I want one other USB-C charger like I want a gap in my head. And because it seems, I apparently wanted one other seven holes in my head.

Yes, no lie, within the final two weeks I spent my very own money on seven new GaN USB-C chargers. This is from a nerd who actually has an overflowing field of USB-C chargers.

What kicked off my resolution to purchase chargers I didn’t assume I wanted, however needed, was the will to trim as a lot weight off as doable. This occurred throughout a 15-day trip in Japan the place my household and I walked a number of 12+ mile days and the load of a 65-watt dual-port charger and a ten,000mAh battery pack started feeling felt like a lead weight. Like a aggressive bike owner, I needed to shave as a lot weight from my load as doable—even when it was just a few grams.

Luckily Japan by no means deserted retail electronics. Visiting a minimum of 10 totally different shops, I used to be capable of bodily contact dozens of USB-C GaN chargers and skim the specs on the chargers themselves.

I got here away from Japan with what appeared like the most effective match for my wants: Elecom’s 45-watt, CW102 GaN II-based charger (here’s a cuter and pricier version of it on Amazon). It was a bit chunkier than I had aimed for however with its 45-watts of energy, I may run a small laptop computer and extra importantly, the Elecom charger helps the non-compulsory USB-PD Programmable Power Supply or PPS customary. Despite having a big array of USB-C chargers, none of them supported PPS. While I’ve ignored that previously, my GaN charger journey taught me what I used to be lacking.

Gordon Mah Ung

Why you need a charger with PPS

All USB-C chargers help USB-PD (energy supply) charging voltages in giant steps of say, 3 volts, 5 volts, 9 volts, 15 volts, and 20 volts. PPS, nevertheless, permits for a a lot finer grain management of voltage and provides a steady vary, corresponding to 3 volts to 16 volts in very small 20mV steps. While an ordinary USB-C cost fee can seem like giant steps, PPS can seem like a curve and is continually renegotiated each few seconds primarily based on what the cellphone’s battery tells the charger it wants.

Besides providing a a lot smoother charging curve, a PPS charger may end up in cooler charging contained in the cellphone because the conversion inside is offloaded to the charger and higher matched to its wants. This, in flip, can result in sooner charging in addition to much less stress on the battery throughout charging, which may end up in an extended service life for a cellphone’s battery.

PPS sounds nice, but it surely additionally requires the cellphone to help it too. Today, many Android-based telephones and tablets help PPS, but it surely’s not common as Apple hasn’t embraced the know-how. My Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra does help PPS, although, and the one method to set off the cellphone’s Super Fast Charge mode is with a 45-watt USB-C charger that helps PPS. Google’s newer Pixel lineup as properly telephones from Asus and others additionally help PPS charging.

Not sufficiently small, not gentle sufficient

With three Elecom chargers in my basket (I anticipated dropping them as items, loss, and to everlasting “borrowers”) I believed I had all of the GaN chargers I’d want for the subsequent few years. It was a pleasure to ditch the facility financial institution and bigger charger I had introduced on the journey for the Elecom.

When I arrived again within the United States nevertheless, Amazon’s Prime Day was in full swing and one of many chargers I had eyed, however determined wasn’t an incredible deal in Japan popped up on my radar: Anker’s standard 511 Nano 3 charger for $16.99. Not to be confused with the original Anker 511 Nano Pro charger, the newer 511 Nano 3 charger will increase the cost fee from 20 watts of the unique Nano to 30 watts. More importantly, whereas the unique Nano supported fairly fundamental USB-PD at 5 volts and 9 volts and no PPS, the 511 Nano 3 helps 5 volts, 9 volts, 15 volts, and 20 volts in addition to two PPS profiles. The newer Nano 3 additionally options folding prongs which I favor to forestall bent prongs when stowed.

Gordon Mah Ung

Its most vital function although is its weight. The 511 Nano 3 is extraordinarily gentle, coming in at 39 grams on my scale, for a 38 p.c discount in weight versus the Elecom charger. Yes, it’s additionally a 33 p.c discount in wattage too, however I do know in actuality most telephones don’t run on the most cost fee very lengthy and the discount received’t matter an excessive amount of. 

So as insane because it sounds, per week and a half after shopping for three GaN chargers on trip, I got here again and purchased an extra 4 GaN chargers this Tuesday. Insane? Sure, I get that, however realizing simply how tiny and highly effective and way more superior these newer GaN chargers are, I truly assume it is sensible to improve my chargers as I’ve upgraded my cellphone.