Guide · 6 min read
PPS, explained.
Programmable Power Supply is the one line on a charger label that decides whether a Galaxy S25 Ultra charges at 45W or 15W. It works by letting the phone set the adapter's output voltage in 20mV steps instead of picking from four fixed rails.
Fixed rails versus a dial
Ordinary USB-C Power Delivery offers a menu of fixed voltages — 5V, 9V, 15V, 20V — and the device picks one whole rail. PPS, added in USB PD 3.0, advertises a range instead. A label line reading "PPS: 3.3–11V/5A" means the adapter holds any voltage between 3.3V and 11V in 20mV increments, with a current limit the device moves in 50mA steps. The phone stops picking from a menu and starts turning a dial.
Why the dial matters: the charge pump
A lithium cell sits at roughly 3.4V when empty and 4.45V when full. Modern fast-charging phones do not step 9V down with a conventional buck converter; they use a divide-by-two charge pump, a switched-capacitor stage that halves the input at 97–98% efficiency but only works properly when the input tracks close to twice the cell voltage. That target moves during the charge: 6.8V at the start, 8.9V near the top.
A fixed 9V rail cannot follow that curve, so the phone wastes the difference as heat or drops to a slower profile. PPS follows it exactly, and the conversion loss that remains happens in the adapter — a plastic box with an air gap and a heatsink — rather than millimetres from the battery. Less heat means less thermal throttling, so the high-current phase lasts instead of tapering at 40°C. The benefit is not more watts on paper; it is more of the advertised watts sustained.
Who actually needs it
| Device family | Needs PPS? | What happens without it |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S/S+ base models | Optional | 25W over plain PD 9V is fine |
| Galaxy S Ultra, Tab S Ultra | Required for 45W | Falls back to ordinary PD, commonly 15W |
| Google Pixel 9 / 10 | Yes | Charges, but well below its 27–37W peak |
| Most fast-charging Android | Usually | Vendor protocol or PPS, then slow PD |
| iPhone, iPad, MacBook | No | Nothing — Apple negotiates fixed rails only |
That last row is the one people get wrong: Apple devices ignore PPS entirely, so a PPS profile buys an all-Apple household nothing. See iPhone fast charging for what Apple hardware requests.
Reading a PPS label without being fooled
Samsung Super Fast Charging 2.0 needs a PPS range reaching about 11V while still allowing 4A or more. An adapter advertising "PPS 3.3–5.9V/3A" technically has PPS and will never trigger 45W — the range tops out below what the charge pump needs. Check the top voltage, the current ceiling, and whether the PPS wattage is available on the port you are using. Full comparison: PD vs PPS.
- 45W
Samsung 45W Power Adapter
The reference implementation for Super Fast Charging 2.0. If a Galaxy Ultra will not hit 45W on anything, it will hit it on this.
- Output
- 45W USB-C
- PPS
- Yes, to 11V+
- Cable
- 5A needed
- Best for
- S Ultra, Tab Ultra
- 45W
Anker 45W USB-C Charger
GaN, folding plug, published PPS range — the usual third-party answer for a second Galaxy brick.
- Output
- 45W USB-C PD
- PPS
- Yes
- Plug
- Folding
- Best for
- Galaxy, Pixel
- 65W
UGREEN Nexode 65W
Covers a Galaxy at full PPS speed and an ultrabook on the same trip.
- Output
- 65W total
- Ports
- 2× C, 1× A
- PPS
- Yes
- Best for
- Phone + laptop
More options on the 45W wattage page and the 65W GaN page. Charging slower than promised? Start with slow charging fixes — a 3A cable defeats a 5A PPS profile every time.
FAQ
Does PPS damage my battery?
No. PPS reduces heat inside the phone, and heat is the main accelerant of lithium-ion ageing — it is gentler than pushing the same wattage through a fixed rail.
Will a PPS charger work with a phone that does not support PPS?
Yes. PPS is an optional extra on top of standard USB-C PD, so the adapter still advertises its normal 5V/9V/15V/20V rails for any device to take.
Is PPS the same as Samsung Super Fast Charging?
No. PPS is the USB standard; Super Fast Charging is Samsung's name for using it, and its 45W mode is PPS-only.
Do I need a special cable for PPS?
Only above 60W, or when the profile calls for more than 3A. Samsung's 45W mode runs above 3A, which is why it ships with a 5A e-marked cable.