The Best Phones For Charging Speeds In 2024

Fast charging on mobile devices is becoming increasingly popular, but it's something I've always been cautious about. There's just something not quite right with the idea of a phone charging under an hour. It hurt my brain just thinking of the stress put on the battery, and I had a hard time believing that the device could hold a charge for as long after zipping through it.

That is, until I switched to a fast-charging phone. If you're someone who's constantly on the go, you'll want one in your corner. You'll go from zero to a hundred in minutes — or a few percent long enough to make that urgent presentation. If you're looking for the fastest-charging phones on the market, here they are.

What you should know before buying a fast-charging phone

The aforementioned fear of fast-charging phones is validated. You will kill your battery, but it won't happen overnight. While you're enjoying the benefits on the surface, fast phone chargers continuously push higher currents to the battery. This process generates more heat than usual, which isn't ideal for phone components. 

While most phones have safeguards to prevent overheating, you don't want to push your luck. Over time, the battery capacity reduces and your phone won't be able to hold a charge for long. Luckily, fast charging support doesn't mean your phone is always powering up in minutes. You can switch to normal charging mode at any time, and then use fast charging mode when you're in a hurry or there's an emergency. 

Also, phone manufacturers often make claims that their phones can charge fully in minutes. It's not exactly a lie, but don't expect your phone to charge exactly as they've advertised. The claimed speeds are achievable in optimal conditions, but in real life, charging times vary slightly. You have to consider that different factors affect how your device charges. For example, room temperature, charger quality, and the starting battery level. 

We aren't looking at phones with extreme charging speeds such as the Realme GT5 which supports up to 240W, instead, we are looking at devices whose batteries won't unduly suffer while still topping up at a fair lick.

The fastest charging phones at a glance 

• Best overall phone: Realme GT 5G.
• Best charging options: Xiaomi 14 Ultra.
• Best value phone: Realme 12 Pro+ 5G.
• Best battery efficiency: OnePlus 12.
• Best stock Android phone: Google Pixel 8 Pro.

Realme GT 5G

Realme GT 5G is one of the fastest charging phones with a 4500mAh battery and 65W fast charging support. Frankly, it's not the best choice if you want multiple charging options, including wireless and reverse charging. But if you only need your phone to power up fast, it'll do. 

The phone supports Realme's SuperDart charge technology, which uses low voltage and high current for quick charging and maintaining normal temperature control. Expect your phone to shoot from 0-100% in 35 minutes.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra comes with a 5000mAh battery and supports both wired and wireless charging options. The wired option gives you up to 90W fast charging from 0-100% in 33 minutes — or at least, that's what Xiaomi's advertising. 

Meanwhile, the 80W wireless charging is faster than most phones are offering these days. Even more interesting is the 10W reverse wireless charging. You can turn your Xiaomi 14 Ultra into a wireless charging pad for other supported devices, like your earbuds.

Realme 12 Pro+ 5G

This phone is a powerhouse in many areas besides the battery department. It features a 5,000mAh battery with 67W SUPERVOOC fast charging, which is originally Oppo’s technology. It surpasses other standards by delivering maximum charging power, regardless of whether you're using your phone or not.

Realme says that your phone can go from 1-50% in 19 minutes. But really, you should expect roughly 22 minutes. On my Realme 12+ 5G with the same fast charging support, a full charge took me roughly 47 minutes, which is still impressive.

OnePlus 12

This OnePlus phone is another buying option that supports SUPERVOOC charging at 100W. But that's not all. The battery capacity peaks at 5400mAh, which is above the typical 5000mAh capacity you'll find on most phones. There's also support for 50W AIRVOOC charging. It's still a type of VOOC charging, but the wireless kind.

While all these factors mean that the phone is heavier, 220g is worth holding considering the price and the features you're getting. Under the hood is an efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset that assists it to last a full day with battery life to spare.

Google Pixel 8 Pro

Google's flagship phone suits you if you want to be rid of any bloatware-consuming battery. It presents the cleanest version of Android, as well as consistent and regular updates that'll fish out battery-draining bugs. At 30W wired charging, the Pixel 8 Pro isn't exactly a speed demon but it's the fastest yet in the range. Google advertises reaching 50% charge in 30 minutes, which is fairly quick. (Editor's note: For a Pixel)

It also supports reverse and 23W wireless charging. As expected, you'll buy the Google Pixel Stand (2nd gen) separately. Like the Realme GT5, it also supports PD technology, but the advanced PD 3.0 version.

Fast charging isn't everything

Now you're familiar with some of the fastest-charging phones there are. But remember that fast charging is just one among many factors to consider when buying a phone. A large battery capacity is one. If you're a heavy phone user who plays games, streams videos or uses demanding apps frequently, your battery will drain faster. A larger capacity means that your device lasts longer without needing to constantly top up.

Though a processor doesn't directly improve fast charging or battery efficiency, you'll need a phone whose processor can handle tasks, both foreground and background, without using too much power. This way, your phone charges faster because it's using less power during and after the charging process.