology.
Smart Battery Health Algorithm
Capable of tracking the electric potential across the negative electrode in real-time, the Smart Battery Health Algorithm "dynamically adjusts the charging currency within a reasonable range, minimizing the occurrence of dead lithium while maintaining the maximum charging current, therefore ensuring a healthier battery lifespan and faster charging speed."
The charging and discharging process can be simply viewed as the movement of lithium ions between positive and negative electrodes. While charging and discharging, lithium ions are running between the positive and negative electrode through electrolyte conduction. When active lithium ions cannot return to the positive side because of overcurrent, they become “dead lithium”, causing the capacity of the battery to degrade. Therefore, it is essential to control the charging current and voltage in a reasonable range to prevent overcurrent and overcharge and maintain as many active lithium ions as possible to protect the batteries.
Through three years of research and innovation, the OPPO Research Institute has conducted a significant number of tests on battery performance. By constantly optimizing the accuracy of the battery model, the Smart Battery Health Algorithm is able to determine the safest charging current based on different battery capacities, charging adapters, battery conditions, and stages of charging, therefore maximizing the activity of lithium-ions and prolonging the battery’s lifespan.
Battery Healing Technology
Charging speed control algorithms are all fine and dandy, but the new Battery Healing Technology also enhances the chemistry system of the battery in real time. Oppo has been able to optimize the electrolyte formula in a way that has the electrodes damage caused by the full charge and discharge cycles repaired continuously by creating a durable film called the Solid Electrolyte Interface.
The Solid Electrolyte Interphase, also known as SEI, is formed by the reduction reaction of a small amount of polar solvent in the electrolyte after obtaining some electrons while charging and discharging lithium-ion batteries. It is distributed on the surface of the positive and negative electrode, which effectively protects the electrode material from damage caused by solvent molecules and improves the charging cycle performance of the electrodes. Battery Healing Technology helps the battery to continuously repair the SEI during the charging and discharging cycle, making the SEI more stable and durable in real time. Furthermore, it reduces the damage inflicted to the electrodes due to charging and discharging, therefore enhancing the battery performance and extending battery lifespan.
Well, the future is now, it seems and it is not all that expensive, judging from the sub-$500 price of the OnePlus Ace that was just announced. Moreover, not only do Oppo and OnePlus have a commercially available 150W phone charging system already on the market, but they are also working on a 240W charging speeds tech that takes under ten minutes to fill a battery pack which will take the other phone makers a while to catch up to.
We're speeding up fast charging. ️ OPPO 240W #SUPERVOOC Flash Charge delivers 100% battery in just 9 minutes, for record-breaking, industry-leading speed. #OPPOxMWC22pic.twitter.com/gPDurHh1Qg
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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