Tronsmart's five-port USB charger plays nice with your Quick Charge 3.0 devices [Review]
A multiport USB charger is a great tool to have if you need to top up the battery on a couple of devices at the same time. Finding the right one might prove a bit difficult though. There are lots of options available, featuring all sorts of configurations, and with support for different charging standards.
The Chotech six-port USB charger that I reviewed previously is a great all-around option that should keep most people happy for a long time, but for some folks the lack of Quick Charge 3.0 support may be a let down. So, if you have a device that supports Qualcomm's latest fast charging technology you will need to look at a different option, like Tronsmart's latest five-port USB charger which includes a Quick Charge 3.0-ready port.
What's In the Box?
The exact model that I have received for review is known as U5PTA. It is designed to charge up to five devices at the same time, and is fairly compact.
In the box, you will find the charger itself and a cable to connect it to a wall socket. The charger can draw quite a bit of power from the wall socket, so Tronsmart has opted for a beefy cable to handle all the load.
It is longer than the cables typically sold with smartphones, so you should have no issues finding a good place for the charger in your room. The plug that is supplied depends on where you purchase the charger from. My review unit has a European plug, but there are also versions for US and UK.
There are no USB cables in the box, so you will have to use your own. This shouldn't be a problem for most people, as smartphones and tablets are shipped with their own cables anyway. But keep this in mind in case you wish to take it on trips with you.
The Ports
Tronsmart has designed this multiport USB charger with high-end smartphone shoppers in mind. Few devices support Quick Charge 3.0 at this time, with the list including mostly (if not only) the latest Android flagships from the likes of LG, HTC, Samsung and Xiaomi -- basically the handful of smartphones that ship with a Snapdragon 820 processor.
The Quick Charge 3.0 port (the first one to the left in the photo below) is backwards-compatible with previous versions of the technology (like Quick Charge 2.0), meaning that it will work just fine with previous-generation Android devices, like Samsung's Galaxy S6 and Note 5 or LG's G4. I have tested the backwards compatibility using a Xiaomi Mi4c, and I have to say that it works great.
For the Quick Charge 3.0 port, Tronsmart says that it supports charging between 3.6V and 6.5V at 3A, 6.5V and 9V at 2A, and 9V and 12V at 1.5A. The other four ports are limited to 5V and up to 2.4A. The charger will adjust the charging voltage and amperage on its own -- Tronsmart calls this VoltiQ -- so you do not have worry about which port you are plugging your device in. During my testing, I have used all ports without issues using a variety of devices.
Worth pointing out is the fact that if you have more Quick Charge-ready devices you will have to choose which one you want to charge at the fastest-possible rate. As noted in my previous review of the Chotech charger, more Quick Charge ports would not go amiss.
How Much Does It Cost?
Tronsmart sells this USB charger on Amazon for $29.99. It is also available in Europe for roughly £21.99 in UK or €24.90 in France. You can also get it from Geekbuying, where it is priced at $34.99 -- but you get the benefit of being able to choose which plug you get.
Should You Buy It?
There are both cheaper and more expensive chargers around, but as is usually the case with certain configurations you can be hard pressed to find many with a similar port scheme. For the money though, this offers good value and I would recommend it to anyone with a Quick Charge 3.0-ready device as long as they do not mind the fact that there is only one such port available.
Photo Credit: Mihăiță Bamburic