Acefast Z4 PD218W GaN marks the return of fast and versatile charging hubs

Desktop charging stations aren’t always exciting. But then again, they need to be, considering we have a plethora of fast charging devices at our disposal that need charging from time to time. A smartphone, tablet, wireless earbuds, even a laptop. Most fast chargers, even the thermally more efficient gallium nitride or GaN ones, you’ll find are the 65-watt, 100-watt or 150-watt ones. Those can, often, struggle to power a powerful laptop such as an Apple MacBook Pro 16 consistently, and also fast charge a smartphone. That’s where the Acefast 218W GaN charging hub is what a power user’s work desk could do well with.

The form factor is the basis for the Acefast 218W GaN’s unique proposition. The fact that it is a charging hub, and not a simple charger, gives it a wider footprint and larger volume. It therefore can deliver more power, for longer, keeping temperatures well in check and therefore consistency of charge delivery. There are three USB-C ports and one USB-A port on the front of the charging station. Alongside a colour display. A colour display, you wonder? Unlike conventional charging stations or multi-port fast chargers, you’ll be able to see the operating mode and the voltage delivery at the time. The operating mode makes all the difference.

While GaN fast chargers tend to have pre-set maximum power ratings for each port and there are further variations based on the connected device load or requirements, a user doesn’t have any input in that. There are scenarios where a 65-watt GaN fast charger cannot deliver enough power for even an Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (this otherwise uses a 30-watt or 35-watt adapter, depending on configuration), if a fast-charging Android phone is juicing up its drained battery at the same time.

Also Read: Google Wallet app, now in India, isn’t bothered about credit cards or payments

That’s where the operating modes become important. The button on the front of the charging station is your port of call for quickly toggling between them. For once, a charger doesn’t decide how worthy a connected phone, tablet or laptop is, but you can.

Mode A allocated 100-watt (C1), 65-watt (C2), 30-watt (C3) and 18-watt (A). Mode B is more of an equality-based option, putting through 65-watt through C1, C2 and C3 along with 18-watt for A. Mode C is to be selected if you need 100-watt each through C1 and C2, with C3 unavailable and A staying constant at 18-watt. Mode D disables the A port, with 100-watt each for C1 and C2, while C3 gets allocated 18-watts.

In all likelihood, you’d find yourself using Mode A the most if your need is to power and charge a laptop and a smartphone simultaneously. Alongside perhaps a smartwatch or some true wireless earbuds. Mode B is ideal for multiple smartphones needing to be charged at the same time. Mode C or Mode D would be the recommended option if you’re powering two laptops simultaneously, for example.

It’s a polycarbonate finish, but really good quality at that. The transparent (Acefast calls it a ‘crystal design’) to show off the innards of a charger, is a nice touch. This weighs around 655 grams, but then again, you can carry this around fairly easily. In our experience, the Acefast 218W GaN charging hub remains impressively cool on its outer panel, even after 3 hours of usage charging a MacBook Pro 16-inch and juicing up Android phones back-to-back, both usage lines drawing close to 100-watt simultaneously.

There is the cost aspect too. At around ₹8,500 for this charging station, you’re negating the need to buy two or more separate chargers that’d deliver similar sort of charging speeds. If you’re to buy a dual-port 65-watt GaN charger, the speeds get divided if both ports are in use. The minimum you are looking at is at least one 100-watt GaN charger, and two if you’re looking at the sort of convenience that Mode C or Mode D allow with full-fledged computing devices – an Amazon Basics one costs around ₹5,000 while the Promate GaN Port4 costs around ₹6,000.

Also Read: Banks rely on AI as digital transactions grow, and methodology of frauds evolves

The Acefast 218W GaN charging hub is the return of charging hubs for desks and workstations, a form factor we thought we’d lost as GaN chargers became smaller with incremental power boosts. Acefast have managed to dial up the power to a level, for which you’d need more than one typical charger. That’s utility, in a form factor which balances desktop placement with portability. Power users would appreciate the convenience of an all-in-one solution.