AOHi has announced Magcube 30W charger, and it is titled as the “smallest 30W charger”. This is cool, but there are more things in a charger to consider than just its size. Does AOHi Magcube 30W provide value in different aspects? Let us explore the customer requirements and the extent to which these features are available in Magcube 30W.
What do Customers want in a Charger?
So in a quest to find the answer to this question, I read many blogs, customer reviews on Trustpilot and Amazon, forums and found the main things people are looking for when they are buying a charger these days.
- Support to Various Devices
- Fast Charger
- Small Size
- Sturdy Profile
- Competitive Price
These five features are the most-wanted by customers. So, I decided to test the newly released AOHi Magcube 30W against these features. So, read along as I am sharing the detailed review of AOHi Magcube 30W.
You may not have heard of AOHi because the firm has only just begun selling chargers commercially, but you may have used one of their chargers. AOHi is a new brand from Aohai Technology, a firm that makes chargers for a variety of firms, including Google, Nokia, Oppo, Xiaomi, Vivo, Belkin, and ASUS, to name a few. Aohai Technologies has a 14.5 percent market share and manufactures a variety of products.
Magcube Support Various Devices:
With the modern power delivery technology, chargers are able to support a plethora of devices using proprietary standards. For example, the same charger can charge Android phones running on QC standard, Apple devices with their proprietary standard; Gaming consoles like Nintendo Switch; and even laptops.
Magcube 30W supports power delivery with 30W maximum power output. The charger can charge iPhone 8 onwards with fast charging. It is able to charge Samsung Galaxy 8 onwards with QC3.0 and QC4.0+ standards. Magcube can even charge your MacBook Pro and Nintendo Switch.
Speaking of technical specifications of protocols supported by the Magcube 30W charger, it supports PD2.0, PD3.0, QC2.0, QC3.0, QC4.0+, PPS, Apple2.4, BC1.2. Magcube has the same chip inside as used in Apple’s official charger.
The charging power outputs are 5V-3A, 9V-2.22A, 9V-2.77A, 15V-2A, 20-1.5A.
Fast Charging Support and Magcube 30W
Fast charging has made our lives much easier, with phones charging almost full in 1-hour becoming a common thing. Every device nowadays comes with fast charging protocols. Therefore, customers are looking for a charger that supports fast charging for several devices.
Luckily, Magcube 30W supports many fast-charging protocols. In my testing, I was able to charge my iPhone 12 pro, Google Pixel 5, and Nintendo Switch using fast charging. Here are the detailed charging testing results:
iPhone 12 Pro:
since this charger has the same chip inside it as used in official apple chargers, I was able to charge the phone using fast charging. Seeing a fast-charging indicator when using a nonproprietary charger is a miracle on Apple. About charging speed, Magcube 30W charged the iPhone 12 Pro at around 20W. Moreover, the charger filled 50% battery juice within half an hour.
Google Pixel 5:
Using the Magcube 30W, I was able to charge the phone using the QC4.0 protocol. I got a 90% charge within an hour, an impressive speed.
Nintendo Switch:
Magcube 30W also supports fast charging on the Nintendo Switch, and within an hour, the battery charged from nil to 56%.
MacBook Pro:
I will not be harsh here since the recommended wattage for charging MacBook pro is 61W. However, I tried to test it to check the ability of the charger. To my surprise, the MacBook did charge. I was able to get 30% within an hour. This speed is not to be happy about, but I always like to have extra options lying for charging my MacBook Pro.
Small Size and Magcube 30W
The users have increased the demand for small chargers. With the arrival of GaN technology, the chargers have reduced in their sizes and increased in power delivery. GaN is the usage of Gallium Nitride as a semiconductor in charging devices instead of Silicon as used in traditional chargers. Using GaN increases the power density and decreases the power dissipation through heat.
Magcube 30W is based on GaN+ technology. Using this technology, AOHi has been able to squeeze 1.18W in 1cm3 of volume. This is considerably larger than the market standard of 1W per cm3. The end result is this technology is a charger that is the same size as the traditional apple 5W in box charger but packs six times more power.
Size Comparison of Magcube 30W with its competitors
The Magcube 30W is just 1.1 by 1.1 by 1.3 inches. The charger weighs only 40 grams or 1.4 ounces. The charger comes with flat pins plug (plug Type A).
AOHi Magcube 30W is only 40g in weight
Sturdy Design and AOHi Magcube 30W:
Users have demanded a design that is small yet sturdy to hold. Since chargers are a long-term investment, the users have preferred to pay extra for high-quality material that last years, if not decades.
Premium Design
The Magcube 30W by AOHi is sturdy with a metallic front having a precision carved diamond vein design. This design is made from CNC-cut metal, making the charger premium and good-looking.
Heating Issues
The heating issues are a common issue in the chargers due to the squeezing of larger power in the small profile. However, with GaN+ technology, plenty of heating paste, and a metallic body with better heat conduction characteristics, the Magcube 30W remained at an average temperature.
Indicators
Indicators are also a thing that makes the user experience a little more exciting and useful. The Magcube has a minimal LED indicator that shows the status of charging. The charger has three charging statuses.
LED Indicator on AOHi Magcube 30W
The green light shows that trickle charging is taking place. This includes charging Bluetooth audio devices and smartwatches. The green light also lights up when no device is connected.
The amber or yellow light indicates that fast charging is being performed.
The blue light shows that standard charging is being performed. This indicator lights up when a device connected to the charger doesn’t support the fast charging protocol as sued by Magcube 30W.
Price and Magcube 30W:
The users have placed price as an important factor in their decision o buy a new charger. People mentioned that they are willing a device at a mid-range price provided the perfect balance between quality and value.
Magcube 30W is valued at $29.59 for the charging brick only in the US. Right now, the company is offering promotional prices. The charger is available on the AOHi website for $26.99, or you can avail 30% off on Amazon. The coupon reduces the price of the charger to just $20.7. You can find no better deal than this.
Final Words:
The arrival of GaN+ technology has made chargers compact and powerful. However, this has increased the demands from the users. AOHi Magcube 30W can provide value to customers by fulfilling all the criteria set by customers making it a perfect option.