Product review: Rolvse Ravpower USB C Charger, GaN 65W 4-Port Desktop USB Charging Station with 2 USB-C Ports + 2 USB-A Ports PD Fast Charger

 This charger has 2 USB A and 2 USB C ports.  I liked the form factor of this charger and the fact that it has a long cord. The size of the charger is 1.6" by 1.6"  and 3" long. The power cord is 56" and it is detachable.  You need to provide your own charging cables; none come with the charger.

Here are some numbers from my Pixel 6 Pro and Moto G phones:
Pixel 6 Pro (battery level 69%): using type-A to type-C cable 1154mA at 4.09V - 4.7W
Pixel 6 Pro (battery level 69%): using type-C to type-C cable 3209mA at 4.19V - 13.44W

Moto G (battery level 68%): using type-A to type-C cable 1124mA at 4.09V - 4.6W
Moto G (battery level 67%): using type-C to type-C cable 1977mA at 4.19V - 8.28W

The charger is PD 3.0 compatible and has CE certification. The charger supports PD and PPS protocols, and the USB-C ports support fast charging for Android and ISO phones. When I charge multiple devices, the charger gets warm but not hot.  

When using one device on USB-C port: maximum output using PD is 65W
When using one device on USB-A port: maximum output using QC 3.0 is 18W
The charger does load sharing, grouping C-port, and A-ports. The maximum power provided by each port varies depending on how many devices are plugged in.  


How much power your device draws depends on the specific device and the charge level when you are charging. I also saw the difference between the different charging cables I used. This difference was particularly significant using type-A to type-C cords. The max outputs listed above are the theoretical max possible. None of my devices come close to the max, including Pixel 6 Pro, which can theoretically charge at a 22W rate using Type-C to Type-C cable. Nevertheless, the rate I am getting from this charger is better than from other (older) chargers I own.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: JOHAKU Card Reader, 4 in 1 Micro SD Card Reader (mini USB, Type C, Lightening)

This adapter is designed to work with both Android and Apple devices.  It has a mini USB  connector, type C connector, and lightening connector.

Nexus 5 and Nexus 6p Android phones immediately recognized the card reader, brought up ES File Explore, and I was able to look at external storage and video images and video. iPadMini gave me more problems and did not work right out of the box. I had to find an app that would work.  I mostly an Android user so the Android behavior is the most important to me.  I tried both SD cards from SONY NEX 5 camera and my a trail cam.  I am able to view JPG and MP3 file. Note that AVI files are visible but my phone cannot play them back.  This is not a problem with cards reader (it showed the files) but rather the limitation of the phone.  

The card reader is compact (2"  wide), I show it on the 1/2" grid for size reference.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Oittm USB-C Charger with Type-C Port & 2 USB Ports

This wall charger has 3 ports: one type-C port and two USB ports. I am using this wall charger with Nexus 6p (type-C USB connection) and Nexus 5 (mini USB connection).

To judge how well this wall charger works I compared its performance with the type-C charger provided by Google that came in the package with Nexus 6p.  You see the resuls in attached photos, they show that Google charger charged the phone faster.

For Nexus 5 both mini USB ports worked in line with other wall chargers.

This wall charger is 3.75" x 275" x 1" thick. It has a long cord with a regular size plug which takes up only one slot on the power strip.  Even though it gives up some charging speed to Google charger it is convenient that it has both mini USB and Type-C ports especially when I travel.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: USB 3.1 Type C to Type A 3.3ft Sync & Charging Cable by Amagoing

My review is for Amagoing Type C to Type A charging cable. I am using this cable with Nexus 6p.

I have been following Benson Leung reviews of Type C cables since November 2015 when I purchased Nexus 6p. Benson has pointed out that many Type-C cables violate the USB 3.1 specification that states that the termination resistor that advertises the maximum available current has been set incorrectly at 10K which advertises 3A of current, the correct value should be 22K which advertises 1.5A of current. Benson works in Chromebook Pixel group and these cables are not safe to use with Pixel.

However, Nexus 6p is self-limiting and does not draw more than 3A of current. In addition many Type A USB chargers are rated at 2.5A and some as high as 3A which are safe to use with this cable. So the "bug" in the non-compliant cables (the bug being that they do not follow the spec) allows me to draw a higher (yet safe) charge for Nexus 6p.

My tests show that this Amagoing Type C to Type A cable is one of these non-compliant cables. Which means it can provides fast charging for Nexus 6p, where as spec compliant cable does not.

Below are results of the tests with compliant and non-compliant cables.

Nexus 6p at with the battery at 17% and 32%. At this level the phone uses rapid charging if it can.
1) Amagoing Type non-compliant cable draws 2620 mA - 2690mA (Using Qualcomm 2.0 charger)
2) By comparison a compliant cable (I am using a Tenswall cable) delivers a maximum 1500A.

