Product review: UEB Portable 4 Ports USB Car Charger - used with Nexus 6p

  

We usually travel with a lot of gadgets so a 4 port car charger is very useful to us. However, the key question how well it performs with Nexus 6p which is used for navigation, so it needs to be able to charge at an optimal rate. Nexus 6p has a capability for rapid charging, which means it can draw up to 2.5A when the battery is low. Rapid charging is incredibly fast, it is such a nice feature that any charger that cannot support this rapid charging is disqualified.



Prior to testing the charger, I read the specs of the charger and I was disappointed to see that it has very rigid specs for each port (best chargers have a smart chip that allow each port of a charger to work equally well with different mobile devices).



The spec listed the following information:

iPhone port provides 1 A/5V

iPad port provides 2.1 A/5V

Samsung port provides 1.3 A/5V

Android port provides 0.6 A/5V



Fortunately, when I tested each port the spec information proved to be incorrect and each port is not limited to stated limits.

I tested Nexus 6p with both 3.1 compliant and 3.1 non-compliant charging cables.



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.



Nexus 6p, charge level 46-51% keeping all other variables the same (at this level Nexus 6p uses rapid charging if possible)



* Using Tenswall USB 3.1 non-compliant cable

Android port_.._.._.._.._.._.._ 2430 mA (excellent)

iPhone port_.._.._.._.._.._..__ 2320 mA (excellent)

iPad port_.._.._.._.._.._.._.._ 2330 mA (excellent)

Samsung port_.._.._.._.._.._.._ 2310 mA (excellent)



* Using PECHAM USB 3.1 compliant cable

Android port_.._.._.._.._.._.._ 800 mA (bad)

iPhone port_.._.._.._.._.._..__ 1280 mA (ok)

iPad port_.._.._.._.._.._.._.._ 1330 mA (ok)

Samsung port_.._.._.._.._.._.._ 1320 mA (ok)



With a rapid charging non-compliant cable Nexus 6p is getting rapid charging on every port. With a compliant 3.1 USB cable I am not getting rapid charging, but it performs reasonably on every port but the port labeled "Android".



I received this car charger for evaluation and review. Getting a free product to review does not effect what I say. My review and opinions are purely my own based on testing and my experience with many different car chargers.



You can find UEB Car Charger on Amazon via this link.



AshopZones 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.





AshopZones 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: Jackery Crew 5-Port High Speed USB Charging Hub

' size: 2 1/2" x 3 3/4" x 1 1/8"

' weight: 6 oz

' number of ports: 5 ports

' cables: AC port is 54.5"



The best chargers have a smart chip in them which charges all devices to their optimal charge on every port. This charger does not have this chip. This charger performs very well for my Apple iPadMini tablet. For Android phone it works, but does not charge the phone as fast as other chargers. I captured results of the tests in attached photos for those who are interested in the details of the tests.



To see how well different chargers and external batteries charge my mobile devices I use a Nexus phone and an iPadMini to test each of them. The current drawn from the battery depends on each device using the battery. The port rated with maximum capacity of 2A does not always deliver 2A, what is actually delivered is controlled by the device based on many factors such running apps, level of charge, and so forth. I always use the same two devices and I do my tests with the devices charged to the same level, running the same applications and using the same cables to keep everything the same. This allows me to do a relative comparison of each charger and identify the ones that do not perform well. Note that these tests are not testing for the maximum current each device can draw on each port as none of my devices can max out the ports.



In addition to testing the devices individually, I tested to see if the charger is capable of charging 5 devices at the same time (2 phones and 3 tablets). I monitored each device with the current monitor and I saw that each devices was drawing the same amount of current when it was the only device charging as when it was one of 5 devices charging. This is good.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: FAVOLCANO 20000mAh High Capacity Ultra-thin Dual USB Port External Battery

A lot of capacity comes in a fairly compact package, this battery is 6" x 3" x 3/8" and is 20000mAh. It has two USB outlets and one (fairly dim) flashlight.



I tested each USB port with current monitor with an Android phone and iPad Mini tablet. The battery charged iPadMini as well as the best power banks I have tested on 2A port. On 1A port did not provide optimal results because Apple products require more than 1A, but it provided a typical charge for a 1A port. For Android phone results were not as good. It underperformed on both ports, charging at USB rate on 2A port and below optimal on 1A port. I started running these tests when my Android devices had HoneyComb operating system. The charging rate is controlled by protocols between the devices and the battery. When they can't negotiate they get the default non-optimal rate. I was able to observe the improvements in Android OS as they adapted to handle Apple protocol on 2A ports. Before 4.21 I could only get fast charging on 1A ports, and would get bad performance on 2.1A port on my Android devices. After upgrade to Jelly Bean 4.21 I saw the same performance on 2A and 1A ports as it is controlled by the device negotiating the protocol with the charger. Now my Android devices typically charge similar in speed on both ports. So these results surprised me. This battery us using a protocol that Android is not able to handle well. If you are interested in the specific numbers, my video includes screen shots of the results.



