REVIEW – Even though our household only consists of my husband and myself, I always seem to have issues finding an available outlet on our kitchen bar to charge up a piece of tech.  We both own tablets and we both own phones.  Then there are the plethora of other gadgets like watches, bicycle computers, and other tech devices that need charging.  When the Naztech Power Hub4 came up for review I jumped on it to see if it could meet my family’s charging needs.  Let’s see how it worked out for us.

What is it?

The Naztech Power Hub4 is an adaptive fast charging power station that has slots and ports to charge up to four different devices all at the same time.

What’s in the box?

The following items came in the box:

• The charging hub itself
• The power cord
• Five frosted plastic dividers
• A fold out instruction book
• A register now card
• Another card with specific instructions on how to insert the plastic dividers

Hardware specs

The Power Hub4 can supply up to a full 35 watts of power.  All four ports can charge at the same time.  There is one USB-C slot that can rapid charge devices like the Galaxy S9.  The USB-C port is rated at 5 volts.   There is also an adaptive rapid charge USB port that will charge at 5 volts/3 amps, 9 volts/2 amps, or 12 volts/1.5 amps.  The two remaining USB ports share 5 volts/ 2.5 amps.

Design and features

The first picture above shows the back side of the device.  On the far right is where the power cord would plugin.  To the left of that is the on/off power button.  I like that you can actually turn this off when not in use.  A blue LED to the right of the power button will shine when it is turned on.  It is very bright and I would not recommend placing it in any room where you want complete darkness.

The next two pictures show the front and the side of the device opposite the ports.    You can see on the front picture how the plastic divider inserts into the device.  When this picture was taken, the divider was not pushed all the way down.  The small card that came in the box, said to specifically push down very hard until you hear a click.  I had to push pretty hard, but I did hear a click for each one.  The second picture shows the dividers fully inserted.  You can also see there are venting slots on that side of the device.

This last picture shows the device plugged in and the LED turned on.

Performance

The Power Hub4 is very sturdy.  I have a full-size IPad Pro with a pretty substantial cover on it.  As you can see from the pictures above it held the IPad just fine.  The dividers did not bend or show any kind of difficulty holding it in place.  The hub itself did not feel tippy and felt solid.

The next two pictures show the hub fully loaded.  I  have my IPad Pro and my husband’s newest model IPad.  I also have his IPhone X and my Samsung S9.   They were all charging just fine.  The Samsung would rapid charge on either the USB-C or the rapid charge USB port.  My only real complaint was the wad of cables  on the right side of the device.

What I like

• It can charge up to 4 devices at the same time.
• It has a rapid charge USB and rapid charge USB-C ports.
• The rapid charge USB port is adaptive.

What needs to be improved

• No cables come with the device.  I broke down and ordered some short versions of the cables we need.  My OCD just could not stand that tangled looking mess of cables on the side of the hub.

Final thoughts

All in all, I would recommend this hub to anyone looking for a way to charge multiple devices at the same time.  The fact that it can rapidly charge and be adaptive is a big plus.

Price: $69.99
Where to buy: Amazon or B&H Photo Video
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Naztech

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Batteries and Chargers

Naztech Power Hub4 charging station review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 14, 2019 at 1:53 pm.

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REVIEW – No real Gadgeteer has only one power bank in 2019. There are high-capacity ones for long-term travel, lighter ones for your EDC top-ups, and mid-range ones that you can share with a friend and still have some juice for your own devices. The Xcentz xWingman 10000mAh fits perfectly into this third category.

What is it?

The xWingman is a small powerbank about the size of a deck of cards, with a USB-A port on one short side, and a USB-C port on the other. It can charge at up to 18W output.

What’s in the box?

• 10000mAh PD Portable Charger (Model: PB-34011)
• 30 cm / 1ft USB-C Cable
• Paperwork

Hardware specs

• Power for All – With USB-C power delivery port (18W) and quick charge 3.0, high-speed charging for both USB devices and USB-C devices. Power iPhone X to 50% battery in 35 minutes with USB-C to lightning. (USB-C to lightning charging cable not included)
• Recharge 2x faster – With USB-C power delivery input, time for a full recharge is reduced to 3.5 hours, save up to 3 hours than a standard micro charger. USB-A to USB-C charging cable is included but USB-C wall charger is not included.
• Huge Charging Power – 10000mAh of power charge iPhone 8 up to 3.5 times, iPhone X up to 2.5 times, Galaxy S9 up to 2.3 times, Galaxy S8 up to 2.3 times, iPad Air2 up to 1 time.
• Safety First – LG 21700 battery for over 500 charge/recharge cycles and still holds over 90% juice. UL certified and Xcentz’s exclusive xSmart technology to protect your devices against overcharge, short circuit, and overheat. Last 3x longer for use.
• Astonishing Size – Xcentz xWingMan Dual 10000 is small as 1/2 iPhone 7 and lightweight as a baseball. Incredibly smallest portable charger slides easily next to your phone in any pocket or purse. Best choice for traveler and those who don’t like bulky battery charger.

