The race to become the fastest charging phone in the US finally has a new challenger

Because as all-encompassing as the competition between flagship smartphones has become, there’s one area that Samsung, Apple and others seem content to ignore: charging. In the United States, SuperVOOC technology (used by OPPO, OnePlus, Realme and other BBK-affiliated brands) is often the only contender if you want really fast wireless charging. But even then, only a handful of compatible phones were available to buy officially in the US, and you had to deal with some odd decisions like using a USB-A charger, limited support for non-VOOC charging standards devices, and a lack of wireless charging options. Now a new (but very well known) challenger has arrived on the scene – none other than Motorola with its TurboPower charging, and all I can say is that it’s about time.

TurboPower charging is not new to Motorola phones. It’s been the company’s go-to branding for a few years now. The TurboPower name graces wired and wireless chargers, some deserving the term, others not. For every 30W TurboPower charger that came with the Motorola Edge (2021), another 10W TurboPower block was slipped in with a Moto G device. Essentially, TurboPower meant little more than charging until the Motorola Edge Plus (2023) showed up.

Now, the name means something. The Edge Plus (2023) supports 68W wired charging and even comes with a full-power USB-C charger. There’s no excuse for hotels having more USB-A ports, and you don’t have to sacrifice wireless charging. OnePlus is content with offering fast SuperVOOC as the only option, but Motorola is showing that you can have your wired charging cake, eat it and wash it down with a cup of wireless charging tea. Motorola’s 15W wireless speed isn’t as fast as the wired TurboPower, but it’s a good option if you’re casually charging throughout the workday.

Most importantly, you can take the Motorola Edge Plus (2023) with its 5,100 mAh cell from empty to full in just over 45 minutes based on my testing. It surpasses the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in terms of charging speed and battery capacity, and the gap is even wider when compared to the best from Apple and Google. TurboPower may not yet surpass the raw speeds that SuperVOOC can push, but it strikes a better balance between wired and wireless options and offers a more convenient charger in the box.

Motorola doesn’t limit TurboPower to its Edge Plus (2023) either. Motorola’s recently launched Lenovo ThinkPhone uses the same wired and wireless configuration, this time with a business-oriented twist. It opts for durability and productivity over everyday use, but still delivers one of the best Motorola experiences in recent years. Like the Edge Plus (2023), the ThinkPhone comes with a full-power charger, proving that business phones don’t have to be stuffy or simple.

Of course, there’s a lot more power available if you’re willing to venture beyond the mainstream. In fact, gaming phones have been pushing the pace of charging for a few years now. ASUS has been charging 65W in its ROG phones for at least three generations, which is a must-have when filling a 6000mAh cell. You’ll have to contend with a side-mounted USB-C port and skip over wireless charging, but it’s one way to satisfy your need for fast charging.

You can also always go to Amazon to import a device. There are plenty of powerful options from POCO, Xiaomi and Redmi – technically just three flavors of Xiaomi – although importing isn’t for everyone. Some Chinese options may not have proper band support for US carriers like Verizon, which means you might be stuck with an expensive device that won’t connect at 5G speeds.

It’s easy to talk about TurboPower’s potential to take on SuperVOOC, but what does the charging data say? While OnePlus ships its devices with fast chargers, they don’t bode well for other devices thanks to SuperVOOC’s proprietary rights. The 80W charger that came with the OnePlus 11 isn’t compatible with Power Delivery, meaning it won’t charge your laptop at full speed or even other smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Motorola’s 68W TurboPower charger, on the other hand, is fully equipped for Power Delivery charging, complete with the varying speeds that entails.

Our method of collecting data was simple: connect different devices to the TurboPower and SuperVOOC chargers and see what speeds they get. First up was the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra with its maximum wired charging power of 45W. It only reached 15W when connected to OnePlus’ 80W SuperVOOC block, but rose to its full 45W power once paired with the TurboPower block. Google’s Pixel 7 Pro told the same story, hovering around 12.5W with the SuperVOOC charger, but jumped to its 23W peak with Motorola’s charger. Both flagships rely on USB PD PPS for their top speeds, so it’s no surprise that they handle Motorola’s setup better than OnePlus’.

When we checked other OnePlus devices with SuperVOOC out of the box, we got the opposite results. The OnePlus 10T reached 68W with an 80W SuperVOOC charger, while it only reached 18W with Motorola’s TurboPower block. Extending our scope a bit with the Xiaomi 13 Pro – a phone that comes with a 120W charger – swings back in Motorola’s favour. Xiaomi’s flagship reached speeds of 17W with the SuperVOOC charger, but topped out at around 23W with TurboPower at the helm. Neither speed comes close to its full potential, but TurboPower still squeaks forward.

And finally, when we charge the Motorola Edge Plus (2023) and OnePlus 11 from empty to full with their respective chargers, we get a reminder why SuperVOOC still has some staying power. The OnePlus 11, with its 5,000 mAh battery, flies from empty to full in about half an hour with its 80W charger, while the Motorola Edge Plus (2023) takes almost 50 minutes to fill its 5,100 mAh cell. SuperVOOC still has the edge in terms of raw speed, but you won’t be able to help your friends fast-charge their phones if they don’t have a BBK-affiliated device.

At the end of the day, a Power Delivery-compatible charger will probably make you more friends than the brute speed of a SuperVOOC rival – unless you’re in a OnePlus fan club. TurboPower is certainly doing well for Motorola right now.

Maybe we’re just not used to Motorola being in charge these days (pun intended). The company gets most of its weight in the budget market, where keeping up seems more important than getting ahead. Taking on SuperVOOC and the powerful charging options of the world might just be the perfect way for Motorola to get back to the front. It could eventually inspire others to follow his lead as well.

Motorola may not be eating much market share against giants like Apple and Samsung, but the Motorola Edge Plus (2023) might offer just enough power to make them sweat. Samsung’s 45W charging power clearly doesn’t match TurboPower’s 68W power, and Samsung is making matters worse by limiting the best speeds to devices costing $1,000. Apple’s limit is still around 20W, though it’s not that noticeable given the small batteries found on most iPhones.

Perhaps where Motorola is really making the most progress is by taking out OnePlus once and for all. That sounds dramatic, but Motorola seems to be on the rise as OnePlus backs away from its true flagship killer mentality. The Edge Plus (2023) tackles SuperVOOC head-on while offering a cleaner, more pleasing Android skin, a durable, fingerprint-averse design, and a solid camera setup that doesn’t rely on Hasselblad to stay afloat. Motorola’s Edge Plus (2023) may cost a little more than the OnePlus 11, but it’s hard to argue with the overall experience.

What do you think? Will Motorola’s improved TurboPower charging cause Apple and Samsung to raise their respective rates? Let us know in the poll above.