I received this cable from Amagoing for testing and review. Bottom line: this cable is NOT USB 3.1 compliant and behaves differently from a USB 3.1 compliant cable provided by Google when I compare their operation at the battery level which performs "rapid charging" if possible. I now seek out these non-compliant cables to get rapid charging especially from my car charger when I use Nexus 6p for navigation. I am not saying that it's safe for all combinations of devices, laptops like the Chromebook Pixel and the Apple Macbook draw more current than a phone, and there may be badly made chargers that lack current limiting and might burn themselves out. However with a quality charger that's rated for 2.5A this cable will provide rapid charging where as a USB 3.1 compliant cable does not.

You can locate this USB 3.1 Type C to Type A on Amazon by following this link

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Charging results for Nexus 6p, Nexus 5, and iPad Mini with compliant and non-compliant USB 3.1 cables - Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 by Kungix

This listing combines several different chargers. My review is for "Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 Adapter".

This wall charger has one port and has Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology. I tested this charger with Nexus 6p (using both USB 3.1 compliant and USB 3.1 non-compliant USB cables) as well as an older Nexus 5 and iPad Mini that do not support rapid charging.

Using Qualcomm Quick Charger
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
' Nexus 5 was charged at optimal rate of 1.02A.
' iPadMini was charged at non optimal rate of 0.93A (which is typical rate when iPad Mini is plugged into a 1A port)
' Nexus 6p is capable of rapid charging when the battery level is low. I discharged the phone to 28% so the phone would do rapid charging if possible.
'Using Tenswall USB 3.1 compliant cable the highest current Nexus 6p was able to draw was 1440A
' Using PECHAM USB 3.1 non-compliant cable the highest current Nexus 6p was able to draw was 2260A

Using another charger without Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 chip
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For comparison I used a regular (non Qualcomm) charger
' Using Tenswall USB 3.1 compliant cable the highest current Nexus 6p was able to draw was 1320A
' Using PECHAM USB 3.1 non-compliant cable the highest current Nexus 6p was able to draw was 1700A

So it looks like that Qualcomm charger did significantly better with a non-compliant cable, but almost the same with a compliant cable. I repeated each test 4-5 times to be sure that the readings are consistent.

What is 3.1 compliant cable? USB 3.1 spec specifies that the termination resistor that advertises the maximum available current should be set at 22K which advertises 1.5A of current. Benson Leung has a series of excellent reviews of Type C cables. Benson works for Google's Pixel group and has pointed out that many type-C cables violate the USB 3.1 specification that states that the termination resistor that advertises the maximum available current has been set incorrectly at 10K which advertises 3A of current rather than the correct value of 22K which advertises 1.5A of current. The "bug" in non-compliant cables can be used as a feature of allowing rapid charging for Nexus 6p. The phone does not draw more than 2.5A so it does not damage the phone. The non-compliant cable could be harmful to devices that are not limited to 2.5A such as the ones that Benson evaluated in his reviews.

Using Qualcomm Quick Charger with Qualcomm Quick Chart 2.0 chip
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One other point of comparison is that Qualcomm 2.0 charger I have allows my PECHAM USB 3.1 non-compliant cable to draw 2500A. I expected that 3.0 charger would give me better or the same results.

I received this charger from Kungix for testing and review. For Android phone without rapid charging it worked the same as a regular charger. For iPadMini it only delivered 1A, so it was below average. For Nexus 6p this charger worked better under some condition than a regular charger, however not better than Qualcomm 2.0 charger.

You can find "Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0" on Amazon via this link


Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Gt-coupe USB Type C Cable to Type A braided cable

Gt-coupe is a thick braided cable - it feels and looks well made. It is 40 inches long and easily plugged into a phone with a silicone skin on. My tests show that it a USB 3.1 compliant cable. As a fully complaint cable Gt-coupe cable delivers a maximum 1.5A. This also means that it is not capable of supporting rapid charging for Nexus 6p.

What is 3.1 compliant cable? USB 3.1 spec specifies that the termination resistor that advertises the maximum available current should be set at 22K which advertises 1.5A of current. Benson Leung has a series of excellent reviews of Type C cables. Benson works for Google's Pixel group and has pointed out that many type-C cables violate the USB 3.1 specification that states that the termination resistor that advertises the maximum available current has been set incorrectly at 10K which advertises 3A of current rather than the correct value of 22K which advertises 1.5A of current. This cable follows the spec.

Can this cable charge up Nexus 6p while the phone is being used for navigation? Yes! At the start of the trip using Google maps to navigate the battery was at 39%, after one hour of navigation the phone was at 66%. Not only did it keep up with Google maps but it upcharged the phone at a very decent rate.

Below are the details of the tests with Gt-coupe cable. For comparison I also did the tests with a non-compliant cable. A non-compliant cables may not safe to use with all devices (such as the Chromebook Pixel and the Apple Macbook that draw more current than a phone). However with a QUALITY self-limiting charger that is rated for higher current Nexus 6p will safely charge faster with a non-USB 3.1 compliant cable.