Based on my test this power bank is better suited for Apple devices. It works with Android but not as well as with other power banks.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: ORICO Mini Size 2 Outlet Surge Protector with 4 USB Charger

The Orico charging station combines two AC outlets and four USB ports. This charging station has a 54" cord and its size is 6.5" x 2.5" x 1.5". The AC outlets are spaced in such a way that I can put a battery charger and a regular plug next to each other (but not two battery chargers side by side).



I tested each USB outlet with current monitor with an Android phone and iPad Mini tablet. Both performed as well as any other charger, however the strip got pretty warm when I get both the phone and the tablet charging at the same time. If you are interested in the test results I am including the readings in my video.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.







AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Bolse® 3.1A 15W Dual USB Port High Output Wall/Travel/AC Charger

I tested Bolse 3.1A 15W Dual USB Port Wall Charger with Nexus 7 Tablet (JellyBean 4.2.2), Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet (ICS 4.0.4), and Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phone (JellyBean 4.2.2), and iPad Mini.



I own several wall chargers and power bricks and run the same set on tests on each of them, so they can be compared to each other using "apples to apples" comparison. This set of tests allows me to provide unbiased results as the numbers speak for the performance of each unit. These comparison tests reveal that this charger does not work as well as other chargers I have tested, including other Bolse wall chargers. The charger works, but does not charge as fast as other chargers. I am giving it OK rating of 3 stars.



My methodology is to charge each mobile device on each port of the unit for 10 minutes and measuring how much each unit was charge in that 10 minute period. Each line in the table below represents a separate 10 minute test, 16 tests in total.



I use Battery App by Elvison to determine how each device recognized the charging source. 'AC' status means the charging is at full charging rate. 'USB' status indicates charging at a lower charging rate. 'Discharging' status means that the charging rate is below the power that the device is consuming so it slows down the discharge rate but does not re-charge.



I am attaching a collage with 3 photos that to illustrate this review.  They show the charger during the test with various devices. In the photos can also see a close up of the charger itself. It is 2 3/5" long, 1 1/2" tall, and 1 1/4" wide. If you use it on the old fashioned power strips this charger would cover 2 slots. Bolse wall charger has re-tractable prongs which is very handy for travel.



The two ports of the charger are marked as 1.0A and 2.1A and this is how I will refer to them in the tables below.



The table below shows the results of my tests. The manufacture offers the identical USB chargers in two colors "white" and "black". I received both for testing and evaluation. I tested both and both chargers performed similarly. I am including the results for both chargers, as seeing consistency in results increases the likelihood that others chargers will behave in a similar way.



✔ Nexus 7 Tablet (black charger)

--------------

2.1A -- AC ............. -1% change in charge in 10 minutes

1.0A -- AC ............. 0% change in charge in 10 minutes



✔ Nexus 7 Tablet (white charger)

--------------

2.1A -- AC ............. 0% change in charge in 10 minutes

1.0A -- AC ............. 0% change in charge in 10 minutes



✔ Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone (black charger)

--------------------------

2.1A -- USB ............. 0% change in charge in 10 minutes

1.0A -- USB ............. 2% change in charge in 10 minutes



✔ Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone (white charger)

--------------------------

2.1A -- USB ............. 0% change in charge in 10 minutes

1.0A -- USB ............. 1% change in charge in 10 minutes



✔ Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7.7 (black charger)

--------------------------

2.1A -- AC ............. 3% change in charge in 10 minutes

1.0A -- discharging .... 0% change in charge in 10 minutes



✔ Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7.7 (white charger)

--------------------------

2.1A -- AC ............. 2% change in charge in 10 minutes

1.0A -- discharging .... -1% change in charge in 10 minutes



✔ iPad Mini (black charger)

--------------------------

2.1A -- AC ............. 2% change in charge in 10 minutes

1.0A -- AC ............. 2% change in charge in 10 minutes



✔ iPad Mini (white charger)

--------------------------

2.1A -- AC ............. 4% change in charge in 10 minutes

1.0A -- AC ............. 2% change in charge in 10 minutes



➨ Key findings:

------------------

This charger works, but does not charge as fast as other wall chargers, including other Bolse wall chargers, for example (ASIN: B00BFQ9R0W) Bolse® 4 Port Premium High Output USB Wall/Travel/AC Rapid Charger) For iPhone, iPad, Samsung Android Smartphones , which in the same test showed 7% charge rather than 0%/2%. This charger showed the best behavior with Apple products on both ports, so if you have two Apple products this charger would be a good fit.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link



AshopZones review ★★★☆☆