In recent years, the substantial increase in the frequency of use has brought higher requirements to the technological development of smartphones, and the smart fast charging market has also exploded. GaN has brought many new opportunities to the field of intelligent fast charging, and has also entered a number of new application scenarios. How to better develop smart fast charging through GaN to improve charging efficiency and retain consumers has become a major challenge for manufacturers in the industry.
Smart fast charging enters a new era, and GaN technology drives the development of the industry.
In the past few years, the smart fast charging technology has undergone earth-shaking changes. Almost every mobile phone manufacturer has launched a mobile phone that supports fast charging technology. Since 2020, some smartphones have been able to achieve 100W-level fast charging, and recently more digital bloggers revealed that mobile phone fast charging is about to enter the 200W era! The news shows that the iQOO 10 Pro, which will be released on July 19, will support 200W fast charging. Smart fast charging has obviously entered a new era. According to data provided by the China Business Industry Research Institute, it is estimated that the total shipment of wired chargers in 2022 will be about 2.61 billion units, and the fast charging market penetration rate will be as high as 95%.
However, the rapid development of intelligent fast charging technology and the explosion of the market are actually supported by GaN. The increasing maturity of third-generation power semiconductor technologies such as GaN has gradually become the focus of technological development in the industry. Affected by this, most of the smart fast chargers on the market are developing towards miniaturization and high power, and the needs of users are also developing in the direction of multi-port.
It is understood that GaN's advantages of compressing the entire circuit volume, increasing frequency, and its own low switching loss are irreplaceable by silicon tubes, and GaN chargers can further effectively reduce the size, reduce heat generation and improve efficiency, and help To improve energy efficiency and reduce energy waste. This corresponds to the current development vision of my country's "14th Five-Year Plan". In 2021, the country will include GaN as a key project in the plan, and it is clearly pointed out that the development of GaN should be emphasized. On a global scale, there are also many countries that regard GaN as the direction of key scientific and technological research. In the future, GaN is bound to have a broader development prospect in the field of intelligent fast charging.
It is worth mentioning that the chip solution made of GaN is basically a fast charging solution, and the interface of the current fast charging solution is basically Type-C. In addition, the EU has recently reached an interim agreement on a unified charger, and proposed legislation. Forcing all smartphones to use the common Type-C interface for charging in the next two years, it is clear that GaN will promote the development of the connector interface towards the Type-C interface.
In addition, since GaN is basically an adapter for PD high-power fast charging, the PD fast charging protocol that is often matched with GaN chargers has also ushered in many development opportunities in recent years, bringing new vitality to the field of intelligent fast charging. In May last year, the USB-IF Association released the latest USB PD3.1 fast charging standard, adding an extended power range and extending its maximum power from 100W to 240W. In the same year, Apple provided the first PD3.1 GaN charger as standard for its MacBook Pro 16 2021. Following that, major peripheral accessories manufacturers such as Flash, Emerald, and Lvlian also released their own products. Its first PD 3.1 protocol charger.
For consumers, GaN can also make it more convenient. For example, the common plug-in power adapter will become smaller, and even have the opportunity to completely shrink into the body of the electronic product, making it more convenient to carry. In addition, GaN also enables smart fast charging to continue to expand from traditional fields such as mobile phones and laptops to other application scenarios such as defense, aerospace, telecom infrastructure, and satellite communications . In the foreseeable future, GaN is expected to bring new revolutionary changes to the field of intelligent fast charging, bringing good experience to all aspects of people's lives.
Challenges and opportunities coexist, how should manufacturers use GaN?
In May 2021, the Telecommunications Terminal Industry Association released the "Technical Specifications for Integrated Fast Charging of Mobile Terminals"; in December 2021, the Guangdong Terminal Fast Charging Industry Association was established. These measures have played a positive role in solving the current problem of fast charging standards, promoting the construction of a community of interests in the industrial chain, and building an innovative industrial cluster of terminal fast charging. But at the same time, some pessimistic manufacturers said that because the original pattern of smart fast charging has been broken, it is expected that the fast charging market may shrink by more than 50% in the short term.
Since the cost of GaN is currently more expensive than ordinary silicon devices, and the current industry chain is not as mature as silicon for the time being, GaN is actually still in a relatively preliminary stage of development. However, the large demand for smart fast charging requires its industry chain to mature as soon as possible, and its connectors also need to be able to withstand high current and higher temperatures. How to improve charging efficiency under these conditions to retain consumers has become a major issue. Manufacturers' most pressing task right now.
On the other hand, high power is no longer the only force for fast charging. Manufacturers can no longer blindly pursue fast charging. How to use GaN in fast charging application scenarios to maximize the safety of mobile phones and prolong battery life makes manufacturers They are very "headache". These problems not only bring higher technical difficulty requirements to connector products, but also give greater challenges and development opportunities to manufacturers who urgently need to adapt to the new pattern.
In order to provide smart fast charging related manufacturers with a better offline communication platform, help them obtain more industry trend information, product innovation technologies and solutions through exhibition and communication, and realize the upgrading of product application and technology in the field of smart fast charging.