The impact of faster smartphone charging speeds on the ChargeSPOT business is considered to be very limited. This is because a reduction in charging time does not affect the fundamental demand for charging itself.

The necessity for our business is determined by the “charging cycle,” or how often recharging is needed, and is not fundamentally related to the “charging time” required for each recharge.

If most smartphones in Japan were to adopt fast charging, ChargeSPOT would explore how to adjust its pricing structure to accommodate the new charging times. For example, we could adapt by making minimal changes to our rate table, such as changing the “less than 30 minutes for ¥XX” category to “less than 5 minutes for ¥XX.”

Technical Concerns: The Trade-off between Safety and Durability The need for shorter charging times is not new. Although fast charging technology has existed for some time, a barrier to widespread implementation in electronic devices is the trade-off between charging speed and safety/durability.

Rapidly charging a battery causes more heat generation, increasing the risk of fire, and can accelerate the degradation of internal structures like separators. If a smartphone’s battery cannot guarantee its basic characteristics of gradually decaying over about two years and lasting up to ten years, it is unlikely that major manufacturers like Apple or Samsung will adopt such technologies.

The fact that smartphones boasting fast charging have so far been exclusively from emerging Chinese manufacturers supports this view. These products are relatively new to the market, and there is not yet reliable data on how long they can be used stably. Consumers drawn to fast charging might find that their battery life deteriorates quickly, leading to more frequent instances of running out of charge than before, which could actually be a positive for the ChargeSPOT business.

Lastly, this is not the first time fast-charging smartphones have been introduced. They were widely launched in Japan two years ago, such as Xiaomi’s 12T-Pro, marketed as the “God of Charging” smartphone by SoftBank. Despite heavy advertising, it seems sales were not particularly strong.

For users, the most important factor is whether the brand is reliable or familiar, while fast charging is appreciated, it’s not a definitive purchasing reason. Various surveys on important factors when choosing a smartphone rarely list “charging time” in the top 10. More often, “price,” “battery life,” “display,” “color/design,” and “camera functions” are prioritized. Given the overwhelming popularity of major brands like Apple and Samsung in Japan, it’s still uncertain whether fast-charging smartphones from emerging manufacturers will become widespread.