XCELLON PDG-120W Mighty Mini 20W GaN USB-C Charger REVIEW

Fast, efficient charging for home, office, or on the go. 

I’m always looking for ways to be efficient with my charging devices. And since wall chargers are not always included with devices like tablets and smartphones anymore, it’s always a good idea to have a trustworthy secondary source for chargers. Xcellon is one of the places I look when I need a charger. I’ve used them many times and had reliable, safe charging from their products. The latest one I’ve enjoyed using is called the “Mighty Mini.” It’s a 20W GaN USB-C Charger that is ideal for my iPad Pro and for fast-charging my iPhone 12 Pro. 

DETAILS

 The Mighty Mini features GaN or Gallium Nitride technology. GaN produces less heat than traditional silicon, which means that the same power can be packed into a smaller charger when you use GaN. The charger also features power delivery 3.0 and PPS technology so that it can deliver the fastest possible charge. The charger has multiple safety features built into its circuitry, too. These protocols ensure that connected devices are protected against overcharging and short circuits. The Mighty Mini can deliver up to 20W of output power, which is perfect for most of the ‘flagship’ phones and tablets in the market today. Xcellon also boasts that this charger can charge the Canon EOS R5 and wireless microphone systems like Rode’s Wireless Go II. 

SPECS

• Output Port: USB Type-C
• Power Input: AC 100-240V 50/60Hz, 0.6A Max
• Total Power Output: 20W Max
• Power Output
• PD 3.0: 5V/3A, 9V/2.2A
• PPS: 4.2-11V/2A
• Protections: Short circuit, over current, overvoltage, over temperature
• Dimensions (H/W/D): 1.23 x 1.23 x 1.27 inches
• Weight: 1.3 ounces

USER EXPERIENCE

The Mighty Mini comes in a simple box with a photo of the product on the front. The specs of the charger are on the back and the name of the product is stamped on the top. The model number “PDG-120W” is included on the box, but the nickname “Mighty Mini” is not. When you open the box, you will find the charger nestled inside a lightweight plastic sleeve. The sleeve is obviously designed to just keep the charger from sliding around inside the box. My box also had a silica gel pouch included. There were no written instructions or user manuals included. This wasn’t a big concern to me though since its operation is self-explanatory. 

The first thing I noticed was the charger’s size. It is approximately the same size as the original 5W iPhone wall chargers. And, in comparison to the Apple 20W chargers that are shipped with iPad Pros, it’s quite a bit smaller. That said, I would have loved to see foldable prongs incorporated into the design. The charger is already small in size, but foldable prongs would have made it that much more portable. 

As far as the price goes, the charger is very reasonable. The MSRP on xcellongear.com is $19.95, which is in line with replacement 20W chargers from Apple ($19), but you can order the charger for as low as $9.99 on sale (B&H Photo lists its regular price at $14.99). Similar 20W chargers are priced in the same manner.

To test this charger, I plugged my iPhone into the wall using the Mighty Mini. For 30 minutes, I tracked the charging progress of the phone every 10 minutes and noted the total battery charge at the end of the 30 minutes charging session. Then, I divided that figure by 30 and that’s how I came up with the charging rate. The charging rate for my iPhone 12 Pro ended up being 0.43% per minute. This is a little slower than I expected, but I suspect that was because the battery on my phone was above 80% so trickle charging was likely occurring.

CONCLUSION

The Mighty Mini 20W GaN USB-C Charger is a great option for a compact wall charger for modern mobile devices. It is really versatile and portable. It’s easy to carry from place to place and use. Given the price point and design of the charger, I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

For more information, visit XCELLON