Sunny times for Li-Ion!

The computing clout of your mobile phone grows exponentially with every new release — processors are now octa-core — eight times more powerful than they were five years ago. The RAM memory has grown on some handsets to 6 GB, which is more than many laptops. Displays handle ultra HD or 4K video. All these are power guzzlers — and sadly, power is perennially in short supply on most phones.

There are two approaches currently being tried to overcome customers’ battery blues with the only power technology currently in use — Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion): One is to pack in bigger batteries into the phone. The downside here is size — big battery phones tend to be bulky.

The second approach is to tap technology that ensure very fast charge — usually attaining 60 to 70 per cent of the full charge in about 30 minutes. Most of these technologies are proprietary — the Super VOOC Flash used by Oppo or Dash Charge that comes with OnePlus phones.

Manufacturers of the chips that fuel the phone have launched their own rapid charging solutions. Phones using Mediatek processor are able to roll out PumpExpress fast charge technology. Phones with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor have access to Quick Charge technology.

How do these technologies work to reduce the charging time? If you use the standard charger cable, it works at 5 volts DC and 0.5 amperes, which multiplied, gives 2.5 watts of power. The proprietary fast chargers boost the current handling to 4 or 5 amps and use special charging cables which work with higher voltages, as high as 9 to 12 V DC. Dash Charge works at 4 A and 5 V and ensures that the extra heat is not spread to the phone but to the power adapter. They do the charging in two stages — first, use high power to rapidly charge the phone to 75-80 per cent of its full charge in a very short time. Then, reduce the power to slowly top up the battery to full charge. This allows companies to claim that their phones can attain 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes or in the case of Qualcomm Quick Charge, “0 to 50 per cent in 15 minutes” or “5 for 5 — 5 minutes charging, 5 hours of battery life”.

With the new Type C USB connector becoming more common, there was a fear that some of these proprietary technologies might not match the power delivery standards of this reversible connector. But Qualcomm has announced the latest Version4 of Quick Charge (QC4) for commercial availability by June 2017, with Type C compatibility. The QC4 can also charge two devices at the same time.

Remember, all fast charge technologies work today only with the special charger provided. These can cost as much as Rs 1,500 each and so far the industry has not agreed on an universal fast charge design. Sunny times may be back for Li-Ion.

Dash Charge — large RAM combo
One of the best all-round performers in the mid-range category of smart phones is OnePlus 3T, which has a jumbo 6 GB RAM. This, together with the 64 GB or 128 GB storage, enables it to support multi tasking and to offer full 1080p full HD on its 5.5 inch AMOLED screen. Sadly, the storage cannot be expanded, which is a bit limiting.

The battery is 3,400 mAh — but its proprietary Dash Charge technology ensures that it reaches 80 per cent of its full charge in about half an hour.

OnePlus has ramped up the front camera to 16 megapixels with f/2.0 aperture. The rear camera also has the same resolution with f/2.0 aperture. The images with both the front and rear cameras are crisp and clear. You can also shoot 4K videos. OnePlus 3T is priced at Rs 29,999 for the 64 GB variant and Rs 34,999 for 128 GB.

Jumbo battery
Opting for a larger battery rather than a fast charge option, the Zenfone 3S Max offers a whopping 5,000 mAh battery. Under normal usage, it can function for two days on a full charge and at least one day,  even with intensive gaming or continuous video playing.

Apart from the general power saving mode, this device also comes with four other modes including SuperSaving, which automatically optimises the phone function to give more standby time. The device also supports reverse charging, which means you can also use the Zenfone 3S Max as a power bank to charge other devices.

Weighing 175 grams, we wouldn’t say that the Zenfone 3S Max is the lightest, but it doesn’t feel too heavy and could easily fit in our palm. The 5.2 inch screen has a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. The Zenfone 3S Max comes pre-loaded with the latest Android 7.0 Nougat, but with the proprietary, ZenUI 3.0. interface.

The internal storage of 32 GB is hugely expandable — up to 2 TB via Micro SD card. The catch here is, the device has a hybrid slot and that means you can either use two SIMs or a single SIM with memory card. It supports 4G LTE and Wi-Fi Direct. The 13 megapixels rear and the 8 megapixels front camera were average performers. Priced at Rs 14,999, the Zenfone 3S Max is an affordable device with a big 5,000 mAh heart to keep it ticking for hours.

IndiaTechOnline