USB Power Delivery - What you need to know

USB Power Delivery, or PD, is considered the future of fast charging. This article should help you get a grasp on this latest fast charging technology as well as answer some common FAQs.

USB Power Delivery is a new universal multi-voltage charging standard that dynamically negotiates power output over a USB Type-C connection to safely and efficiently recharge a wide range of compatible devices.

• Charges your phone much faster than traditional 5W ports do to get you out the door faster.

• Boosts the power output to charge those big ticket items, so your laptop can be truly mobile.

In order to understand howPower Delivery works, it’s good to know a bit about how we measure power. The equation for electric power is how we base the relationship between power (how fast electricity is transferred), current (how much electricity is flowing), and voltage (electric pressure).

Different technology companies manipulate these factors in specific ways to try to create the most powerful charging systems we’ve seen to date.

PD has been called the future of charging because leaders in the tech industry like Apple and Google have moved towards this universal style of charging for their latest devices because it has proven to be a safe and efficient way to push the limits of voltage and current to boost energy flow to our peripherals and computers.

In order for the PD system to work from power source to power receiver, both ends must be compatible as well as using the right cable. Currently only USB-C to Lightning and USB-C to C are capable of PD technology.

Important Notes:

1. You can use higher power chargers to charge smaller devices. The devices will only take the required amount of energy to charge.

2. You can use a lower powered charger to charge bigger devices. It’s not going to charge at the normal rate and could even affect your use of the device, but it could be good in a pinch.

3. This is not an exhaustive list of devices

If you’ve been trying to find a way to optimize your laptop’s USB-C port and want a better way to connect all your devices, USB-C hubs with Power Delivery is the way to go. USB-C hubs have the ability to plug devices in a series from the power source. If you have a single USB-C port on your computer, you can connect a power source to the computer through the hub to charge, while still having open ports to charge your peripheries.There’s no need to compromise.

Charge flows from the power source through the HUB to all the devices. Each device is able to communicate how much energy it needs.

Nintendo Switch console is one of the latest Portable game console that fully support the Power Delivery Fast Charging. Apple also start supporting the Power Delivery Fast Charging on iPhone X / 8 / 8Plus by using USB C to Lightning cable and compatible Power Delivery Charger such as the apple 29W adapter or the AUKEY PA-Y10 Turbo Charger.

AUKEY Just release few products that are fully compatible with the Power Delivery Fast Charging technology such as Turbo Charger and Portable Power Bank.

Quick Charge, created by Qualcomm, is another charging standard, but it is limited to the devices using Qualcomm processors and has different profiles of power that make it incompatible with PD charging but this is changing with the introduction of Quick Charge 4 which will be compatible with Power Delivery which is really good for the consumer.

Another technology is Oppo’s VOOC used by OnePlus as their Dash Charge. To reach their advertised 20W peak charge, you must use the company’s proprietary cords (Cable) and mounts.OnePlus phones are not compatible with PD or Quick Charge, but can use AUKEY Ai ports which can still safely charge your phone at the correct power levels.

If your phone is not compatible with these specific quick charging technologies, you can still use these PD ports to charge your phone, but will only reach the phone’s maximum charging capabilities allowed by the phone.

Blown away by the benefits of Power Delivery? Have a gander at our PD compatible products. Hit us up on social media with your comments or questions if you have any doubts and Feel free to share this article if you find it useful to some of your friends.