Not too long ago, HTC unveiled the HTC 10 – which we recently reviewed here – and not only did they release their best smartphone in years, but they also joined the USB Type-C club. Right now, this includes Google’s own Nexus devices, the OnePlus 2, many devices out of China and of course, the LG G5. What makes the HTC 10 and the LG G5 so unique in this ever-growing club of Type-C devices however, is that they include both a Type-C port as well as QuickCharge 3.0 fast charging. Which, according to one Googler, presents a problem.
Neither the HTC 10 or the LG G5 can be considered USB Type-C spec compliant due to the inclusion of QuickCharge 3.0. This is because the specification for the Type-C standard dictates that no more than 5V of power can be carried over the Vbus. QuickCharge 3.0 however, sends power at 9V and 12V at different intervals in order to push more power through the port and back into the battery quicker. Benson Leung, the Googler known for his informative and eye-opening Type-C cable reviews on Amazon, has stated that this renders any QuickCharge 3.0 charger or device – i.e. the HTC 10 and the LG G5 – non-compliant with the Type-C specification.
There’s a good chance that this is because the Type-C specification hasn’t been updated yet, but more than likely this is just another case of manufacturers working out a way to add a new technology to something that already-existed. Whether or not this means that the HTC 10 or LG G5 are unsafe in any way is unclear, but considering the lengthy testing process these devices go through, we highly doubt it. Qualcomm, the same firm responsible for the Snapdragon 820 inside both devices, has been perfecting its QuickCharge technology for some time now, and we doubt they would be willing to have two of their biggest partners ship devices that were unsafe. After all, just because something doesn’t line up 100% with what’s written in a specification that’s already a lot older than these two devices doesn’t mean they’re unsafe or defective in any way. Even so, using the charger provided in the box by both LG and HTC would seem like a good idea until there’s any word from either manufacturer.