What is the difference of PD and QC fast charging?

When comes to fast charging, there are many fast charging protocols in the market, but among them the most commonly used fast charging technologies are the PD USB Power Delivery and QC Quick Charge.

PD fast charge, as USB Power Delivery (abbreviated as USB PD) is developed by the USB-IF Association. It can be implemented over any USB connection, but requires new connectors and cables for full USB 2.0 connector support.

Q C Quick charge is a proprietary technology from Qualcomm which allows for the charging of battery powered devices, primarily mobile phones, at levels above and beyond the typical 5 volts and 2 amps which most USB standards allow for. Up to now, there are 4 versions of Quick Charge released. Qualcomm is currently the brand with the highest market share of smart phone processors, and has been developing fast charging technology Quick Charge since a long time ago (Referred to as QC fast charge).

So what is the difference between PD fast charge and QC fast charge? Let’s see through the following comparison table:

▲Comparison between PD fast charge and QC fast charge▲

QC fast charge compares with PD fast charge

To take advantage of Qualcomm Quick Charge, both the host providing power and the device must support it. While it seems that PD can deliver a much higher power output, but actually most smartphones do not need more than 18w charging, that’s why Qualcomm’s Quick Charge is widely adopted by most of smartphones.

On the another hand, because there are many devices that can be supported by PD fast charging, the most famous phone brand adopting Power Delivery is Apple. You can enjoy a PD fast charging over USB Type-C to Lightning adapter for the use with iPhone 8 and X. By comparison, Power Delivery can support voltages as high as 20V, and can support charging at up to 100W max. I think that USB-PD fast charging has the potential to become the future star of fast charging in the future.