What is USB Power Delivery? - Gary Explains

Read the full post: goo.gl/jYk8qU | More smartphones and other electronics products are supporting USB Power Delivery for fast charging. But what is it? Let me explain.
While it may seem like USB Type-C, USB PD and fast charging systems like Qualcomm Quick Charge are all different, they're actually all compatible.
Join Gary as he delves into the differences between USB Type-A and Type-C, Quick Charge 3 and Quick Charge 4, USB Power Delivery and what Google has done with the Pixel phones.
USB PD may be optional now, but Google "strongly recommends" OEMs and accessory-makers support it, as Qualcomm has already done.
With these recommendations appearing in documentation for both Android Nougat and Android Oreo, are we nearing the time that Google forces USB Power Delivery on everyone as the universal charging standard to rule them all? Would this be so bad?
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[@GarySims]

I hope you liked my video about USB Power Delivery. I will be online for the next few hours checking the comments, so if you have any questions please reply to this comment and I will see if I can help.

[@Normallyneil]

Gary Sims i love you're videos gary :)

[@desiredditor]

Gary Sims can make more ROM making videos

[@anasrehman5288]

Make videos of useful apps plz

[@GarySims]

You should check out Joe Hindy's videos on this channel, he is the Android Authority app guy!

[@AbhilashKrishnamurthy]

Can you make a video explaining different wireless charging standards?

[@donperrignon]

Judging from the comments, people are missing the point of PD. All of those other fast charging methods are proprietary to either Qualcomm, Oppo, OnePlus, Huewei, and etc specifically for mobile devices like phones and tablets. PD is a standard that can be used for mobile, laptops, monitors, and many many other applications as Type C continues. Additionally, with PD, it seems to set a USB C standard across the board.

[@GarySims]

Well said!

[@nickthaskater]

This. I don't know why manufacturers keep using proprietary protocols. I bought a Pixel PD charge kit and it's the best charger I have ever used.

[@_Digitalguy]

While this is true, quick charge has still some value, especially when it comes to power banks. Today, PD power banks are rare and are all rather big and heavy. QC power banks offer much more choice, especially when it comes to light and pocketable ones. And while this is only a matter of fast charging vs slower charing for mobile phones, it's a matter of not discarching for laptops. If you take for instance one of the few laptops which is compatible with all standards (5v, QC and PD) like the Notebook 9, a standard 5v battery bank will slowly discharge the battery if the laptop is in use, which a QC one can keep it charged (except under heavy load) so that you don't need to carry a big power bank they is half the weight of the laptop....(and of course you still have to use PD to fast charge the laptop at 20v).

[@_Digitalguy]

@Nick Bransford The reason is because they don't want to go with USB C in order to maintenant compatibility with micro USB chargers. In phones manufacturers are moving to USB C but with other devices the move is very slow and QC is the main option. That's also why, as I said above, many power banks offer QC but hardly any offer PD

[@stevethea5250]

@@_Digitalguy money

[@touijj]

I'm going to need to rewatch this ...

[@GenusAnas]

Tou Iij Haha I felt so too, but then decided it's better to see more on this topic from somewhere else. Not that Gary didn't do a great job though.

[@kinocchio]

I love the Gary Explains series.

[@EyesOfByes]

And this is why Apple still can sell their trashy Lightning cable; "Hi, I want an Apple cable." "Here, you go" "Thanks, bye!"

[@nomadic_rider42]

While the tech industry racing to deliver shorter charge times, as a user we should know that fast charge reduces battery life quite a bit, and if the charging circuit is thermally not implemented properly, high power can easily cause destructive damage to phones.

[@sbn025]

man, i loved these videos. You explain the subject really simple to undesrstand!

[@nashole23]

this is by far the most comprehensive and concise content on the subject I've seen. Thank you!

[@DebraDukes]

Gary Very much enjoyed always watch your reviews and definitely have very informative Reviews.Thank so absolutely awesome Review.Thanks so much for sharing Deb.✌️👍

[@MrRamezsultan]

Thanks for your efforts, I really enjoy watching your videos.

