The ReCHARGE+ Charger promises foldable, convenient, cable-free charging
With our ever busier lifestyles, we tend to use our phones for more and more. It is amazing to think that our smartphones compete with our cameras, our video game machines, our music players, our navigation systems, our movie players, note taking devices, internet searching devices, e-readers, etc. It is thus no wonder that we struggle with keeping our smart devices charged. Unfortunately, battery tech has lagged behind the smartphone advancements. With regular use of my iPhone X, I struggle to have enough charge for more than a day. If I ration my battery, limit Bluetooth connection and use strategic WiFi/Cellular data on/off connections (airplane mode), I have been able to get through a few days on a single charge. Knowing this limitation, I keep power cables and chargers in my car, at my computer and I often carry 10,000 mAh batteries to recharge my phone. The ReCHARGE+ may serve as the perfect portable emergency system since it will provide a wall charger, USB charger, portable battery and adaptors for micro-USB, Lightning, and USB-C.
The Thinium ReCHARGE+ Cordless Phone Charger arrived in a 6 7/8 inches tall by 5 inches wide by 7/8 inches thick retail package. The cover had a 3 1/2 inches wide magnetic flap with an attractive raised, glossy, image of the black charger. The shiny white background with red edging, served as a useful surface to highlight the picture quality image. To the left of the image, I found three icons promising product safety, and a 3000 mAh battery that can provide up to 150% extra battery life. To the right of the magnetic flap, the company provided three one inch circular images detailing the ability to power any phone with micro-USB, lightning and USB-C adaptors, foldable wall prongs and charging dock and the ability to power your phone by wall outlet/USB or battery backup. Rotating the packaging 90 degrees clockwise, you will find a solid red side panel with white “ReCHARGE[+]” and a promise of a 1-year warranty. The opposite red side panel displayed the side of the charger and the LED indicator. The white reverse panel was very well laid out, displaying four raised, glossy, images of the charger from the side and oblique views across the top. I was pleased with the use of red text for the titles and the black text for the descriptions. The text was easy to read and as noted, the layout simply worked. There were six icons listed on the back indicating 1.5x battery, USB compatibility, portable design, quick charge, versatility, and case compatibility.
Lifting open the magnetic front flap, you will immediately notice the charger behind a translucent window. To your left, you can see a very helpful “HOW IT WORKS.” The packaging included two magnetic plates, which improve phone retention and three adaptors (USB-micro, USB-C, Lightning). To use the product, install the needed adaptor and then slide your phone onto the charger. Inside of the packaging, I found the 2 3/4 inches wide by 6 inches tall by 1/2 inch thick charger inside of a white plastic tray. To the right of the charger, you will find two individually packaged boxes. The 1 1/2 inches wide by 5 inches tall by 3/4 inches thick “Accessories” box contained a micro-USB adaptor, USB-C adaptor, a 1 1/4 inches wide by 1 1/16 inches tall metal plate, a black kickstand, two extra suction pads and a booster that serves to support phones without cases. Beneath the charger, I found a 16-panel instruction manual and kickstand installation manual. Interestingly, the 1 1/2 inches by 1 5/8 inches by 3/4 inches white box was empty. The box cover stated that it should have had a micro to lightning adaptor but as stated, it was empty. I did not install the metallic plates as they heat up when using wireless chargers. In fact, testing the naztech MagBuddy system, I burned my hand when I removed my phone from my Ventev Wireless charger.
The Thinium charger had a pop-out charging port along the bottom edge. The very bottom had an adaptor release port, which allowed the different adaptors to plug into the micro-USB plug inside of the device. The foldable charging adaptor fully retracted into the charger for portability and storage. I found that the adaptor stuck out far enough to charge my wife’s iPhone 7, inside of a thin bumper case, but did not stick out far enough to charge my iPhone X inside of a bulkier Catalyst Waterproof case. I love the idea of this charger and the multi-use capabilities. The charging kickstand was an amazing addition, as was the ability to charge lighting/micro-USB/USB-C devices. You can rely on the 3000 mAh internal battery to charge your phone or you can charge via the hidden USB or you can extend the type A wall prongs hidden in the back. I plugged my wife’s iPhone 7 into the device and pressed the power button along the side. Starting at 46% at 8:38 pm, the phone increased to 73% by 9:05, charging at roughly 1% per minute. I found the charging rate was the same, whether I used the USB-A, the Type A wall prong or the battery. To continue with the test, I left the phone on charge and it reached 83% by 9:21, 93% by 9:46, 96% by 10:02 and 100% by 10:30. I was able to charge the iPhone 7 about 75% with the battery and upon completion, it had a single LED left.
The portable device was very convenient and my wife loved it. She liked that she could leave the charger in her purse or in the car and always have a wall charger and a portable battery. There needs to be a way to house the extra adaptors inside of the main shell, as they will be the first pieces that will be lost. Additionally, an extender would have been incredibly helpful, to accommodate larger cases. For phones with smaller cases, this device was amazing. If you have a larger case, it will not work for you. For just under $50, you get a passthrough wall charger providing 5v/2.4A and a battery backup that can provide power at 5V/1.5A. it provided 2/3 power to my wife’s phone with power remaining. In a pinch, this would be the perfect device to have on hand to keep your devices charged.
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