Product review: iProducts Universal Laptop Charger with USB Charging Station

iProducts charger  is a universal charger with one laptop port, two smart ports (blue), and four regular ports (white).  The charger is compact (3.5" x 2.75" X 7/8")  and light (4.75 oz).  Its size and weight is excellent for traveling. On the negative side the port markings are written in very small font in the back and are hard to read. However, once you know what they are the color coding really helps.

The 10 laptop tips are marked to be compatible with major brands (I am including a photo with manufacturer's card that identifies the plugs).  However, even though Lenovo is listed it did not fit my laptop (Lenovo W530).

One of the connectors worked with a digital clock that I lost the connector for, so I was very happy with this unexpected bonus.

I tested two Nexus Android phones -  Nexus 6p takes type C connector and Nexus 5 takes a micro USB connector.  Both worked but not at optimal rate I have seen for each phone.

• Type-C connector on regular port, battery level 43% (at this level the phone does fast charging if charger allows it) 1050 mA max, 690 mA min.
• Type-C connector on smart port, battery level 39% (at this level the phone does fast charging if charger allows it) 880 mA max, 750 mA min.
• The best charging rate I got for this phone and this cable with another charger with battery level at 30-40% was around 2000 mA.

• Micro USB connector on smart plug, battery level 80% 500 mA max, 500 mA min.
• Micro USB connector on regular plug, battery level 80% 500 mA max, 500 mA min.
• The best charging rate I got for this phone and this cable with another charger with battery level at 80% was around 1000 mA.

Overall, I thought the charger was OK - very good size and weight for travel, but  for my phones the charging was not optimal.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Wireless Qi Charger by TechMatte

I have been using Qi chargers with Nexus 5 for over a year. I love the technology, it is convenient and does not stress the micro USB connector by constantly needing to connect and disconnect it. I own several Qi chargers and through experience found several features that make some Qi Chargers work better in day to day use than others.

➀ Speed of charging

Some charger charge my phone faster than others. Speed is always important to me. I compared charging Nexus 5 with TechMatte Qi Charger to the same test run with the other chargers and found that it fell in the middel of the pack, not among the best and not the slowest. It charge the phone 5% in 10 minutes. I run the test at the same charge level, running the same apps, and keeping everything the same for an "apples to apples" comparison.

I also measured the charge rate with a current monitor, which also also puts the charger in the middle of the pack.
current monitor: ~~~~~ 0.82A and 5.05V (below optimal, but above USB rate)

➁ The size of the sweet spot
The sweet has an average size. I show this in the video for a better illustration of what I mean. I show both the phone on the charger and the current monitor which shows the rate at which the phone is charging. When it is perfectly aligned it draws an optimal charge. If the phone is moved slightly the current rate drops from an optimal rate to lower rate, and when it is moved a little more it draw no current and then the charger turns off. So if you accidentally brush against the phone and it moves it may stop charging. This is particularly important if you have small kids or pets who may touch things.

➂ How well the phone stays on the Qi charger

The phone can be easily knocked off the sweet spot of the charger unintentionally. The charges that handle those unintentional bumps best are the ones that have non-slippery finish. TechMatte has has a matte finish which works well because it creates friction with the phone. In addition the size of the charger is slightly larger than Nexus 5.

My trick for charging on the go: When I need to charge the phone on the go (i.e. when it cannot lay flat) I double wrap a rubber band around the phone and the charger. This keeps the phone on a sweet spot charging in a pocket/purse. I like it better than having a micro USB connector which can be damaged if the phone/battery are jarred. The rubber band trick works very well with this Qi charger because it is square and thin.

➃ How easy it is to see that the phone is charging

I like being able to see a visual indicator that the phone is charging. If the phones stops charging I like having a quick way of telling this without having to look at the phone charging status. Nexus 5 is 5.43" x 2.72" x .34" in size, TechMatte charger is 5.875" x 3.123" x 0.125" so TechMatte is slightly larger than Nexus 5. This is ideal.

➄ Is the battery using standard cables

I like the chargers that use a standard micro USB cable, so I don't need to worry about losing a special cable. TechMatte charger uses the standard micro USB cable. Excellent!

Bottom line? I thought it was good. Its thinness and shape makes the battery work well with my rubber band trick and that is very important to me for charging on the go. It charges with an average speed but its non-slip surface and its size make it a practical charger for me.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: TYLT Vu Wireless Charger for all Qi Phones - Nexus 5 overheating

This is a really cool looking Qi charger that makes it easy to view the phone while it is charging. I also found that it is less likely to get accidental knocked off the sweet spot while in this stand charger than it is laying flat on the night table. I really liked until I noticed how hot my phone gets on it. Turns out this is a problems specific to my phone, LG Nexus 5.

NEXUS 5 WARNING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have been using it for a couple of weeks and noticed that it gets quite hot when I charge it. I went to TYLT web site and under "Positioning guide" for VU charger found a warning that applies only to LG Nexus 5 phones. Apparently Nexus 5 has a lot of metal in the back door and that causes it to experience abnormal temperature increases. TYLT provides a 3 step procedure for position the phone in the cradle which I included in my video for reference. To see the full position guide visit the tylt.com web site, click on the image of this charger on the home page, and then locate "Position guide" half way down the page dedicated to VU wireless charger.

The 3 step procedure seems to help, but I am still somewhat nervous leaving the phone in the charger overnight. I use it during the day when I can keep an eye on it and to take advantage of the stand that allows me to see my phone.

COMPARISON TO OTHER QI CHARGER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I own several Qi wireless chargers and I really like the geometry of this charger. It keeps the phone in the right position to charge and it is less likely to be moved off the sweet spot due to the stand-like shape. I am also able to view and use the phone easily while it is charging.

I run the same test on all my Qi chargers so I can compare them to each other. I start all tests at the same charge level of the phone to account for non-linear charging rate. VU charger fell in the middle of the pack.

This charger does not have a charging indicator that tells me that the phone is charging. I need to look at the phone charging indicator to get this information. For a Qi charger a charging indicator is important as it confirm that the phone has not shifted off the sweet spot.

TYLT Vu size: 7.5 inches, 3.5 inches, 3.5 inches. Its weight is 5.55 oz.
It uses a round connector attached to a fairly large AC plug. However, the plug is designed to be long and slim so it only takes up one slot on the power strip.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