Design and features

This tiny box is almost too thin for a USB port to fit on the side. It’s also available in Black (sort of shiny looking), blue (really Aqua, which is the one I was sent), Pink, Sandstone Black, and Sandstone Grey. The sandstone colors look to have a bit more texture. The xWingman is only 3.125″ x 2.375″ x 1.125″, so it will fit into many small spaces where more traditional 10000mAh battery packs will not. And at 6.5 ounces, you’ll barely know it’s there.
On one end is a traditional USB-A port that delivers PD charging to devices that have that feature. The other end has a USB-C port for power in (with the included USB-A to USB-C cable) and as high as 18W output.
On one of the large surfaces, there is a black window with the Xcentz logo and a power meter, alongside a single button, which will show you the amount of power remaining.

Performance

The xWingman takes a charge quickly and holds it a good long while if you don’t use it. I treat it like it’s a regular USB outlet plug since it so rarely needs to be recharged. I never had it go beyond 2 dots on the “gas gauge.”

What I like

• USB-C!
• Fast recharge and slow discharge
• Really tiny for a 10Ah battery

What needs to be improved

• Can’t think of a thing

Final thoughts

We’re still in the state of battery technology where you’re constantly fighting to keep the devices you want to use powered up. This can only be done by stashing reserve power elsewhere. The xWingman is a great way to house a wealth of potential energy in a small space for a long time. And it’s at a great price.

Price: $49.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Xcentz.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Batteries and Chargers

Xcentz xWingman 10000mAh powerbank review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 10, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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REVIEW – World travelers are exposed to different cultures, languages, food, sights, and AC power plugs and sockets. The Xcentz universal travel adapter makes dealing with different types of plugs and sockets more convenient. As a bonus, this device has three USB-A ports and a USB-C port. Read on to see what I think!

What is it?

The Xcentz universal travel adapter permits cross connecting plugs from different regions so that the pins will align and current will flow through the adapter. The adapter does not convert voltage or adjust frequency, so travelers must be cautious about using dual voltage electronics and electronics that are not sensitive to variation in AC frequency. The adapter has two parts: a type C/E/F plug that adapts to various countries, and an adaptor that plugs into various outlets, powers the three USB-A and one USB-C power adapters, and also has a type F outlet on the back. The description of the type of outlet is based on the designation provided by the IEC. The different type of plugs and the countries/geographies where the plugs are used are listed on the following table.

The adapter fits into:

Plugs from these countries fit into the adapter:

Not every plug is supported in each country, but according to the IEC, only Lesotho and Swaziland do not support at least one of the adapters available on this device. Special adapters for these South African countries should be locally available.

What’s in the box?

• travel adapter
• owner’s guide

Hardware specs

AC Input: 100-250 V 50-60 Hz 10 A (EU Plug 16 A)

AC Output: 100-250 V 50-60 Hz 10 A (EU Plug 16 A)

USB-A Output: 5 V ⎓ 2.4 A (Max 2.4 A Per Port)

USB-C Output:

PD: 5 V ⎓ 3 A / 9V ⎓ 2 A / 12 V ⎓ 1.5 A
QC: 3.6-6 V ⎓ 3 A / 6-9 V ⎓ 2 A / 9-12 V ⎓ 1.5 A

USB ports: 4 Ports

USB Power: 30 W

AC Power 110 V-1100 W/230 V-230o W (EU Plug 230 V-3680 W )

Size: 2.7 x 1.9 x 2.6 in

Weight:  7.1 oz

Note: This adapter does not convert voltage (AC-AC)

Design and features

Unboxing

The Xcentz universal travel adapter comes in a matte white telescoping box, similar to an iPhone. The stylized Xcentz “X” is printed on the top in glossy black ink and the corporate slogan “The tech that gets you.” is printed on the side along with designed in California and the company website.

Opening the box reveals the adaptor inside with a warning sticker mounted to the front. The sticker reads:

This adapter does NOT convert voltage.

Do NOT use with hair dryers!

Check integrated fuse if the adapter stopped working.

Design

The Xcentz universal travel adapter is made from a soft touch plastic and is available in pink, cyan, and black. The odd colors seem to me to be the best choices as they seem out of place in a hotel room (except in Key West or the Cote d’Azur) and less likely to be left behind. In the US, the adapter does not block the adjacent outlet on top of a receptacle. Most of the other countries the adapter can plug into have larger spacing between adjacent receptacles.

