These new products from Ugreen are the new face of safe and efficient charging (pun intended). Let’s see what this new line of chargers has to offer beyond just a unique design.
GaN chargers have become increasingly popular over the past few years. Gallium nitride, or GaN, is a relatively new material used in semiconductors for chargers, making them significantly faster and more powerful while still ensuring they are relatively portable, efficient, and safe. We’ve seen a number of chargers from a variety of manufacturers over the past year, but Ugreen’s Uno series has one unique feature.
Ugreen Uno RG
Leading the new line of chargers is Uno RGis the 4-port, 100W GaN Robot Fast Charger. While 100 watts of power output isn’t exactly new for a GaN charger, the Uno RG is quite small. Measuring just 2.05 x 1.92 x 3.23 inches (52.16 x 48.9 x 81.94 mm), which is basically the size of a (double) shot glass, it can charge four devices at once. More importantly, it can charge a laptop at 100W when plugged in separately.
Power delivery depends entirely on the number of ports and which ports are in use. When charging just one device, the first two ports can be used to charge up to 100W. The third USB-C port can provide up to 30W, and the USB-A port can provide up to 22.5W when used alone. More efficiently, two devices can be charged at the same time, receiving 65W and 35W respectively, using the first USB-C port and one of the other two USB-C ports. The Uno RG also features the Ugreen ThermalGuard smart temperature control, which automatically shuts down the power in the event of overheating as an added safety measure.
Such a large number of charging ports and high capacity bring a lot of convenience to users who carry multiple devices for charging. Even more so since three of the four ports are USB-C. One can charge a laptop at 100W without carrying a large power brick, charge a laptop at 65W while also charging a smartphone or tablet at up to 30W, or charge mobile devices while charging a camera battery with a multi-slot charger (some brands offer up to four slots at once). This potentially eliminates the need to carry different chargers for each device. However, the applicability of that largely depends on the largest device being used as some laptops require 140W or even 200W for heavy graphics processing.
Of course, another unique feature of this charger is the TFT display that displays emoji animations indicating the power delivery/charging status. There are five different emoji indicators that represent between three charging states. They indicate whether no device is connected, whether the device is fast charging, or when the device is fully charged.
While this charger is quite small for what it offers, and while the display looks pretty cool, one can’t help but wish the display could also function as a way to monitor the actual output of each port, perhaps the battery percentage of each device, and even a temperature indicator. Yes, this would mean a slightly more advanced display, but given the capabilities of the small charger, it would be even more useful to be able to switch from cute and quirky emoji indicators to actual numbers showing current and charging information. Another thing to note is that depending on the wall outlet and the type of plug standard where you use it, there’s a chance that the display will be side-facing and not ergonomically visible.
Ugreen Uno 2 in 1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Station
Another charger that is being “upgraded” is Ugreen wireless charging dock. This 3.07 x 2.36 x 2.36-inch device comes with a Qi2-certified MagSafe-compatible fast wireless charger on a top panel that can tilt up to 70 degrees for a better viewing angle. The wireless charging platform can deliver up to 20W of power output, while the secondary USB-C port on the side can provide an additional 5W to charge small accessories (wireless headphones, mice, remotes) at the same time. On the back of the charger is a USB-C input port for connecting a properly paired charger and cable. The charging station does not include its own wall charger and cable, so you will have to pair it with chargers that can provide the necessary power.
Like the other products in this line, the magnetic wireless charging station also has a display on the front that shows two charging emoji indicators to differentiate between standby and charging. It’s confusing why the emojis for charging and fully charged are the same, when other Uno products have their own icons for them.
As mentioned with the Uno RG GaN charger, while the quirky emoji indicators are appreciated, it feels like a missed opportunity to provide more valuable information through the display. At the same time, since the wall charger and cable aren’t built into the device, it would probably be more impressive if it had the ability to charge larger devices at a higher power output via the secondary USB-C charging port on the side. If it could power a universal charger for camera batteries or even a laptop, it would be an effective desktop charging hub, reducing the number of chargers needed and helping to keep the user’s desk neat and tidy. These features could make it a completely different (likely more expensive and larger) desktop charger, but certainly a more useful and efficient one.
Other products in the Ugreen Uno line not included in this review are the 15W 10,000 mAh max power bank magnetic wireless power bankAnother product with a maximum output power of up to 30 W, as well as Ugreen Uno 6-in-1 USB-C Hub There is also an indicator display on the top panel.
What I like:
- Small but powerful 100W charger with four charging ports
- Unique design with screen
What I don’t like:
- The display can be used to provide actual output levels and speeds.
- The wall charger faces the side of some standard wall outlets, rendering the display useless.
