What you need to know
- OPPO has licensed its VOOC flash charging standard to third-party brands with The Flash Initiative.
- Anker, Volkswagen, and NXP Semiconductors are the first brands to leverage the fast charging tech.
- With the move, OPPO's charging tech will make its way to automobiles, public spaces, and even IoT devices.
OPPO paved the way for fast charging with its VOOC tech. The standard made its debut back in 2014 on the Find 7, introducing 20W charging speeds. It soon became a mainstay on OPPO phones — and was licensed to OnePlus as Dash Charge and then Warp Charge and Realme.
Last year saw the introduction of 65W VOOC charging tech on the Find X2 and the OnePlus 8T, and we're going to see the introduction of 125W VOOC charging this year. While OPPO phones and associated BBK entities have benefitted from the fast charging standard, it wasn't widely accessible. That's changing now, as OPPO has licensed VOOC charging to Anker, Volkswagen, and NXP Semiconductors.
OPPO has set up The Flash Initiative with these three partners, with the goal of making VOOC fast charging much more widely available not just in phones, but also the automotive segment, IoT devices, and more. OPPO is envisaging a scenario where you'll be able to use VOOC in your home, your car, and public spaces (when things get back to normal).
By teaming up with OPPO, Anker will be able to use the VOOC charging standard for its charging accessories. Meanwhile, FAW-Volkswagen — a joint venture between FAW Group and Volkswagen — will use the standard to build fast charging into Volkswagen's cars sold in China. NXP Semiconductors will leverage VOOC flash charging across its printed circuit board assemblies, allowing the standard to be integrated into "more automotive applications, public spaces and industrial settings."
OPPO's charging tech has made its way into the best Android phones over the last five years, and it is exciting to see the standard break ground in new categories.
