Qualcomm is making the Quick Charge 4 technology faster and safer, and has created a special program for those device and accessory manufacturers who design their products with new features included, called Quick Charge 4+.

When Quick Charge 4 was announced, it promised to bring even faster charging than its predecessor, allowing a device to go from empty to 50 percent in just 15 minutes. Qualcomm added new technologies designed to further extend battery cycle life, enhance safety, and expand charging intelligence. These features come standard with a device that includes Quick Charge 4.

On the mobile device side, Quick Charge 4+ includes all the benefits of Quick Charge 4, plus three enhancements. Manufacturers get the 4+ designation by including all three:

• Dual Charge: already an option in earlier versions, but now more powerful, Dual Charge includes a second power management IC in the device. Charging a device via Dual Charge divides the charge current, allowing for lower thermal dissipation and reduced charge time
• Intelligent Thermal Balancing: a further enhancement to Dual Charge, intelligent thermal balancing is engineered to move current via the coolest path autonomously, eliminating hot spots for optimized power delivery
• Advanced Safety Features: Quick Charge 4 already includes built-in safety protocols. Quick Charge 4+ goes one step further and is designed to monitor both the case and connector temperature levels simultaneously. This extra layer of protection helps ward against overheating and short-circuit or damage to the Type-C connector.

With Dual Charge, Intelligent Thermal Balancing, and Advanced Safety Features incorporated in a device design, that device has the potential to charge up to 15 percent faster, or 30 percent more efficiently when compared to Quick Charge 4.

Accessories such as wall adapters, car chargers, portable battery banks, and USB hubs can also qualify for Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ designation. Such an accessory will include backward compatibility with Quick Charge 3.0 and Quick Charge 2.0.

Manufacturers meeting the device or accessory requirements can use the 4+ logo on their products.

Just this week, the first device to include Quick Charge 4+ support was announced, the nubia Z17. The nubia Z17 is a powerful smartphone featuring, in addition to Quick Charge 4+ and a 3200mAh battery, the Snapdragon 835 mobile platform with an impressive 8GB RAM and 128GB memory, 23+12 megapixel dual rear camera, and a 5.5" FHD frameless display.