Gallium Nitride (GaN) Charger Best Phone Charging Accessories The promise of cooler and more efficient charging in a more compact form factor cannot be denied. The RavPower Power Delivery (PD) Pioneer is a compact GaN charger that promises 65W of charging power and 4 ports for connecting devices.
The PD Pioneer ($59.99) is a little more expensive than a simple phone charger, but it promises a lot. I have extensively tested the functionality of the charger with various devices. Let’s take a look at what features this RavPower PD Pioneer 65W 4-Port Desktop Charger Review has to offer.
59 USD .99
What you need to know about the RavPower PD Pioneer 65W 4-Port Desktop Charger
Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority
- RavPower PD Pioneer 65W 4-Port Desktop Charger: $49.99 / £45.99 / €49.99 / Rs 11,999
The 158g RavPower PD Pioneer 4-port desktop charger is lightweight and highly portable. It’s built as a hub, not a wall adapter, so you’ll need to carry a regular AC cable as well. Included in the box, but there is no bundled USB cable. As far as color is concerned, black is the only option.
See also: What is GaN and what does it mean for technology?
The ports you can use to charge your gadget are 2x USB-C and 2x USB-A. The USB-C port is USB PD protocol and it draws current up to 3A at 5V, 9V, 12V, 15V and 20V. Enough to charge the most demanding USB-C laptops on the market.
Two “Smart” USB-A ports support a variety of charging standards, each limited to 18W of power. The port boasts Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charge, Apple 2.4A charging, and Huawei Fast Charge. So you can quickly power various devices using older USB ports and charging methods.
what good?
Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority
The RavPower PD Pioneer offers more than just what you need to charge a device. In my tests, I gave the Honor MagicBook Pro laptop 60W and the Microsoft Surface Pro X 53W. This was enough to charge both the devices within 2 hours. However, it is much slower than the speed of the boxed charger.
The adapter can charge a variety of USB PD and Quick Charge devices, including: Iphone and Nintendo Switch. Two USB-C and two USB-A ports feel like the perfect balance of connectivity for old and new devices. In addition to the wide range of standards supported by the USB-A port.
The RavPower PD Pioneer handles all these charging options with an energy conversion efficiency of over 82%. It’s also in the ballpark of other GaN chargers I’ve tested.
| RavPower PD Pioneer 65W GaN Charger Test | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | Microsoft Surface Book X | Honor Magic Book Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USB Power Test | 14.2W / 25W | 18.7W/20W | 53.6W/60W | 60.4W/65W |
| Voltage and current | 8.58V, 1.65A | 8.68V, 2.15A | 19.5V, 2.75A | 19.5V, 3.1A |
| Charging standard | USB PD 3.0 | USB PD 3.0 | USB PD 3.0 | USB PD 3.0 |
| The strength of the wall | 17.4W | 22.8W | 63.5W | 71.5W |
| Energy… |