There's a lot of fanfare surrounding fast-charging technology for phones. After all, everyone wants rapid top-ups to ensure longevity without being fixed to the plug.

And Vivo has just taken things to the next level, unveiling its 120W fast-charging technology at Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2019.

In recent times we've been impressed by technologies like Oppo's Super VOOC, which, at 50W, is able to charge just shy of 50 per cent battery in a OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition in 20 minutes.

The 120W Vivo technology is almost two-and-a-half times faster than Super VOOC. The Chinese company claims that just five minutes at the plug could deliver 50 per cent charge. Which is crazy-fast compared to other battery charging technology out there.

In January 2019 we tested out the latest and greatest fast-charging phones to see how they really performed. Take a look at our 'Just how fast is Oppo Super VOOC flash charging?' article to see Oppo up against Google, Huawei and OnePlus.

However, what is the cost of 120W charging on a phone's design and battery performance over time? The faster the charging the greater the battery swell and energy retention over time, so whether Vivo has been able to advance other areas of cell technology, then this ultra-fast technology may also come with its downsides.

Not that we'll know until it's presented in a real-world phone. And with the company's Apex 2019 being a port-free example of the future - see the lead picture for a glimpse of that, or follow our review link below - a wired 120W technology won't be available in that kind of design for now.

We'll be keenly watching what Vivo has up its sleeve next. Or, should we say, 'NEX'? (that's the company's line of smartphones for those who don't know... and, yes, a terrible dad joke too).