[@XSpImmaLion]

Great explainer, thanks Gary! USB Type-C has been a major disappointment for me personally... given that it's supposed to be a "standard", why the heck these things weren't thought through beforehand when USB 2 already had plenty of incompatibility problems? I said this before I'll say it again: it'd be far better if USB Type-C wasn't an upgrade on power delivery and whatnot, and just a simple fix of the standard keeping USB 2 levels. Instead of trying to shove even more capabilities into the standard without properly classifying it and making it clearer for consumers, they should've just created labels and classes into the standard so consumers clearly knows what they are buying into. The opaqueness of brands and models still remains. You buy a smartphone and not even the official page, documentation, manuals and whatnot will tell you what version of USB Type-C your smartphone has, if it supports stuff like MHL, if it can deliver video, what's the downstream and upstream data throughput, etc etc. It's just sad to see how much potential is wasted because the consortium didn't care about setting certain things in stone, making tremendously weak "strong recommendations" that a whole ton of companies are simply not following. I don't think people realize how much is lost in letting smartphone companies implement USB Type-C in tens of different ways that is oftenly hidden from consumers. You know that Samsung Dex thing? We shouldn't need a proprietary expensive dock that no one is going to buy. USB Type-C is supposed to have the Dex capabilities by itself, when done right. I think Huawei demonstrated this in it's latest phone. There would be no need of a special proprietary dock designed to a single model of a single brand to output video and audio and let consumers use their phones as a mini computer, if smartphone manufacturers were implementing USB Type-C properly instead of in a mangled and misshappen way. People who are seeking to extend some of the features of their smartphones wouldn't be forced to buy dongles and docks from a single company that is quite obviously trying to push ridiculously overpriced accessories in their stores. Apple does that, and it's ok if you know what you are buying into, ok with the walled garden strategy, and has put the advantages and disadvantages of the strategy and bought into it knowingly. But the major Android advantage is not having to deal with that, but USB Type-C weak standard implementation created that sort of environment artificially without consumer consent. Problem is, because video delivery, MHL, OtG, plus a bunch of other stuff is not a guarantee in the port (not to mention stuff like Thunderbolt compatibility, data throughput and others on laptop ports), it's being announced as some unique feature advantage that is unlikely to catch on because there is no incentive for app developers to make apps and support it when it's expected only a few models out of tens or hundreds with USB Type-C to work with it. This has got to stop. It's the same shitty deal as with bloated custom UIs, Android version fragmentation, and middleman mandated updates, but on the hardware level.

[@winters4960]

buying cable and charger nowadays are more complicated than signing a legal document.

[@CustardDonut]

I've been reading/watching lots about PD and this video is by far the best explanation I've come across. Just wanted to show my appreciation.

[@christophergaspar6520]

hey i'm trying to dig dipper into PD and fast charging any sources of information you would recommend?

[@VENOMTECH]

thank you gary, once again excellent video, i love watching your explain series

[@DonJoyce]

Hi Gary! That was a very clear explanation about this ridiculously complicated USB power situation! Thank you!

[@CurtMudgeon]

Very helpful information here Gary. Thanks!

[@TheAceNJ]

Great video to explain a very complicated topic for those unfamiliar with the technology. Thanks!

[@jeffreyhale3740]

This is nice Gary. Thank you for this one.

[@maurole740]

Quite informative. Good work!

[@npxox]

Keep up the great work..... I need more 👌👌👌 quality content

[@Lgansito]

thanks for the explanation very clear, great video.

[@PatriciaMoss]

Thank you for this explanation. Well done.

[@MrBlueHost]

What a great mind Gary Sims is ! Thank you Gary !

[@Lidi-Rumbling]

Good to know the difference! Thanks Gary :)

[@GeeWhizRS]

This answered my query. Top bloke. 👊

[@henrisalameh]

Great video Gary - well explained.

[@juekftravel4930]

Thanks.. really informative

[@subscriptionsjc650]

Thanks for explaining, made it alot easier

[@andrievbastichy8551]

thank you.. this is the only resource i have found that shows the pd cable.. with the two usb c ends...

[@razawarrior]

Very good video! Thank you

[@ericherrero3212]

Nice video ! Thank you 😊

[@hordepimpn]

Thank you so much for explaining USB C PD and QC. Now I am smart again.

