Multi-port chargers have become pretty popular lately, because we all have a ton of devices that need to be charged, but not always enough outlets. Inateck has introduced their dual-port wall charger, which we’ve been using for a few weeks and are big fans of it. With this dual-port charger, you are able to charge two devices at the same time while using just one outlet. Pretty neat, and definitely convenient.
In the box, Inateck includes the wall charger, and an instructional booklet. And that’s it. Unfortunately there is no micro USB cable or a USB Type-C or even a lightning cable for the Apple users out there, as you’d expect with a wall charger. But it’s pretty likely that you already have one or two of those micro USB cables laying around that can be used. So it’s still not a huge deal. It’s a pretty small package, and it is packaged quite nicely. With the charger wrapped in plastic. Inateck only offers this model in white (they also have a single port and a 4-port version that are also in white only).
On the front-side of the charger, you have your two ports and a LED indicator showing you that it has power. The port that is labeled “Super Charger”, that has an output of 5V/2.4A and the other universal port is 5V/1.5A. So there is no Quick Charge 2.0 here, unfortunately, however we do have a quick charging port in the 2.4A port. It will still charge your device pretty quickly, and if you have a smartphone that uses Quick Charge 2.0, it can handle 2.4A of current without getting damaged. We used this with the Moto X Pure Edition which does support Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 standard, and it was able to charge the 3000mAh battery in a little over an hour. It wasn’t quite as fast as the Turbo Charger that comes with the Moto X Pure Edition, but it was much faster than a standard charger. Now the 1.5A port is great for smaller gadgets like a smartwatch or a Fitbit. It works great for smartphones too, but because of the lower current, it is going to take a bit longer to charge up your smartphone or tablet.
The way that this dual-port USB Wall Charger was constructed, it makes it small and compact. The prongs for the outlet fold inside, making it nice and neat to throw in your bag without an issue. And you won’t need to worry about the prongs getting bent or damaged at all. It’s slightly bigger than other chargers, however that is due to it having more power inside to push to your device, through the “Super Charger” port. So it’s a bit understandable.
Often times with chargers that are a bit cheap, we run into the issue of them not being built as great as other chargers. But that’s not an issue here with this model from Inateck. It’s built nice and solid. It doesn’t feel cheap in the least bit, and it also has the proper certifications, which are listed underneath the outlet for your reference. I’ve taken this on recent trips with me to plug in my smartphone and other devices when I’m traveling, and haven’t had any issues with it getting damaged, or not working. Inateck used “highly durable ABS plastics” in the construction of this dual-port USB Wall Charger, which is why it feels pretty solid and premium in the hand.
Seeing as this has passed all of the certifications needed. This is a safe wall charger. But there’s more to being safe than just passing the appropriate certifications. There is also a smart chipset that is inside which automatically recognizes the current and voltage that is used for charging. This way it’s not overcharging your device, and it’s also not giving your device more power than it can handle. As that can damage your smartphone, or whatever device you have plugged in, and cause it to have a shorter lifespan.
Like we said at the beginning of this review, we’ve been using this for a few weeks now. I’ve actually been using this in the outlet next to my bed to charge my smartphone and smartwatch at night, and it has worked pretty well for me. I always wake up to a fully charged smartphone and smartwatch, and even when I need to charge in the middle of the day, it charges quite quickly, providing I use the “Super Charger” port and not the universal port. Seeing as we don’t have Quick Charge 2.0 here, it’s still nice to see that you can still charge your smartphone quickly, in a pinch. Something that I think we have all gotten used to in the past year or so, thanks to Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 standard (they just announced Quick Charge 3.0 that’s even faster and coming next year in the Snapdragon 820 and a few other processors). Traveling with this dual-port USB wall charger has been a breeze as well. Just unplug it, flip the prongs inside and throw it in your bag. And you’re good to go. It’s pretty easy. Actually, it really can’t get any easier than that.
This is a great charger from Inateck, and the only issue I’d have with it, is the fact that it doesn’t come with a micro USB or even a USB Type-C cable. It would be nice to have one of those included. However it’s not a deal breaker. Currently, Inateck is selling this dual-port USB Wall Charger on Amazon for just $11.99. That’s the cost of most single-port wall chargers these days. At that price, we’d definitely have to recommend it. There’s really nothing to complain about here with the Inateck dual-port USB Wall Charger, and you can pick one up here from Amazon, and enjoy two-day shipping if you’re an Amazon Prime member.
