REVIEW – Because gallium nitride (GaN) has greater energy efficiency and power density than silicon, it has permitted smaller, higher capacity power adapters than had been previously possible. I have a Unitek GaN charger that supplies a total of 90W out of 4 ports or 100W out of one. Read on to see what I think!
What is it?
The Unitek GaN 100W 4-port wall charger features three USB-C PD3.0 ports and one USB type A QC3.0 port, with output that varies depending on how many devices are being powered. The top two USB-C ports are also Programmable Power Supply (PPS) capable, enabling you to charge some OnePlus and Samsung phones at up to 25W power delivery. The power to each port is divided so that the top two ports can supply a total of 100 W and the bottom two ports can supply a total of 20 W. However, the total power supplied must be less than 100 W so the more ports that are used the less power each port can deliver at maximum capacity.
What’s in the box?
- Unitek GaN 100W 4-port charger
- Manual
Hardware specs
Dimensions: 2.36″X2.36″X0.98″
Weight: 7.2oz
Power input: 110V-240V, 50-60Hz, 2.5 Amp
Maximum Power output:
- Using 1 port
- USB-C1: 100W
- USB-C2: 100W
- USB-C3: 20W
- USB-A: 18W
- Using 2 ports
- USB-C1 & USB-C2: 65W (USB-C1) & 30W (USB-C2)
- USB-C1/C2 & USB-C3: 65W (USB-C1/C2) & 20W (USB-C3)
- USB-C1/C2 & USB-A: 65W (USB-C1/C2) & 18W (USB-A)
- Using 3 ports
- USB-C1, USB-C2 & USB-C3: 45W (USB-C1), 30W (USB-C2) & 20W (USB-C3)
- USB-C1, USB-C2 & USB-A: 45W (USB-C1), 30W (USB-C2) & 18W (USB-A)
- USB-C1/C2, USB-C3 & USB-A: 65W (USB-C1/C2), 7.5W (USB-C3) & 7.5W (USB-A)
- Using all ports
- USB-C1, USB-C2, USB-C3 & USB-A: 45W (USB-C1), 30W (USB-C2), 7.5W (USB-C3) & 7.5W (USB-A)
Design and features
Unboxing
The Unitek GaN 100W 4-port wall charger comes in a retail display box that includes a picture and a description of the unit on the front but does not include specifications or a large amount of information printed on the outside of the box.
The unit is packaged inside in a plastic form and is wrapped with a protective plastic peel-away sheet.
Design
The Unitek GaN 100W 4-port wall charger is about the size of many other multi-port wall chargers available in the past couple of years.
It is a matte black plastic with the Unitek logo printed in grey on each side. More information about each port’s capability is printed on the bottom of the charger.
The charger feels very sturdy and dense and there doesn’t feel like there is any play in the plastic. The edges on the sides of the unit are all rounded. There is a bezel around the perimeter of each side and on one side it is observable that this is how the unit is assembled.
The Unitek GaN 100W 4-port wall charger has a folding two-prong design that makes the device very compact. When the prongs are stored they do not stick up out of the unit at all.
Devices sold in markets that do not support the NEMA 1-15 2 Pin standard (Canada, China, Japan, Mexico, Taiwan, and the United States of America) have to use an adapter to plug the unit in. The plug side has a slot to adapt to international chargers but the product does not come with these included and they are not apparently for sale separately.
The front of the unit has four ports centered on the face and about 3/8″ apart. There is a status light to indicate that the charger is being powered above the top port. The ports are labeled according to the information printed on the bottom of the charger but there is no indication of what the port maximum capacities are without referencing the microscopic writing printed on the bottom of the unit.
The ports in the front grab onto and connect with an assortment of USB A and USB C cables that I have at my disposal. It seems that the clips inside the receptacle do a good job of holding the plug into place.
Operation
The operation is very simple and as easy to use as a typical wall charger. The charger will get warm under constant load but not too hot to handle. There is not any indication of the output or current load. The adapter automatically adjusts the output based on the connected device and what charging protocol it communicates to the adapter when it is plugged in.
To use the Unitek GaN 100W 4-port wall charger to its maximum capacity, plug the device that requires the most power into the top port and other devices into the ports below in decreasing power requirement. If using 2 devices, and one device requires more than 45W, plug one device into the top and one device into the bottom two ports. If using this to charge a PPS-compatible phone use one of the top two ports.
Performance
The Unitek GaN 100W 4-port wall charger is basically a device for converting power. I used a USB load and tester to verify the operation of the USB-A port. I tested the power output as high as the load testers would operate but that was below the maximum output of the charger. I also charged my Samsung S20 from 17% to 85% in 41 minutes and again from 21% to 74% in 31 minutes. I didn’t hear any resonance or hiss from any of the internal components.
What I like
- high-power
- small
What I’d change
- no international adapters
- need to choose a port to get maximum power delivery
Final thoughts
It seems that with the ever-increasing number of rechargeable and plug-in electronics, wall chargers are as indispensable as the electronics that use them. The small size and convenience of this unit are exactly what is needed for devices that require up to 100W charging. There are chargers about the same size and for the same cost that have international adapters and come with a 100W USB-C to USB-C cable. If you are interested in getting a high-power charger the Unitek GaN 100W 4-port wall charger may suit your needs, but also consider other similar chargers that may offer other features that may be more desirable.
Price: $55.99 to $69.99
Where to buy: Unitek (this link with travel adapters) and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Unitek.