As described above, the adapter has a two-part design: a part that is an adapter from a Type E or F plug to Type A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, J, L and N,  and the part that is a charger and plugs into Type B, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, and O. The parts connect with a Type F plug/outlet. The two-part design of the unit permits it to be slightly smaller than comparable adapters that use four sliding sets of pins rather than this unit’s three sliding set of pins. However, this design sacrifices the ability to use this adapter as a USB charger and an adapter for plugs other than from countries that support the type C, E, or F plugs. This shortcoming may be overcome if a powerstrip (in the desired outlet specification) is used between the adapter part and the charger part. In the picture below there is another adapter (in grey plastic with a black and red sticker on top) that converts the US plug to a European one. This simulates a European outlet. The cyan adapter part plugs into this and allows me to install a US power strip into the adapter and the charger into the strip. If I plugged the charger directly into the adapter, then the only plug available to me would be the Type F plug at the rear of the charger.  I recommend that any traveler bring a powerstrip when staying in locations where there are foreign AC power plugs and sockets. That way one adapter can meet the needs of several electronic devices.

Because the rear of the charger has a built-in Type F outlet, which is symmetrical, the adapter part may be inserted either normally or upside-down to best orient the connected plug. This is convenient in countries where many of the plugs are mounted perpendicular to the cord. However, this also somewhat dangerous, since in this arrangement the live and neutral wires are crisscrossed and anything that is designed with a single throw switch may still be energized while turned off, and any neutral fault will result in an electrocution risk. For safety sake, the adapter part should be inserted into the charger like it is in the picture below in North and Central America and Japan. In other countries, it should be inserted in the opposite direction. Why? Because the adapter slide mechanism reverses the live and neutral on the US plug.

The adapter part has shutters on the pin receptacles to reduce the chance that foreign objects are inserted into an area carrying current. Note that the ground does not have shutters but this is typical. The charger part has shutters on the Type F outlet as well. The sliders which extend the selected pins on the charger part are each interlocked so only one set of pins can be exposed at a time. When not in use, all the pins can be retracted into the unit, protecting other things that the unit is packed with from getting jabbed at by the exposed pins.

The charger has a dimly lit blue LED to indicate charger power. The ports are located along the bottom so there will be some fishing around for the correct alignment and orientation, but this is more of a shortcoming of the USB-A standard than the adapter. The USB-A ports are 2.4 A max draw and the USB-C port is an 18 W max draw. There is a total of 30 W shared by all of the ports. The USB-C port supports power delivery (PD) but only as a supply. In other words, the charger cannot be run off of power supplied to the PD port.

In order to use the USB-C port, you will need a cable with USB-C on one end or a USB-C to female USB-A adapter. The spacing of the USB-C port is far enough away that a USB-C to female USB-A adapter (or at least the one I have) will not block the adjacent USB-A ports.

The charger also has an overcurrent thermal relay for the AC power. This feature provides peace of mind that the electronics being powered will not cause a hazardous condition. This is important because the charger is rated for 10 A but the EU plug can generally draw 16 A (depending what it is connected to).

Performance

I used the Xcentz universal travel adapter with an iPhone 8, Android (LeEco Le Pro3) with Quick Charge, iPad 9.7″ 6th Gen., J7-t safety tester and a Drok USB intelligent electronic load.

The charger supplied a max of 2.41 A at 4.7 V (11.3 W) to the USB-A ports and up to 15.8 W on the USB-C ports. The USB-C may provide more power but that is all my phone needed at the moment and my simulated load tuckers out at 15.5 W. When two or more items are plugged in the charger tends to load balance across all the loads. When I plugged the LeEco Le Pro into the USB-C the amperage and voltage changed dynamically according to the Quick Charge requirements.

What I like

• includes thermal relay
• state of the art charging options

What needs to be improved

• Adapter and charger usage in European countries needs a powerstrip or similar item
• Adapter part should indicate “TOP USA” and “TOP UK/AUS/CN” so Type F live and neutral wiring is not crisscrossed.

Final thoughts

When traveling, two of the most often needed items are a power adapter and a USB charger. Combining these items into one gadget seems only logical. The device is only slightly larger than comparable devices that include a charger and a pass-through AC outlet. The Xcentz also costs about as much as those other designs but gives the added benefit of world compatibility. I recommend you take this on your next trip.

Price: $29.99. $19.99 with promo code XCENTZS11 through April 20, 2019.
Where to buy: Xcentz
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Xcentz.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Batteries and Chargers

Xcentz universal travel adapter review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 8, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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