It is most common to find a dual-port USB in-car charger with two 2.4A USB ports, however, with more powerful smartphones releasing each year, each with upgraded technology. With advancements in USB 3.1 and USB-C, terminology such as ‘QC3.0’ and PD (Power Delivery) technology is becoming increasingly more common in wall-charging devices and power banks, and we are now beginning to see them appear in the car too.
The Anker PowerDrive II Duo is one such in-car charger that has moved on from conventional USB-A ports and has embraced USB-C as its primary connection ports. This charger features two USB-C ports at the very top of its sleek black charger, combined they offer a total output of 36W, which is more than enough to supercharge two smartphones or tablets at once, or even juice up a MacBook Air.
We are seeing a number of USB-C devices come on to the market, and if Europe has its way, Apple may replace its lightning connect with USB-C sometime in the future too. If you have an iPhone 11 Pro, you already have a USB-C to Lightning cable to get the maximum fast recharging capability out of Apple’s smartphone, so we’re not just talking about Androids and iPad Pros here.
The Anker PowerDrive III Duo is wrapped in a mix of gloss and matt black plastic and measures 68.6 x 35.7 x 35.7mm in size. Two PowerIQ 3.0 (USB-C ports) sit on the rather bulky bulbous end of the charger. A blue LED ring sits above them to offer you some illumination in the area, for when you’re looking to connect to it in the darkness of night.
Each PowerIQ 3.0 USB-C port offers up to 18W of power, for a total of 36W. That’s enough to fast charge your iPhone XS Max 2.5x faster than its equivalent stock charger, and it will match the equivalent Apple 18W stock charger that comes with the iPad Pro 11”. If you’re on the move with a USB-C powered laptop and you wish to charge your MacBook Air or similar USB-C powered device, you could also charge from the PowerDrive II Duo also.
Your devices are protected thanks to Anker’s MultiProtect feature, which monitors the operational temperature and overload of the device. Its fireproof case construction also helps protect the device too.
It will not be long before we will soon require a USB-C charging device, such as the Anker PowerDrive III Duo, in our cars. As technology evolves, so does the demand in our cars. If you are already equipped with a USB-C powered device and you’re looking for an in-car solution to keep you juiced up, then at a reasonable retail price of £16.99 ($22.99 US) from Amazon, look no further than the Anker PowerDrive III Duo and futureproof yourself for a number of years to come.