In a world where everyone wants 100% battery in 20 minutes, fast charging has become a major selling point. But here is the thing – just because your phone supports 120W charging doesn't mean it'll actually do it with any random charger.
And if you are wondering why your Motorola or Xiaomi device is charging slower with your fancy Ugreen or Anker charger, there is a pretty simple (and frustrating) reason behind it.
But before we dive into what each brand is doing, let's quickly clear up two terms you are going to see pop up a lot.
Power Delivery (PD): A standard that lets devices charge faster over USB-C by negotiating how much power they can safely pull. It starts at 15W and can go up to 100W on things like laptops.
Programmable Power Supply (PPS): A part of the PD spec that adjusts voltage and current in real time, giving your device the power it needs based on how it is charging.
Motorola does support USB PD and PPS – kind of. The catch is that it adds its own twist to it, with something it calls TurboPower. This allows the phone to request non-standard current levels, like 20V at 6.25A (which adds up to 125W) or 11V at 6.2A (around 68W). These numbers are beyond what normal USB PD specs allow, which means third-party chargers just can't replicate them.
So when you plug in an Anker, Ugreen or Baseus PD charger, your Moto phone probably won't turbocharge. Instead, it will default to something like 20V/3A (60W) or even 15V/3A (45W), depending on how the phone handles fallback.
What this means to you:
Your Motorola won't hit full TurboPower speeds with a regular USB PD charger.
Expect slower charging unless you are using Motorola's own charger and cable combo.
Xiaomi – HyperCharge is wild... and completely proprietary
Xiaomi's 120W HyperCharge tech sounds amazing on paper and it actually works great – but only if you use Xiaomi's own charger and a matching 6A-rated USB-C cable. Why? Because HyperCharge doesn't use USB PD at all. It runs on custom voltage and current profiles like 20V/6A or 10V/12A, which aren't part of the official standard.
If you plug your Xiaomi device into a standard charger, it will fall back to PD charging – usually somewhere between 27W and 67W, depending on the phone and the charger. That is still decent, but nowhere near the advertised speeds.
What this means to you:
Your Xiaomi phone won't reach 120W speeds without Xiaomi's original charger and cable.
With regular PD chargers, you'll be limited to mid-range charging speeds – not bad, but not HyperCharge.
Honor (and Huawei) – SuperCharge is still super exclusive
Honor and some Huawei phones use their own charging tech called SuperCharge, which – just like Xiaomi's HyperCharge – doesn't play nice with USB PD. It demands a specific charger and a 6A USB-C cable to get anywhere near its top charging speeds.
Without the original SuperCharge setup, the phone will fall back to standard PD levels, and you are likely to see a big drop in wattage.
What this means to you:
To get the fastest charge, you need both the Honor/Huawei charger and the matching cable.
If you are wondering why your Magic 7 Pro isn't charging like the demos showed – this is probably why.
Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo – Fast charging, but only on their terms
OnePlus SuperVOOC 120W Dual Ports GaN Power Adapter Kit. | Image credit – OnePlus
These brands all use custom charging tech – VOOC Charge (25W), SuperVOOC Charge (50W), Super Flash Charge (up to 120W), Dash Charge (20W), Warp Charge (30W, 50W, 65W), etc.
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While the names vary, the story stays the same: these are not USB PD-compliant. So unless you are using the original charger and high-current cable that came with the phone, you are not getting the full charging experience.
Plug one of Oppo's or OnePlus' phones into a standard USB-C PD charger and you will probably get something between 18W and 45W – a far cry from the 80W or even 100W they're capable of.
What this means to you:
Your OnePlus 13 won't use Warp Charge at full speed without the original charger and cable.
Third-party PD chargers won't get you anywhere near advertised speeds.
That explains why OnePlus chargers are always snapped up so quickly after launch.
Apple, Samsung, Google – the trio that sticks to the rules
With third-party brands like Anker you can get top speeds for your iPhone, Galaxy or Pixel. | Image credit – Anker
Unlike all the brands above, Apple, Samsung and Google mostly play by the USB PD rulebook. Their phones charge via standard USB PD and PPS, which means they are compatible with most high-quality third-party chargers – especially ones from trusted brands like Anker, Ugreen or Spigen.
Sure, some models support proprietary tweaks (like Samsung's Super Fast Charging), but even those are built on top of PPS and still work with many third-party options. That said, this also means they won't hit the crazy-high speeds you see on some Chinese phones, even when using the original charger.
What this means to you:
You don't need to use the original charger to get fast speeds on iPhones, Pixel phones or Galaxy phones.
A good USB PD/PPS charger will do just fine.
You can mix and match cables and chargers more freely, without sacrificing performance.
Overall, fast charging sounds simple, but it is really not. If you are wondering why your phone isn't charging as fast as advertised, the culprit is probably the charger or cable you are using.
With brands like Xiaomi, OnePlus and Motorola, you have to use the original accessories to get those crazy-high wattages. So before you throw your charger in frustration, check if it is really made for your phone.
And if battery and charging is a big deal for you, make sure to check out:
Tsveta, a passionate technology enthusiast and accomplished playwright, combines her love for mobile technologies and writing to explore and reveal the transformative power of tech. From being an early follower of PhoneArena to relying exclusively on her smartphone for photography, she embraces the immense capabilities of compact devices in our daily lives. With a Journalism degree and an explorative spirit, Tsveta not only provides expert insights into the world of gadgets and smartphones but also shares a unique perspective shaped by her diverse interests in travel, culture, and visual storytelling.
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