Why Huawei's fast-charging batteries may be worth getting excited about

Today we've seen a rare look at a smartphone technology that's in development stages and might actually be delivered as a final product. While many startups are creating technology that's either absurd or many times unlikely to see the light of day, Huawei appears to be bringing their own "Watt Lab" to show off its tech chops in a feature that may not just be implemented real soon – it'll be downright practical to use. Here Huawei has a smartphone with a battery that charges faster, but doesn't lower its lifespan in the process.

At first, it would appear that Huawei is solving some fast-charging problems. The first problem is that people think that fast-charging your device with any of several new fast-charging technologies will reduce the amount of life your battery has, and the amount of times you can charge it.

Huawei says their tech doesn't do this, that you're not destroying the battery's life at all! As luck would have it, neither are the major fast-charging technologies in the phones you've got in your pocket. If you've got a Motorola DROID Turbo, for example, you're using TurboCharge, which is another name for Qualcomm's QuickCharge technology.

This technology speeds through the first half of your battery's filling, then slows down as it reaches the point at which you battery is full. Your phone knows the capacity of the battery that fits inside it, and how full the battery is, and slows and stops the flow of electricity to the battery when it no longer needs a charge.

In the original presentation you'll find Huawei's battery charger charging the 3000mAh battery up to 48% capacity in 5 minutes.

Huawei's Watt Lab technology is a stand-alone charger, at the moment, not a charger built in to their smartphones, but it's possible they're working on making it all small enough for your pocket soon.

What's MOST exciting about Huawei's attempt at a fast-charging battery technology is not the idea in and of itself. It's the fact that more competition breeds better products. More manufacturers create more competition for your business and better products are the result.