Samsung Galaxy S20 gets USB fast charger certification for USB PD 3.0 up to 45W

Ben Schoon | Feb 25 2020 - 8:58 am PT

For a long time, Samsung was stuck on Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 for speedy charging, but that’s finally starting to change. With the Galaxy S20 series, Samsung has been certified by USB-IF for fast charging over USB Power Delivery 3.0 up to 45W.

In a press release (via The Verge), USB-IF explains that the Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra are the first smartphones to be certified for USB Power Delivery (PD) 3.0 and Programmable Power Supply (PPS). Technically, the Galaxy Note 10+ supported these, but it wasn’t official and slightly broke the technical requirements as The Verge explains.

What does this mean for the Galaxy S20? Essentially, you can trust that approved accessories will be able to charge your device at blazing fast speeds. The Galaxy S20 and S20+ both support up to 25W while the S20 Ultra pushes that number to 45W. These two fast charging standards work together to ensure that your Galaxy S20 device is getting the wattage it can handle, but also the right voltage and current to keep things safe.

With these standards in place and the sheer popularity of Samsung’s Galaxy S lineup, we’ll likely be seeing approved chargers start hitting the market over the coming months. For now, though, Samsung’s official options are still your best bet.

USB-IF Announces USB Fast Charger Certification for Samsung Galaxy S20 Series

The Samsung Galaxy S20 series represents the first smartphones to receive certification based on USB Power Delivery 3.0 specification with the Programmable Power Supply Feature

BEAVERTON, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the support organization for the advancement and adoption of USB technology, today announced the Samsung Galaxy S20 series has achieved Certified USB Fast Charger status. The Samsung Galaxy S20 series supports the Programmable Power Supply (PPS) feature of the USB Power Delivery (USB PD) 3.0 specification, representing a “USB-IF certification first” and a significant milestone for the smartphone industry.

The USB-IF expanded its Certified USB Charger Compliance and Logo Program in 2018 to include Certified USB Fast Chargers. The Certified USB Charger Initiative aims to increase the reusability and sharing of chargers across all compliant USB Type-C® devices, reduce electronic waste in landfills and provide a reliable and easy to use charging solution for consumers. Certified USB Fast Chargers support the PPS feature of the USB PD 3.0 specification – which allows the smartphone to better manage the thermals while charging, enabling a faster charging experience for consumers. Certified USB Fast Chargers are backwards compatible with devices that support USB Type-C and USB PD.

“Galaxy S20 series has been certified to be compliant to the USB standards which means Galaxy S20 has met the highest standards in the industry,” said Kisun Lee, VP of Power Solution at Samsung. “We believe that a convenient user experience is the most important value and using a robust and inherently safe USB PD standard ensures interoperability and an optimized charging experience.”

“The Samsung Galaxy S20 series certification announcement is yet another testament to the wide-ranging benefits that the USB-IF Certified USB Charging Initiative provides to the mobile industry, which includes reliable USB Fast Charging capabilities,” said Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF President and COO. “USB-IF compliance means that products were certified to be compliant to the appropriate USB specifications and have been tested for interoperability with other USB products.”

To learn more about the Certified USB Charger Compliance and Logo Program, please visit www.usb.org.

For more information about the Samsung Galaxy S20 series, please visit www.samsung.com.