OnePlus 3 Dash Charge requires both a proprietary adapter and cable

The introduction of fast charging technology inside the OnePlus 3 is sure to have pleased heavy smartphone users who are looking to pick up the new flagship, but it may have struck some as odd that the company opted to introduce its own “Dash Charge” technology rather than the commonly used Quick Charge option from Qualcomm. Now some new details have come to light which reveal that not only will customers have to use a specific charger to push through higher charging currents, but they will also have to use a proprietary cable that OnePlus provides with the phone.

According to OnePlus CEO Carl Pei, OnePlus 3 owners will need to use both the supplied cable and charger in order to use Dash Charge correctly. The circuits in the charger and phone check for the correct type of cable before use, and will switch down to regular charging speeds if the wrong type of cable is used. The reason for this is to ensure that the cable can safely transfer the higher current.

“The Dash Charge cable is thicker to physically push through more amps. You need both adapter and cable to achieve Dash Charge speeds.”

Unfortunately for consumers, this means that they are stuck with having to purchase all of their charging accessories directly from OnePlus, and other USB Type-C cables that they have lying around won’t work with this quick charge solution. The company says that it won’t be making the Dash Charge specification available to third party manufacturers. Fortunately, customers will be able to charge their OnePlus 3 at regular “slow” charging speeds if they plug in a normal USB cable or use a different charging adapter.

This isn’t the first time that a company has opted for its own proprietary charging technology. OnePlus is actually licensing the VOOC fast charging design from OPPO, which isn’t so surprising given their parent company links. From a consumer’s perspective there doesn’t appear to be any major speed benefits over using the latest USB Type-C fast charging specification or Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0/3.0, although OnePlus boasts that it’s the fastest on the market. However, VOOC does feature some cooling technology in the adapter rather than in the phone, which should help to keep the handset from feeling hot while charging.

Is proprietary charging technology a deal breaker for you, or do you feel that OnePlus’ solution is better than what its competitors are offering?