[@hongkit3397]

Best explanation, Gary!

[@nemesio888]

I did not even know this. I just know Im using an efficient charger with Power delivery system. Thanks! Great job😊

[@B-max.]

Love these type of technical educational videos. Please make more of them.

[@conradts3338]

finally a clear explanation! bravo!

[@EnochGitongaKimathi]

USB-C Power Delivery 3.1 now offers a maximum of 240W (48V 5A), which means gaming laptops with a discrete GPU can now be charged and powered from a USB-C port preferably the Thunderbolt kind.

[@kshitijvengurlekar1192]

Happy Diwali Gary Sims!

[@calvinji7651]

This is super helpful.

[@jackp9589]

Would love to see a vid comparing usb 3 to lightning cable. Does usb 3 to usb 3 transfer digital audio the same way lightning does? ie playing music over your car radio through your charging cable as lightning does for iPhones?

[@isaaccool3183]

jack p it can you, might just have compatibility issues with the car

[@varunkapoor1075]

Gary please upload Video in Gary explain series more frequently

[@sapphireblue88]

Thanks!!

[@salvatorecelestino5270]

Thx Gary

[@Valnoten]

Oh thanks! Had no idea about why PD doesnt work with my setup, now I know (:

[@ziyitan8996]

Gary! Can you explain neural chips and how they work? The fundamentals and basics etc. It'd be great considering the Kirin 970 has its own dedicated neural chip as do the A11 chips as well. How do these neural chips impact phones right now and does it make that big a difference in comparison to just using the main CPU or GPU? Also, would the neural chip in the Mate 10 and A11 last? I mean - will they be outdated a year from now or are they continually adapting and evolving? Thanks!

[@Keiktu]

Good video Gary. Got a question!. What is better a higher Voltage or a Higher amp?

[@NightOwlWise]

Awesome information. Thanks

[@suzymitchell5994]

Mani Khan for

[@graxaimcongelado]

Hi. really good video. In a powerbank (litio baterry with 3.6V) with PD 18W output, when the voltage goes higher (more than 5V) to quick charge, would the power bank be less efficient ? because the more higher the Voltage, smaller the powerbank capacity. Thanks.

[@cinomontague]

love it. wish i had this a while ago.

[@ayomiposiadejola7804]

Hey Gary! Am still waiting for the Huawei Kirin 970 NPU review

[@HarveyTAS]

Liking these series of videos, keep it rolling!

[@Lerch-zc3ww]

Thank you! I've looking for an explanation of why so many of my devices charge poorly, despite usb 3.1 designation etc.

[@WhyYouTaken]

Are all type c to type c cables the same? Same internal resistors and whatnot?

[@fluffy_preacher]

Hey Gary, is there any way to implement fast or quick charging to devices that don't have it and if not can you do a video discussion explaining it?

[@boitanvasileable]

My lenovo has a 5v 850mA charger so i charge it with a 5v 2A Asus tablet charger. Works fine, charges in 1.5-2h. Have done this since a year and a half!

[@jychen4200]

Nice explanation, how about type C cable? need E-Marked?

[@EyesOfByes]

4:23 Good, I was a bit worried about that when Aida64 showed 5.5A on 3A cable (ROG Phone 2)

[@THEJOKEYJOKER]

could you please explain PD 3.0 and PPS ? do all PD 3.0 chargers or power banks include pps protocol ? and do devices have to support pps to benefit from it ?

[@anasrehman5288]

Great channel

[@StrikeFreedom1920]

Interesting stuff.

[@surajtiwari2614]

Sir, Make a video on semiconductor manufacturing technologies (7nm vs 10nm vs 14nm in detail explaining BEOL, FEOL, gate first/gate last approach) , what is CMOS, MOSFET and why finfet was introduced at 14nm.

[@BlaqViper]

That was an absolutely description and your explanation didnt make eyes glaze over...🙂

[@DJaquithFL]

Wonderful now I'm paranoid, so to find out if you have 'bad Resistor' USB Type-C cable you blow your motherboard. Great rollout .. Brilliant! The Pixel 2 can draw up to 27W from a power compliant cable, or using the included USB-C 18W.