All test were done keeping all conditions the same: same level of charge for the phone, same apps running, keeping the screen on so I can see the results.

Using a car charger on a port rated 2.5A
Nexus 6p battery is at 27%-28%, at this level it will use rapid charging if possible (i.e. up to 2.5A)
** Gt-coupe Type C to Type A cable (3.1 compliant) ------- 1410 mA (not rapid charging)
** Another Type C to Type A cable (non 3.1 compliant) -- 2570 mA (rapid charging)

Attached are images from my tests that show the results with both cables.

I received this cable from Gt-coupe for testing and review. Bottom line: Gt-coupe cable is USB 3.1 compliant and behaves the same as a USB 3.1 compliant cable provided by Google in Nexus 6p package.

You can find "Gt-coupe USB Type C Cable" on Amazon via this link


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: 5ive® Dual Quick Charge 2.0 USB 36W 2 Ports Car Charger Adapter - in use with Nexus 6p

My review is for 5ive car charger in use with Type C to USB charging cable and Nexus 6p smartphone. 5ive charger forms a nice tight fit with car charger, it does not gets dislodged on bumpy roads.

Nexus 6p uses rapid charging when the battery is low. I used Nexus 6p with the battery level of 18% to do the tests of both ports. The phone showed that it was using rapid charging and drawing 2620 mA on one port and 2630 mA on another port. In the span of 5 minutes the phone got charged from 18% to 26%.

During a 30 minutes drive while Nexus 6p was used for navigation the battery level went up by 23% percent (from 28% to 51%). A dash cam was plugged into the second port of the charger. Excellent results!

I received this charger from 5ive for testing and review. Bottom line: excellent performance on both ports.

You can find "5ive Dual Quick Charger" on Amazon via this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

About the cable I am using:

I am using one of those type-C cables that are not USB 3.1 compliant. What is non-compliant cable? Benson Leung has a series of excellent reviews of Type C cables. Benson works for Google's Pixel group and has pointed out that many type-C cables violate the USB 3.1 specification that states that the termination resistor that advertises the maximum available current has been set incorrectly at 10K which advertises 3A of current, the correct value should be 22K which advertises 1.5A of current. These cables may not safe to use with all devices (such as the Chromebook Pixel and the Apple Macbook that draw more current than a phone). However with a quality charger that is rated for higher current like 5ive car charger and Nexus 6p (which does not draw more than 3A of current) these non-compliant cables will charge faster than a USB 3.1 compliant cable. I don't want to say that it's safe for all combinations of devices, but I have been using them with quality chargers with Nexus 6p on regular basis because both the charger and the phone are self-limiting.

Product review: USB 3.1 Type C Cable Tenswall - USB 3.1 spec compliant cable

Tenswall type-C cable is a thick braided cable - it feels and looks well made. It is 40 inches long and easily plugged into a phone with a silicone skin on.
I originally thought it was a 3.1 complaint cable, but in-depth tests by Benson Leung show that it is not.

What is 3.1 compliant cable? USB 3.1 spec specifies that the termination resistor that advertises the maximum available current should be set at 22K which advertises 1.5A of current. Benson Leung has a series of excellent reviews of Type C cables. Benson works for Google's Pixel group and has pointed out that many type-C cables violate the USB 3.1 specification that states that the termination resistor that advertises the maximum available current has been set incorrectly at 10K which advertises 3A of current rather than the correct value of 22K which advertises 1.5A of current. The non-compliant cable could be harmful to devices that are not limited to 2.5A-2.6A such as the ones that Benson evaluated in his reviews. I had an interesting discussion with Benson about my observations of turning this bug into a feature for rapid charging with Nexus 6p, and in general he does not approve of non-compliant cables and said that at minimum people should label them to be sure they are not used as general purposes type-C cables for all devices. I have been using these non-compliant cable with my Nexus 6p with no ill effects with 2.4A car chargers but as they say "use at your own risk". If you do plug in the car charger side of the cable first and the phone second as Benson reported differences based on the order what side of the cable is plugged in first.

All test were done keeping all conditions the same: same level of charge for the phone, same apps running, keeping the screen on so I can see the results.

1) Using a car charger on a port rated 2.5A
Nexus 6p battery is at 39%, at this level it will use rapid charging if possible (i.e. up to 2.5A)
** Tenswall Type C to Type A cable (non 3.1 compliant) -- 1.3A
** Another Type C to Taype A cable (non 3.1 compliant) -- 2.5A

2) Using a wall charger on a port rated 2.4A
Nexus 6p battery is at 37%, at this level it will use rapid charging if possible (i.e. Nexus 6p is cable of drawing up to 2.5A, the port is cable of providing up to 2.4A)
** Tenswall cable ------ 1.27A

Attached are images from my tests that show the results with both cables.

I received this cable from Tenswall for testing and review.  It did not perform as well as other non-compliant cables.

YOu can find this "USB 3.1 Type C Cable" on Amazon via this link


Ali Julia review ★★