Understanding why one charger juices up your phone faster than another can be confusing. With terms like PD (Power Delivery) and PPS (Programmable Power Supply) thrown around, it feels like alphabet soup for what should be a simple task – charging your phone. Wattages, voltages, protocols… it is enough to make your head spin.
But behind those acronyms are real differences that actually affect how fast, and how safely, your phone charges.
In this post, we will clear up the confusion around USB PD and its PPS feature, explaining what PPS adds to fast charging and why it matters to your phone.
What is PD?
Power Delivery (PD) is a universal fast-charging standard that allows devices and chargers to communicate and select an optimal power level for charging.
In traditional USB charging, you only got 5 volts, which was fine for older phones but slow for today’s bigger batteries. USB-C Power Delivery broke that 5V barrier by introducing higher fixed voltage levels, typically 5V, 9V, 15V, and 20V.
Think of these voltage levels like preset power modes – small, medium, large, and extra-large. Your phone and charger do a quick handshake to pick one of these fixed settings.
For example, if your phone can fast-charge at 18W, the charger might step up from 5V to 9V to match its needs.
However, USB PD alone has a limitation: it operates in fixed voltage steps. Imagine a water tap with only a few preset flow rates – low, medium, or high, but nothing in between. While this works, it is not always the most optimal way to deliver power.
What is PPS and What Does It Add to USB PD?
PPS (Programmable Power Supply) is an advanced feature within USB PD 3.0. Instead of fixed voltage steps, PPS allows real-time voltage and current adjustments in tiny increments, ensuring efficient power delivery.
Think of PPS as a smart water tap that fine-tunes flow dynamically based on what is needed.
- Filling a glass? It provides a steady medium flow.
- Need to fill a bucket quickly? It opens up wider.
- As your bucket nears full? It eases off to prevent overflow.
In charging terms, PPS dynamically adjusts voltage throughout the charge cycle. Less energy is wasted as heat, your phone stays cooler, and charging speeds remain optimised.
PPS is not a separate protocol but an enhancement of PD. A charger with PPS support is still a PD charger – just a more advanced one.
Why Does PPS Matter?
Charging too fast with the wrong voltage can generate heat. And heat is the enemy of both speed and battery health.
When a phone gets too warm, it slows down charging to protect itself. You may notice the last 20 percent of a fast charge is slower – this is often due to heat management.
PPS solves this by adjusting power delivery in real time, keeping charging fast while staying within safe temperature limits. Without PPS, your phone may still charge quickly but not as efficiently.
What This Means for Phone (3a) Series
Just like previous Nothing Phones, the Phone (3a) series supports PPS fast charging alongside standard USB PD support.
That means when paired with a PPS-capable PD charger (such as the Nothing 45W charger or any USB-C PD 3.0 PPS charger), you will get:
- No speed caps
- Less heat buildup
- Better long-term battery health
Phone (3a) series will fast charge intelligently, giving you a quick boost without compromising battery life.
Using a non-PPS charger? No problem – your phone will still charge, but not as fast as it could with PPS.
Bottom line
PD gave us fast charging. PPS makes it even smarter.
So next time you plug in, you will know your phone and charger are working together to ensure speedy, efficient power every time.
🔌🚀 Happy charging.
