What Is PD 3.1 & Why Is It Important?

Over the summer of 2021 there was a major innovation within power delivery, or PD for short. This new upgrade or as some would say, a major update, from PD 3.0 to PD 3.1 created some amazing possibilities. But, many found themselves asking…”what are they?” That’s what we’ll uncover throughout the course of today’s blog.

What is PD 3.1?

The USB PD 3.1 spec enhancement made in July of 2021 enabled full featured USB-C cables and connectors to deliver up to 240W of power. Before this, anything PD 3.0 was limited to 100W of power using a solution based on 20V using USB-C cables rated at 5A. In addition to higher voltages, USB PD 3.1 also provides more efficient charging in multi-port chargers as well as reverse charging for devices. We’ll unpack them all below.

PD 3.1 provides higher voltages.

The most alluring advantage that you and your tech will get from PD 3.1 is that you can now charge a device with 240 watts of power. So, for tech products like high-end gaming laptops or the new MacBook Pro 16”, you’ll have fixed voltages that’ll supply 140W, 180W, as well as 240W. Pretty sweet.

PD 3.1 creates more efficient charging.

If the PD 3.1 upgrade really says anything about the USB-IF’s priorities, it’s that they truly want to provide tech users, and our devices, with the exact wattage we need, and completely mitigate power waste.

Now with many multi-port chargers, you’ll be able to charge multiple devices with the utmost ease and they’ll get the power they need. Whether that’s a new MacBook Air, a Google Pixel, and an iPad Pro or two iPhone 13s and a MacBook Pro 16”.

PD 3.1 allows for reverse charging.

Another pretty cool aspect of the PD 3.1 update that’s somewhat brushed over is that power direction isn’t fixed anymore. This is an amazing benefit for when those “outlet emergencies” strike, and you’d need to charge one device with another device. Anything to lessen low-battery-anxiety is a win in our book.

Get the future of charging with HyperJuice!

Explore Hyper’s latest charger innovation, the HyperJuice 140W PD 3.1 USB-C Charger. It’s 24% smaller than Apple’s 140W charger and it powers three devices simultaneously. It’ll even charge the new MacBook Pro 16” with 140 watts of power.