power adapters

Amazon bargain site Woot! is known for its bargain-basement sales on tech items, but Tuesday’s Best of Tech sale digs up some oddities, including an offbeat selection of Apple products. An international travel-adapter kit, for example. The much-maligned FineWoven iPhone cases (also silicone). And an AirTag keychain with a carabiner clip.

Not to mention gear from Belkin, Victrola and others — everything from chargers to solar panels.

The Best of Tech sale runs through April 9. See below for some of the most interesting items on sale.

While most people know iFixit for its brilliant teardown videos of Apple gear, its primary business is selling repair tools and other accessories. And that now includes a new 65W wall charger with a 6-foot cable.

As one might expect from a company known for looking inside devices, part of the housing for the new iFixit Fast Charger USB-C AC Adapter is transparent, showing off the internal components.

Amazon bargain website Woot! is back with an another Apple sale. You can get up to a stunning 86% off many of the company’s popular accessories.

You can bag bargains on Apple iPhone cases and sleeves, AirTag leather loops and keychains, a MagSafe charger, adapters, cables and more — 25 items in all.

In the fast-growing world of increasingly compact-yet-powerful gallium nitride (GaN) chargers, Ugreen is a player. The company has expanded its line of multiport chargers and recently sent me its Nexode 140W model to try out.

I found it potent, reasonably compact and a fine purchase for most people who need to charge laptops, tablets, smartphones and other devices — especially if they can get it at the discount below, which makes it an exceptional value.

With the iPhone 14 series imminent, Anker rolled out its tiny new Nano 3 wall charger Tuesday along with an “industry-first” set of eco-friendly, bio-based charging cables.

The gallium nitride-based Nano 3 is even smaller than before and packs 30W of power. But the real headliner may be the two sizes of plant-based USB-C charging cables for USB-C and Lighting devices.

And you can get the charger and cables in a choice of fanciful matching colors and at 10% off for two weeks, Anker said.

Belkin trotted out two new Boost Charge Pro GaN wall chargers Tuesday in 65W and 45W versions. Both adapters feature dual USB-C ports and programmable power supply (PPS).

The compact chargers are designed for fast charging. You can use them to power up an iPhone 13 to half-full in 28 minutes, the company said.

It’s not easy to get super-excited about chargers. But the current wave of ever-smaller and ever-more-potent gallium nitride (GaN) chargers gets the heart pumping a little faster than that or your average sleeping person, at least.

And if anyone’s keeping us awake and watchful regarding the charger market, it’s Anker.

The company recently held a special event to release six chargers in its new GaNPrime line. The first to arrive in my hands is the Anker 747 GaNPrime Charger, which pumps out 150W of power through four ports. But it’s just small enough to toss in your computer bag or knapsack without a second thought.

The miniature dual-port power adapter that Apple showed off at its recent developers conference is now available. The USB-C charger provides up to 35W and is compatible with a wide variety of devices.

In addition, Apple also launched a version of its classic MacBook power adapter with two USB-C ports, not just one.

Apple is reportedly about to release a power adapter with dual USB-C ports, not just one. It’s hardly cutting-edge — accessory makers have offered similar wall chargers for years. But it’s good news for those who prefer Apple-branded gear.

There’ve been rumors Apple is going to start using gallium nitride in its chargers. A dual-port one might be a sign this is finally happening.

You shouldn’t need to carry around a different charger for your iPhone, Apple Watch, and MacBook. The point of technology is to make things easier, which also means not making you stuff a bunch of charging blocks into your bag. If you want to keep all of your Apple devices charged while you’re out, then the Charwego Universal Power Adapter is the way to go. This powerful charger can power up five devices at the same time, will fit into almost any outlet, and is on sale for $34.99 in black or blue.

Aukey makes a USB-C charger that’s about as small at the standard 5 watt iPhone charger but provides far more power. The Minima 18W PD Charger can quickly juice up an Apple phone or tablet, as well as other devices. With it, that old 5W charger can go in a drawer where it belongs.

It’s a low-cost option, plus I tested the product with an iPhone and an iPad so you can be sure you’re getting your money’s worth.

MacBook users might be getting a charger from Apple that’s less of a brick. At last! The Mac-maker reportedly will start sourcing power adapters made with gallium nitride. GaN semiconductors allow these vital accessories to be significantly smaller than the old silicon ones.

That should be welcome news to Mac users, as the power adapters that come with MacBooks now are noticeably bulkier than third-party options.

The Minix Neo P1 uses gallium nitride to pack three powerful USB ports into a tiny wall charger. It can provide up to 66W to an iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch or other gear. And the power adapter is made for travel, with fold-down prongs and adapters for a wide variety of countries.

I tested the Neo P1 with a variety of devices. Here’s how it stood up.

Apple won’t include a wall charger or a pair of headphones with the upcoming iPhone 12 series. And it doesn’t stop there. The company no longer bundles these accessories with any handset ordered from the Apple Store. Even if they came in the box before.

The iPhone 12 reportedly will ship without packaged earbuds, but according to reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, it might also lack another standard piece of kit in its box: a charger.

In a new note to clients sent over the weekend, TF International Securities analyst Kuo confirms as legitimate a recent photo of a 20-watt power charger for the new iPhone. However, he says it won’t come with the next-generation iPhone 12.

Traveling usually comes with anxiety over either not having access to a wall socket for all your devices, or having the wrong one for the country you’re in. Consider that problem solved with the Twist+ World Charging Station, a compact charging hub that makes sure no matter where you go, you’ve got a place to plug in all your devices. It’s a game-changer for convenience, and it’s going for just $34.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.

If I was to ask you what kind of product is the PlugBook, what would you say? If you guessed that it’s a power adapter in the shape of a book, then congratulations! You just won today’s Cult of Mac Cup Of Awesomeness, which means you can go have a drink alone in your local bar.

They don’t do it often, but when they do, Apple doesn’t like to mess around when it comes to suing other electronics companies for infringing upon their patents and intellectual properties. No, Apple lawsuits tend to end like a round of Mortal Kombat, at least figuratively. Close your eyes and you can mentally transpose Steve Jobs for Sub-Zero; as the judgment comes down, he holds aloft the fluid-spurting spinal column of a defeated opponent while screaming and staring into the sun. The internet then provides the commentary: FATALITY.

Bad news indeed, then, for Media Solutions Holdings, who must already be feeling the twinge of legal lumbar pain. Last week, Apple filed a patent infringement lawsuit against them, claiming that the company is using a host of different websites (such as laptopsforless.com, laptopacadapter.com and ereplacements.com) to sell knock-off MacBook and MacBook Pro MagSafe power adapters.