[@jp_manns]

Hello Gary, Can the quick charge Adaptors/powerbanks be used for powering up laptops!? i mean mac books or so? Because they are saod to deliver voltages in the range of upto 12 volts and 2A or so. Can you give a brief explanation on this?

[@102ro1]

So to enable PD, i need to short the D+ and D- pins? and tell the voltage and current needed with the PD pins?

[@1MarkKeller]

*Gary!!* Afternoon Professor!!

[@GarySims]

MARK!!!

[@avinashlaser]

Hey Gary, What about the standards like VOOC or DASH charging .

[@THEJOKEYJOKER]

PLEASE REPLY. my fujifilm camera supports PD charging, my question is does that mean it supports PPS? if i use a pps charger/power bank to charge my camera wil the voltage/ampere change minimally to suit camera needs? in other words do devices have to support pps to benefit from it? or does pps certified charger do its job with any device?

[@IiOnna222]

What happens if you have an LG G5 with Quick Charge 3.0 plugged into a power bank with PD only and you use a usb Type C cable on both ends? Will the phone charge as fast as with Quick Charge 3.0 if the specs (volts, amps) match or not? Thanks

[@sebastiantrummer8838]

Hi Gary! Since nobody is addressing this issue, what do you think about battery life and USB-PD? Some devices support USB-PD but don't require it (Switch e.g.). Do you think it makes a difference in terms of battery life whether you use a USB-PD power bank or one with a regular USB-C output without Power Delivery?

[@TexelGuy]

Wonder when USB type O comes out. Circle port for 360 degree insertion while being more durable and faster than previous types. Imagine a "DC IN" port but it can transfer data too.

[@AshtonSnapp]

I feel like that might not be practical.

[@krishnaagrwal]

Is it safe to use a apple USB A to lightning cable in a QC 3.0 charger to fast charge the iPhone X? Is it as effective as 29W USB PD? I'm good even if it's as good as the iPad charger 2.4A, 5V. Thanks

[@Shanskinz]

So Samsung still using Qualcomm's quick charge 2.0? Or they using Sam's own version of quick charge? What's the difference between the two?

[@HumbertoGRNeto]

What about the Apple's lighting cable? how does it work? since it doesn't have usb C in both ends..

[@guidoblugerman]

Hi! can i charge my macbook 12'' with my fast charging power adaptor that comes with the samsung S8? Thanks in advance!

[@niajef]

hi gary, question, i'm looking at some car chargers from anker that support power delivery, 1 is 5v 3a, another is 9v 2a, the anker support ppl said they are both considered power delivery, so my question is, what is the actual spec that would qualify to be power delivery? and from some google searched, a lot of articles said amp is what determines how fast ur phone charges, but based on my limited understanding basic physics, isnt amp just a flow rate? so isnt that statement only true if u assume the voltage is constant? but when volt is also variable, then ultimately, doesnt the speed of charging depend on the wattage? which is the actual power output? my understanding of the relationship between watt, volt, and amp is, amp = number of trucks delivering electricity, volt = amount of electricity in each truck, and watt = how much electricity we get from the trucks per second or hour or w.e...so even if number of trucks is high, if theres nothing in the trucks, we still dont get any power, right?

[@niajef]

secondary question, assuming what the anker support said is correct, and that they are both power delivery, which one charges faster? cuz theres no way 5v 3a charges at the same speed at 9v 2a, it just doesnt make sense...

[@polontang7909]

Would you explain USB-C power delivery please? There are power banks with USB-C ports handling both input and output. So that a mains charger charges the power bank on the same USB-C port that charges another device (such as a phone). How does that USB-C port know the direction of the power. For example, when 2 power banks are connected together over their USB-C PD ports, which power bank is changing or being charged? Thanks.

[@llittlegreyhound]

Gary is my favorite bloke here on Android authority. Doing a great job and being enthusiastic.

[@tiagomeloabreu]

The "quick charge icon" is supposed to appear only with quick charging protocol while the phone is charging? I have a pd charger and a pd cable but when I charge I don't see that quick charge icon on my Mi note 3 device, like the device are charging "slowly".

