The Tronsmart feels well built. It’s no larger than it needs to be, poking out the top of our cigarette lighter port by no more than an inch, and with a glossy black finish that looked nice against the black interior of our car. The supplied USB- to Micro-USB cable is also a handy length at 1m, meaning it could easily reach from the Tronsmart to a windscreen-mounted phone. The Tronsmart Rapid Car Charger comes with dual-USB outputs that offer fast-charging to any phone, tablet or other device that charges over USB, and with 30W of available power it can simultaneously support both outputs at full-speed. Also see: How to improve smartphone battery life. The first of these two USB outputs is specified at 12W (5V, 2.4A), and uses VoltIQ technology to cleverly recognise your device and deliver just the right amount of power for optimal charging. The second is more interesting, a Qualcomm-certifed Quick Charge 2.0 output, which runs at 18W (12V, 1.5A). For devices that support it, charging time can be reduced by a staggering 75 percent.
What is Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0? Which phones support Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0?
Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 is a next-gen fast-charging technology for phones and tablets running certain Snapdragon processors. In Qualcomm’s own lab tests, it found a Quick Charge 2.0-enabled device with a 3300mAh battery was able to reach 60 percent capacity in 30 minutes; using a standard 5W phone charger just 12 percent charge was achieved in the same amount of time. Also see: How to charge your phone or tablet faster.
We tried the Tronsmart with our Samsung Galaxy S6. Although it runs one of Samsung’s own Exynos- rather than Snapdragon processors, it also supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 alongside Samsung’s Adaptive fast-charging feature. In a short 10-minute car journey our S6 gained a 20 percent charge – and the Tronsmart didn’t get even slightly hot under the collar in enabling that impressive feat (our S6 warmed up a little, but that’s to be expected, assures Qualcomm). Our experience with in-car USB chargers in the past hasn’t been particularly favourable. They keep your phone going so you can use it as a satnav, but unless you’re going on a particularly long journey (or get stuck in a nasty jam) they never seem to have gained much battery when it’s time to unplug them and go off on foot. Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0-supported car chargers change all that, and you could potentially get enough power to keep your phone going all day during your commute. That’s incredibly useful. Other devices that support Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 include the LG G4 and G Flex 2, HTC One M8, One M9 and Desire Eye, Nexus 6, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge, Sony Xperia Z3, Asus Zenfone 2 and the new Motorola Moto X. Also see: Best desktop chargers. Marie is Editor in Chief of Tech Advisor and Macworld. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our English language, French and Spanish consumer editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry’s transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.
