Leak: Phones with 200W charging could be a thing

The charging speeds of phones have made huge leaps in recent years, increasing from 30W and 40W in 2018 to 65W and even 120W in the last 12 months. This means you can charge your phone in less than 30 minutes if you have something like the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra.

Now the regular digital chat station Tippster on Weibo has claimed that 2021 could reach even faster speeds. The leaker notes that we won’t be getting a Mi Mix 4 from Xiaomi anytime soon, but that charging systems with more than 200 W could be available next year. Check out a screenshot of the machine translated post.

Charging with 120 W already delivers mega-fast results. The Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra’s 4,500 mAh battery charges in 21 minutes. However, in our test, we found that the phone generates a lot of heat while charging. We’re also concerned about battery degradation at these speeds, as even Oppo has revealed some disappointing degradation statistics for its 125W charging solution.

We’re not entirely sure if charging at 200W is the best move as it could theoretically generate even more heat and battery degradation than charging at 120W +. Hopefully we’ll see Xiaomi and other brands tweak charging solutions above 50W for speed and battery health before they look to 200W.

The translated post also suggests that collapsible leaflets and phones with selfie cameras under the display are in the works for next year. Xiaomi has already confirmed the latter, but a commercially available leaflet would be big news for the brand. Xiaomi previously demonstrated a double-folding device, so a Galaxy-Fold-style form factor would be a departure from that. The Chinese brand also has a reputation for competitive pricing. Hopefully it’s cheaper than Samsung’s foldable products.

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Next: 120W charge tested – how hot does your phone get?