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USB Power Delivery (or PD, for short) is a single charging standard that can be used all across USB devices. Normally, each device charged by USB will have their own separate adapter, but not anymore. One universal USB PD will be able to power a wide variety of different devices. Power Delivery (PD) is a specification for handling higher power and allows a range of devices to charge quickly over a USB connection. PD operates by facilitating a conversation between two devices to negotiate a power contract so they can determine how much power can be pulled from the charger.
PD technology basically enables your device to take on more power in a shorter amount of time, which translates to super-fast charging. The latest tablets and smartphones now use PD20W, taking iPhone 12 for example. Letting a mobile device take control of the charging unit, dynamically regulating it to ensure optimum charging. PD chargers usually have a USB-c port. Using cables that support PD charging is important. Many of the most popular mobile devices, including iPhones and Galaxy devices, are PD-enabled. With PD technology, if you only have 10 minutes to charge, you can get up to 20% battery life. If you have 30 minutes, you can get up to 50%!
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Increased Standard Power Levels
The biggest draw is that USB Power Delivery has increased standard power levels to up to 100W. This means your device will be able to charge much faster than before. Also, this will work for most devices and will be great for Nintendo Switch users, as there have been many complaints about it charging slowly.
Power Direction No Longer Fixed
Another great feature of USB PD is the fact that the power direction is no longer fixed. In the past, if you plugged your phone into the computer, it would charge your phone. But with Power Delivery, the phone you plug in could be responsible for powering your hard drive.
Devices Not Overcharged
Power Delivery will also ensure devices are not overcharged and will only provide the necessary amount of juice needed. While most smartphones won’t be able to take advantage of the added power, many other devices and computers will be able to.
With Power Delivery, a range of devices can share their charges with one another and power each other without hassle. Power Delivery is simply a much easier and streamlined way to go about charging all of your devices. As our phones and devices continue to use up more and more power, USB Power Delivery is likely to become more and more common.
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PD technology basically enables your device to take on more power in a shorter amount of time, which translates to super-fast charging. The latest tablets and smartphones now use PD20W, taking iPhone 12 for example. Letting a mobile device take control of the charging unit, dynamically regulating it to ensure optimum charging. PD chargers usually have a USB-c port. Using cables that support PD charging is important.
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PD is short for “power delivery”. The technology is capable of delivering up to 100 watts of power, far more than any smartphone requires. PD charge with high wattage has some significant advantages. For instance, PD charge can be used to power laptops. Apple’s new MacBooks all use PD charges, and can even be used while PD charges are charging. This means you’re getting much better performance than you’d expect from a standard USB cable.
QC is similar to PD in that a Quick Charger offers better charging performance than a standard USB. Also like the PD charger, both the charger and the device must be compatible with a quick charger for it to work. QC is short for “quick charge”, and it’s a proprietary technology developed by Qualcomm. The reason this is significant is that quick charger requires a license for use. If a manufacturer isn’t willing to pay Qualcomm’s licensing fee, they won’t be able to integrate quick charging technology. As a result, many devices that support PD charging don’t support QC charging.
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Which is faster, PD or QC? In a nutshell, it depends on your device. To begin with, there’s a difference between Android and Apple products. With Android, you’re dealing with an open standard, so your mileage may vary. Most newer Android phones support PD charging, and more than half also support QC. This includes newer Samsung models. Keep in mind, though, that this will depend on your phone’s manufacturer. If you’re using a cheaper phone like an LG Stylo, you’re still limited to Micro USB charging. This won’t allow for either PD or QC.
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While looking at various electronic devices, you may have seen the term “fast charging”. What does this have to do with PD or QC? In a word, nothing. It’s simply a measurement of how fast a battery can charge. In general, a standard 1 amp charger charges at 5 watts, which is an ordinary USB. Conversely, fast-charging batteries can charge at 12 watts or higher.
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USB-Power Delivery (PD) is a fast-charging technology based on the USB-C standard. Certain Apple, and Android smartphones/tablets and various laptop brands support the technology, which provides much higher performance than standard charging methods. The fundamental difference between USB Type-C and USB-PD is that USB Type-C is a new reversible USB connector with a small form factor, whereas USB-PD is a power delivery protocol that supports power delivery up to 100W.
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If you have a small device to plug in with a cable -- smartphones (whether Apple or Android smartphones), wireless headphones, iPad, Nintendo Switch, and so forth -- all of these chargers will almost certainly be compatible.
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USB-C PD provides up to 100W of power. With up to 100W of power available, USB-C PD can even charge larger devices, like tablets and laptops. All you need is the right wall charger and USB-C cable and leave those heavy laptop power cables at home.
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Yes. Power delivery chargers are backward compatible, meaning they will charge older devices as long as they each have the same USB-C connection type. But again, you will only get the power delivery that the older device can accept.
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Apple devices that support fast charging (recent iPad and iPhone models) all use the PD standard. It is completely safe to connect standard USB devices to a PD charger. No damage will occur as the PD charger will default to standard 5V supply and charging.
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USB Power Delivery is a common fast-charging standard that can be implemented in all USB-powered gadgets. USB-C PD charger has actually been around since 2012, around the same time that the USB-C port was unveiled. Prior to that, the only universal option was the (significantly slower) USB Battery Charging specification.
