“Meet the Enhanced GaN Charger: My Top Gadget Pick for 2024!”

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Gone are the days of lugging around a large laptop charger and a separate one for your phone. If you haven’t experienced one yet, now is an excellent time to acquire a GaN charger.

In contrast to conventional chargers that utilize silicon and generate heat, GaN, or gallium nitride chargers, are significantly more effective. This efficiency allows them to take up much less space while incorporating more ports and greater power.

I initially acquired one at the close of last year, anticipating my travels the following month. Nevertheless, I was so impressed with Ugreen’s Nexode 65W Charger ($40, Amazon) that I ended up picking up several more for my workspace. I frequently need to power multiple devices, and even with one of the best surge protectors, the number of available AC outlets is limited once you connect a computer, a monitor, and all your other gadgets.

Charge your laptop, phone, and another device at the same time with this 3-port, 65W GaN charger. Available in black, teal/pink, and purple, it adds a touch of fun. The Ugreen Uno Charger 65W is also equipped with protections against overvoltage, overcurrent, overheating, and short circuits, ensuring your devices remain safe during charging.View Deal

I thought I was well-prepared until I came across an article by my colleague Tony Polanco regarding Ugreen’s latest Uno chargers. Although that specific model had the same port count and provided 65 watts of power, it featured an innovation I had never encountered on a charger: a display. The Ugreen Uno Charger not only has a screen that displays essential charging information, but it also resembles a little robot adorned with headphones. Upon spotting one on sale, I couldn’t resist purchasing it.

While I still utilize my Nexode chargers at home, my new Uno Charger is ideal for travel as I only need to carry it to power my laptop, phone, and tablet. I thought the situation couldn’t improve, but Ugreen has recently unveiled an enhanced version that nearly doubles its output while introducing an extra USB-C port. Here are the features I cherish about it and why its unique design has completely captivated me.

Making charging enjoyable

Maintaining your devices charged can be quite a hassle, particularly when you’re required to disconnect your charger, tidy up all the cables, and then reverse that entire process upon your return home. However, with a GaN charger, these are affordable and compact enough that it’s convenient to simply keep one in your bag. Furthermore, they frequently go on sale, making it feasible to purchase two or even more for the price of an additional official charger for your laptop.

You can acquire two or potentially a few for what you would spend on a second official charger for your laptop.

In the image above, my 65W Uno Charger is situated on the left while the newer 100W Uno Charger that Ugreen provided for me to evaluate is positioned on the right. It is larger and heavier than the initial model, yet it remains considerably smaller than typical laptop chargers. Additionally, due to the absence of a non-detachable cable, you can utilize any cables you prefer with it.

What I genuinely appreciate about these Uno Chargers is the screen on the front featuring emoji-like expressions to indicate the progress of your devices in the charging cycle. For example, with the 65W model on the left, it displays a kissy face while charging, but this shifts to one with raised eyebrows when your device reaches full charge.

As depicted in the image above, Ugreen has enhanced the screen and made it brighter with this new 100W Uno Charger. Additionally, there are more expressions to communicate the charging status of your devices. It displays a happy face while in standby, cycles through a laughing, blushing and a smirking face during the charging process, and when your devices are fully charged, the little Uno robot sports a pair of sunglasses. Who claimed that charging your devices had to be dull?

The Uno lineup also boasts an additional feature. In contrast to Ugreen’s Nexode GaN chargers, which have a retractable AC plug for increased compactness, the Uno chargers are equipped with a pair of feet that allow these little devices to stand upright while safeguarding their AC plug. To ensure these feet are not misplaced while charging, they are also magnetic.

Previously when Tony reviewed the 65W Uno Charger, he expressed his appreciation for being able to attach the feet to the lid of one of the top Macbooks while charging his laptop. As this 100W version is larger overall, it features bigger feet, which I found to be a nice but pragmatic touch when comparing both side by side.

Power up to four devices concurrently utilizing this larger 100W Ugreen Uno charger. Due to its elevated wattage, you can recharge a MacBook Pro from completely drained to 43% battery in just 30 minutes. Although it’s only offered in black, it provides the same charging safeguards as the 65W edition.View Deal

Now featuring enhanced power and an additional port

From the instant you first connect its new Uno charger, Ugreen effectively communicates that indeed, this is a 100W charger small enough to fit in your hand. Should you overlook this brief splash screen, it is also printed on the backside; unlike some of the rapid chargers I have utilized previously, you won’t find yourself scrambling to convert volts and amps to watts, as the significant number is plainly displayed.

When you position one of Ugreen’s Uno chargers on their side, the fact I mentioned earlier about them having significantly more ports than a typical wall charger is clear. With the 100W Uno Charger, you receive a USB-A port and three USB-C ports. The devices eligible for charging through these USB-C ports are prominently indicated with a graphic beneath them. However, the kind of devices and the ports you utilize for charging will determine the wattage available.

on the Ugreen Uno Charger 100W

Ugreen has three distinct images clarifying all of this on their website, but I summarized it into the single image above to simplify the entire process a bit more. As you connect multiple gadgets and depending on the ports you utilize for that, the available wattage shifts.

If you merely wish to charge one device that can utilize the full 100W of output like one of the top laptops, you should opt for either of the USB-C ports located at the top. The port underneath these two reaches a maximum of 30W, while the USB-A port below can provide up to 22.5W of output. It’s the case when charging two or three devices at once that things can become intricate.

With two devices, you can achieve 65W of output from one of the USB-C ports and 30W from another. If you’re using the top USB-C port at 65W and the USB-A port at the bottom, it can charge at a maximum of 22.5W. Conversely, if you utilize the third USB-C port alongside the USB-A port, they both peak at 7.5W.

When charging three devices, you have the option of having one at 45W, another at 30W, and a third at 20-22.5W, or you can charge one device through the top USB-C port at 80W while powering the other two through the third USB-C port and the USB-A port at 7.5W each.

I realize that all of this might seem a bit perplexing, but you can always reference this article or the product page for your specific GaN charger on Ugreen’s website should you encounter any issues.

As a general guideline, I tend to use the top USB-C port with my laptop and the third one with my smartphone when charging them separately; or just the top two USB-C ports when charging both devices simultaneously. This method is effective across most of Ugreen’s GaN chargers, and I employ it when using my 65W Nexode charger also.

One device to charge them all

If your charger will be displayed prominently and you enjoy adding a touch of excitement to the ordinary, you can’t go wrong with one of Ugreen’s Uno chargers. They make excellent gifts as well, particularly for that tech enthusiast in your life or for an older parent tired of frequent trips to the Apple store every time their official charger’s cable fails.

The compact design of Ugreen’s Nexode series does make them more travel-friendly, but I prefer the non-retractable AC plug of the Uno while traveling. Prior to a journey, you can never be certain about the AC outlet circumstances at the airport or your hotel, and the Uno charger isn’t going to dislodge from an outlet anytime soon. I’ve experienced this issue with the Nexode models, and I find their longer build can be somewhat awkward when used in conjunction with a cable management tray or in other constrained spaces.

Should the 100W Uno charger be too large or too robust for your requirements, other options include 30W, 65W, as well as power banks, charging cables, and USB-C hubs featuring the same display and distinctive little robot design. For those preferring something more understated, Ugreen’s Nexode line is also available.

Regardless of whether you choose to get one from Ugreen or not, you owe it to yourself and your gadgets to experiment with a GaN charger. They are now affordable enough to not be much pricier than your usual wall charger, but for a slight increase, you obtain additional ports and higher wattage in a very compact design.

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