Qualcomm has today announced a new technology to help devices charge up to 40 per cent faster, Quick Charge 1.0. And you might well already be getting its benefits because it has been included with many Snapdragon-based smartphones and tablets for some time.

Smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S III, Windows 8X by HTC, Asus Padfone, Nokia Lumia 920, and the LG-built Nexus 4 have all got Quick Charge 1.0 as part of their internal spec list. The company has been including it for several months. It's only now that it is happy to sing and shout about it.

Quick Charge technology was acquired by Qualcomm when it bought Summit Microelectronics last June. It comes in the form of an integrated circuit that interfaces with the usual USB connector on a device and offers, the company claims, faster charging speeds than on many competitors handsets. Where some phones can take four hours to charge, it says, a Quick Charge-enabled device will take less than three.

Qualcomm will release further details about Quick Charge in the coming weeks, but has listed all of the devices that currently feature the technology on its blog page. Check it out to find out if your handset is one of them.