[@greenwhy5000]

Hi, I hope someone can help me understand as I have a point of confusion that I'd like to explain... At the 1:50 mark you are showing a table with different USB specifications which seem to be a conflation of at least 3 different types of specifications: USB transfer protocol (eg USB 3.0) USB plugs (eg USB-C) USB power deliver spec (eg USB PD 3.0) all into a single column called "Specification" example The Nexus 6p has a USB-C port so it must be able to draw 3A while charging.... but wait it only supports USB2.1 so does that mean it's limited to 500mA? well that can't be true if the Amperage ap I installed is correct because it tells me the device is charging at 1110mA.

[@raduflorinbarbulescu6095]

So the device is the one that chooses what voltage it should charge at depending on the level of battery ?

[@vincentiusaxell9258]

Can i use usb power delivery charger on any phone with type c port? I don't know my phone is support it or not

[@adirmugrabi]

there are OEM usb type A to micro usb chargers, that have 2 A and 5.2 V which is 10.4 W

[@ferdinandsanchez9665]

Do all USB Type-C smartphones like Nextbit Robin support Power Delivery?

[@travisk5589]

I just purchased a galaxy s9+. I have anker iq/ quick charge 3 chargers with standard USB ports. What do I need to get to have the fastest charging available for my phone?

[@spencerdudley8059]

@2:27, Gary doesn't understand BC v1.2. If you have a dedicated charging port, DCP, then yes, the data lines are tied together for primary detection. However, you can definitely have a charging downstream port, CDP, that talks to the device and also provides up to 1.5A. So, no. BC1.2 isn't only for "chargers" and not "computers"

[@nmtoolsandgadgets4963]

Can u charge anyphone that uses type c using power delivery? For example i have a samsung A5 2017 it uses type c please reply.

[@rshafaat]

what happens if we use a USB-C to micro-USB converter to charge my old phone with PD based charger? will there be any serious issues?

[@ludwigfein8714]

What's about the Motorola Charger, it is fixed to the wallbrick. On one end it is USB-C. One the other the walloutlet. What typ is this? Thanks a lot!

[@SamruddhaShah]

Happy Diwali

[@ksrele]

If I have USB3 on my PC if I charge phone on that port with USB2 cable, how much amps phone can pull from PC? Can it pull 900mA?

[@darkside924]

At 2:50 Gary mentions that in order for USB PD to work the cable has to be USB C at both ends. Then at 6:50 Gary mentions that quick charge 4.0 supports usb pd. However since most usb c phones that come with quick charge 4.0 have charging cables that have usb a at one end and usb c on the other, how can they still call themselves usb pd compliable, also can the phones battery utilise PD's 100 w, do any phones even do that, wouldnt the battery die from so much watts, why would they even need PD if not?

[@alphawolf122]

It's up to the OEM wether to include USB PD support or not, look at oneplus for example, only officially supports dash charge, yet you can still use a QC charger,

[@LittleMopeHead]

Is it true that ALL usb-c to usb-c cables support Power Delivery, even though they are specified as usb 2.0?

[@pujariabhishekh]

Nowadays we can see 100W 200W chargers but none of them are considered as PD chargers, can you explain to me that. If Pd means high output then in that case each and every high output charge should be able to charge Mac/usb C laptops

[@mohdismail5151]

Do all latest device with USB C port are compatible with USB Power Delivery or not?

[@razo5567]

I didn't quite understand something. Do all type c to type c cables work for every single usb c pd wall charger? Or does the usb c to usb c cable also have to be a specific one?

[@vshah1010]

You probably figured it out by now, 4 years later. The answer is that all usb c type cables work with any PD power supply and/or wall charger. The PD power supply or charger gets a signal from the device to be powered or charged. The device to be powered or charged communicates the voltage and current it needs.

[@planetpjr]

any idea why decent USB cables stop charging? and wireless chargers that stop working?

[@DarkHeros09]

NICE

[@anveshverma9147]

What is about the oneplus' dash charging that makes it faster than others? And what's about the qi wireless charging?

[@InfoSoup]

nice video

[@taranagnew436]

will the pd work on usb c to non usb c ports or only on USB c to USB c ports?