Technology · Power

PPS — Programmable Power Supply

Power Delivery, with a fine-adjustment dial.

PPS is an extension of USB Power Delivery that lets a device adjust the charger’s output voltage and current in small, continuous steps in real time, instead of choosing from a few fixed levels. Devices that support it can charge faster while generating less heat, because conversion work moves from the phone to the charger.

From fixed steps to a dial

Standard PD offers fixed voltage levels. PPS adds finely adjustable ranges: the device can request small increments and revise the request continuously as the battery fills and warms. In effect, the device steers the charger.

Why this reduces heat in the phone

A battery wants a precisely controlled charge current, which normally means the phone’s own circuitry must convert whatever voltage arrives — and conversion inside a sealed phone becomes heat exactly where it hurts battery health. With PPS, the charger supplies nearly the exact voltage the battery needs at each moment, so the phone converts less and stays cooler. Cooler charging is faster charging sustained for longer, and kinder to long-term battery capacity.

Honest limits

• PPS helps only when the device implements it; a non-PPS device on a PPS charger simply uses standard PD.
• Marketing peak speeds usually assume ideal temperature and battery state; sustained rates are what matter.

Published 28 September 2026 · Reviewed by 28 March 2027 · All technology