Qualcomm clamps down on on dodgy Quick Charge wireless chargers

Quick Charge has been a staple of smartphone charging technology for a few years now, although it’s now under some pressure from USB Power Delivery over USB-C ports. But you might not have been aware that Quick Charge is also used to supply extra power to fast wireless charging pads. To that end, announced Quick Charge for Wireless Power at MWC.

We should note that Qualcomm isn’t announcing a new wireless charging standard or technology to compete with existing products on the market. Instead, Quick Charge for Wireless Power covers products that use Quick Charge to provide power over a wire to the wireless charging pad.

The reason for this announcement is a response to wireless charging products that claim Quick Charge compliance, yet have not passed through Qualcomm’s Quick Charge compliance processes. As a result, Qualcomm has expanded its compliance program to now include wireless charging pads powered by Quick Charge technology. This will ensure that all certified pads will support and work with all Quick Charge 2.0, 3.0, 4, and 4+ adapters and plugs. UL, an independent safety science company, is administering the compliance program.

In addition to Quick Charge specification testing, Qualcomm is expanding its program to ensure Quick Charge and Qi wireless charging interoperability. In other words, Quick Charge wireless charging pads should now play nicely with Qi pads and public hotspots, by far the most widely adopted standard for wireless power.

Bottom line, Qualcomm is cleaning house to make sure that all products with QC branding play nicely together, as consumers would expect. Quick Charge for Wireless Power aims to stop Qualcomm’s charging ecosystem from becoming fractured. That’s good for forward and backward compatibility and very welcome news in the increasingly murky world of fast and wireless charging standards.

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