Xiaomi USB Fast Charger

Or: Why you should spend more than 10 euros on your USB charger

This article is about the Xiaomi USB Fast Charger, but first a short background: As a part of my end of each day routine I put all my mobile devices and accessories on the charger.  Until recently my charger setup consisted of multiple adapters with a single USB port. However because of the lack of power outlets I had to switch to a single adapter with multiple USB ports. I found one for about five euros at a local shop. After two weeks of using the adapter (including a weekend trip), I saw that the adapter was cracked open. Check out the picture below.

This lead to a dangerous situation, both for me as for the equipment that was charging. So I decided to start looking for a charger that was way more robust. I found the Xiaomi USB Fast Charger, with the hope that it would help me out for more than two weeks. 

Specifications

The specifications as provided by Gearbest:

• General: Accessories type: Power Adapter
• Dimensions and Weight: Package size (L x W x H): 13.50 x 10.50 x 4.50 cm / 5.31 x 4.13 x 1.77 inches  //   Package weight: 0.3460 kg 
  Product size (L x W x H): 11.00 x 8.00 x 2.00 cm / 4.33 x 3.15 x 0.79 inches  // Product weight: 0.1840 kg
• Output:  4 x USB-A Output: 5.0V – 4.8A ( Single Output 2.4A Max ) // 4 x USB-A Output: 5.0V – 4.8A ( Single Output 2.4A Max ) // 1 x USB-A Output: 5.0V – 3.0A / 9V – 2.0A / 12V – 1.5A // 1 x USB-C Output: 5.0V – 3.0A / 9.0V – 2.0A / 12V – 1.5A
• Input: 100 – 240V, 50 / 60 Hz, 1.6A.
• Working temperature: 0 – 40 Deg.C.
• Power Cable: 100 cm. 

Expectations

I hope the Xiaomi USB Fast Charger is a product that is very durable because of his build quality and its high quality technical components. First of all because of the brand Xiaomi, second because 25 euros still is quite a lot of money for such a device.  

Packaging

The product is nicely packed in a small white box with a product and Chinese text printed on it. 

Does it fit your mailbox?

Nope, the box is a fraction too thick. 

What’s in the box

The packaging contains the following items:

• A Charger
• Power Cable (Not EU)
• Chinese Manual

Features

The features as provided by Gearbest:

• 5 x USB-A + 1 x USB-C output design
• USB-A and USB-C output supports QC3.0 fast charging
  
• High-power output, convenient, saving time
  
• Multi-safety protection, safe, no harm
  
• AC100 – 240V internationally common voltage, meets more countries use

Build Quality & Design

As you can expect from Xiaomi: the build quality is suburb and the design makes you think about Apple. The firmness of the USB ports, rounded corners and power indication led that lights up through the top of the charger shows it is not another product and worth the money spend on it. 

Usability

Bad start

Although I really have been loving the Xiaomi USB Fast Charger from the moment I got it out of the box, we started a bit off on the wrong foot. This was because the moment I plugged in the power cable I realized there was no EU power plug on it. Of course I had a spare cable available and there are adapters for the power plug, but it stays a flaw in the overall consumer experience. It is also not mentioned on the product page on Gearbest.  In case you want to know more about the different power plugs and sockets: we wrote an article about it.

Unlike the power cable, the elegant design of the Xiaomi USB Fast Charger is very well thought-through. The white power indicator LED on top of the charger saved me once when I accidentally unplugged the charger. The durable design will probably eventually get some scratches, but after a couple of weeks of normal use I still can’t detect any major ones.  

Using the Charger

The charger has four normal USB-A ports, one USB Type-C port and a single Fast Charge USB-A port. To start with the least sexy feature: the four normal USB ports deliver a total maximum of  5.0 V –  4.8 A (with a maximum of 2.4 A, which is nearly equal to an iPad charger). Both the USB Type-C and the Fast Charge USB-A port can fast charge a device using Fast Charge 3.0. They use a dynamic voltage and ampere range to achieve this (5.0V – 3.0A / 9V – 2.0A / 12V – 1.5A). Because of the nature of the battery, the first part (untill about 80%) of a Quick Charge can be done at a maximum Wattage, the last part needs to be done at a lower Wattage. 

When using the charger it has a total maximum of 60W. Unfortunately I don’t have the equipment to test the power throughput, so no power graphs, but I can share my experiences with the charger as a user: I’ve been using the Xiaomi USB Fast Charger for a couple of weeks now and I am still enthusiastic about it: it does what it needs to do, and charging does not heat up the charger. It charges up my equipment every night. I used it for Quick Charge only 2 times (with a borrowed One Plus 6) and it really charges the phone quickly: within 50 minutes the battery is at 60%. 

Alternatives

There are many alternatives with comparable features, which are at least twice as expensive (Anker) or at quality level which is inferior to the  Xiaomi USB Fast Charger. 

pro / cons

pros

• Elegant design
• High Quality
• Does not get hot even under heavy use.

cons

• Not shipped with the right (EU) power cable. 
• Price. 

Price quality

The Xiaomi USB Fast Charger is not the cheapest charger but you get what you pay for: a good product for a decent price. So I definitely not switching  back to the five euro crappy USB chargers and am sticking to the Xiaomi.

Verdict

If only it had the right power cable shipped with it, than it would be perfect. I really like using the Xiaomi USB Fast Charger and am planning to use it for a long time. Considering the build quality and the prices of the competitors it is a good deal. When ordering the Fast Charger at Gearbest, just also add the right power cable to your shopping basket (it’s about € 1.50). 

where to buy?