What Is Universal Fast Charging Specification (UFCS)?

The Universal Fast Charging Specification (UFCS) is a next-generation fusion fast charging protocol that is jointly developed by a group that includes some Chinese companies to address the complexity and lack of compatibility among existing fast charging standards in the market.

The developers of UFCS is the Fast Charging Alliance, a collaboration between the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) and leading mobile phone companies such as Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi.

UFCS aims to improve fast charging integration between different smartphone vendors, making charging facilities universal. That way, once you have a UFCS-certified charging brick, you can use it across multiple phone brands that support the standard.

Features of UFCS

The Universal Fast Charging Specification (UFCS) has a number of features that include the following:

1. Universal Compatibility: UFCS aims to unify fast charging standards across different smartphone brands. Once you have a UFCS-certified charging brick, you can use it with multiple phone models that support the standard.
2. Adaptive Voltage and Current: UFCS dynamically adjusts voltage and current based on the connected device’s requirements. This ensures efficient and safe charging without compromising battery health.
3. Safety Measures: UFCS incorporates safety mechanisms to prevent overheating, overvoltage, and other potential risks during charging.
4. High Power Output: UFCS supports high wattage charging, allowing for faster replenishment of battery capacity.
5. Certification Process: UFCS-certified products undergo rigorous testing to ensure compliance with the standard.

UFCS-certified products are already available in the market. At the last count, there were already over 38 UFCS adapters in the market. These include products from brands like Anker, Edifier, Baseus, Aukey, Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Realme, among others.

In August 2024, Realme unveiled a ground-breaking 320-watt fast-charging technology called “320W SuperSonic Charge”. This technology can charge a smartphone from zero to full capacity in less than 5 minutes. The 320W SuperSonic Charge power adapter supports UFCS alongside other charging protocols.

Thanks to the universality of the new technology, if any other phone maker implements up to 320W charging in their devices using UFCS, you will be able to use Realme’s adapter with those phones to get the maximum charging speed possible, and vice versa.