[REVIEW] Inateck 5 Port Smart USB Desktop Charger w/pics!

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TheByteSmasher

Senior Member
Jan 14, 2010
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This is a review of Inateck's 36W 5-port USB Desktop Charger. http://www.inateck.com/inateck-uc5001-5-port-usb-family-sized-desktop-charger/

This is my first time with an Inateck product and my initial impression is Quality.

I received their new 5 port Smart USB charger and have spent about 1 1/2 weeks testing it and putting it through its paces. More on performance later. For now... Initial impressions:

The product arrived in a clean, easy to open, minimalist package. Under the outer sleeve is an unassuming, cardboard box, with a slide in type closure and bent/molded cardboard for packing.


The outer sleeve contains all the usual information:




The Packing:



Included:



My initial impression was both good and bad. The bad however, was quickly assuaged. The unit is relatively small, no doubt due to the transformer being in an external power supply. That was my initial "bad' feeling; the charger comes with a laptop style power supply:



At first I thought "UNGH! A laptop charger?!" but shortly I realized the genius of it. By not incorporating the transformer/converter in the unit itself, nor in the plug, give you a smaller more svelte desktop component and the plug fits in a crowded outlet and doesn't fall out due to its own weight.

The outside of the unit is plastic and includes an on/off button and a single blue LED. The LED lets you know the charger is on. This is a nifty light that lets you know it's powered, but really only would only be useful if you plugged your device in and it didn't charge. The charger has 3 1A charging ports and 2 2.1A ports. This configuration suggest it was designed more for Apple than Android since apple iPhones/iPods use 1A and iPads use 2.1... BUT they work well with android also. My phone (Nexus 4) uses 1.5 maximum amps for charging and charges in both the 1A and 2A ports, slower and faster respectively. Most android tablets are also 2.1 amp so the 2 higher ports work for them also.

I have charged my devices a few times and can say that this little beauty works as advertised. I have charged 5 items at once and it didn't even get hot! I charged my: iPod 4th gen, iPod 5th gen, Nexus 4 phone, Nexus 7 tablet and my Jaybird X Bluetooth headphones all at the same time and since my phone was on a 2.1A port all items charged within their normal charging limits.





One of the best features of this charger is that it doesn't have designated ports for certain items.. I can charge anything in any port (as long as the amperage agrees :) ) So I don't need to fuss over what goes where.
All in all the only complaint I have is a small one: I wish they'd used rubber feet on the bottom of the unit to prevent it sliding around, but since I can pick up a set of small rubber buttons for a buck at my home store, it's really not a big issue. I can definitively say that this Inateck 36W 5-port USB Desktop Charger is ONE of the BEST chargers I've ever used. I keep mine on my nightstand, and I can keep 5 devices charged and not need to unplug my alarm clock! :laugh:

They are on sale at Amazon right now also!






Questions & Comments are welcome, as always!
 
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