Many iPhone house owners today have extra than simply their smartphone to cost up at night time. due to Apple’s strong product ecosystem, an iPhone is usually joined by an Apple Watch and a set of AirPods, and there’s no scarcity of equipment designed to make it straightforward to handle and cost these units collectively.

Such is the case with the $130 Ugreen 3-in-1 MagSafe Charging Station, which takes benefit of the MagSafe expertise constructed into iPhone 12 and newer fashions. Ugreen’s charging station holds your telephone in place whereas quick charging it and juices up your Apple Watch and a set of AirPods (or different small wi-fi charge-capable earphones) on the similar time. It’s an impressive-sounding bundle on paper. However what’s it like to make use of?

MagSafe vs. magnetic charging

Though the iPhone has supported wi-fi charging for the reason that 2017 iPhone 8 and iPhone X have been launched, this was sometimes restricted to a most of seven.5-watt charging. That fell in need of what many competing Android handsets have been providing. It wasn’t till the iPhone 12 got here alongside two years in the past that Apple elevated wi-fi charging speeds. Nonetheless, like many different producers, the corporate selected to take action by introducing its personal proprietary charging customary: MagSafe.

Because the title suggests, essentially the most seen characteristic of MagSafe is the magnetic attachment between an iPhone and a charger. Nevertheless, there’s a extra necessary facet that’s not fairly as obvious except you pay shut consideration. Anyone could make a wi-fi charger with a ring of magnets that can match up with these discovered on a trendy iPhone, however solely an Apple-certified MagSafe charger will present 15W charging.

Whereas we will’t at the moment say for positive what the iPhone 14 will deliver, the iPhone 13 nonetheless charges at solely 7.5W when laid onto a customary Qi-compatible wi-fi charger. Solely real MagSafe chargers will present the quickest wi-fi charging that trendy iPhones are able to. 

This could make it tough to buy wi-fi chargers, as many corporations listing their chargers as “magnetic” and even “MagSafe-compatible.” Nevertheless, except they carry Apple’s “Made for MagSafe” branding, they don’t supply 15W iPhone charging. Even well-known Apple accent companions like Belkin and Mophie promote each MagSafe chargers and generic magnetic chargers which are additionally iPhone-compatible. 

The excellent news is that Ugreen’s MagSafe charger matches into the previous class. It’s formally MagSafe-certified by Apple, including one other stable possibility that folk with an iPhone and Apple Watch might need to take into account. 

A sensible, versatile design

Ugreen’s 3-in-1 MagSafe charging station is without doubt one of the extra compact tabletop stations we’ve seen. Whereas it clearly can’t compete with a moveable journey charger like Mophie’s 3-in-1, it takes up much less area than Belkin’s 3-in-1 wi-fi dock. 

It’s clear that Ugreen goes for a extra sensible than creative design right here, though that’s to not say the Ugreen stand is unattractive. It has a elegant white gentle plastic end with chrome accents, nevertheless it nonetheless feels extra utilitarian than fashionable. The design might have been partly impressed by Apple’s MagSafe Duo journey charger, though the plastic on Ugreen’s stand isn’t fairly as rubbery as what Apple makes use of.

To cut back the charging station’s footprint, Ugreen has tucked the AirPods charging pad behind the iPhone dock, a intelligent trick that makes use of what usually finally ends up being lifeless area on different charging stands. This assumes that you simply don’t need to see your AirPods whereas they’re charging, however I feel that’s honest, particularly since there’s a inexperienced LED on the entrance of the stand that lights up when the AirPods charging pad is energetic. 

The AirPods charging pad has a recess designed for an AirPods Professional case, nevertheless it’s simply a 5W Qi-compatible charger, so you need to use it for different earbuds that help wi-fi charging or another small system thatcould slot in there. You possibly can even drop one other iPhone or Android telephone on that spot, though it’s a bit awkward because it sits instantly under the first MagSafe charger.

It’s not unattainable, although, because the MagSafe charging disc additionally pivots from about a 75-degree angle to a utterly horizontal place. This allows you to select a handy viewing angle for your iPhone and in addition means you possibly can angle it upward to make room to cost one other system under it. You possibly can even lay out two telephones bunk-bed type to cost each concurrently. 

The flexibility to orient the MagSafe charging disc to the horizontal additionally enables you to simply cost different smartphones and even older iPhones that don’t help MagSafe — albeit solely at slower 7.5W Qi charging speeds. 

An Apple Watch may also be charged in one in every of two positions: laid face-up on the bottom with the strap prolonged or propped up within the conventional “nightstand mode” orientation. The Apple Watch charging disc is on a spring-loaded hinge that pops out from its recessed place within the charging base by urgent a button on the again. When prolonged, the disc might be adjusted to a 45-degree or 90-degree angle perpendicular to the bottom. 

Though the Apple Watch charging disc folds down into the bottom, that is for charging, not portability. The MagSafe stand for the iPhone doesn’t fold down or detach, so this isn’t a stand it is best to anticipate to take with you. It’s designed to be left on a desktop or desk.

Energy and equipment

Ugreen’s 3-in-1 MagSafe stand requires a USB-C energy supply that may provide a minimal of 25W, and also you’ll want to offer one as you’ll solely discover a USB-C cable within the field. That’s a bit disappointing contemplating the worth of this stand, however Ugreen additionally sells a broad vary of energy adapters. 

Whereas you need to use your Apple USB-C iPhone charger in case you have one readily available, that solely offers 20W of energy, so that you received’t be capable to use all three charging areas at most efficiency. The stand requires 15W for the MagSafe charger, plus 5W every for the Apple Watch disc and AirPods pad.

It’s additionally price mentioning that Ugreen’s stand can’t fast-charge an Apple Watch Collection 7. It solely offers 5W charging on the Apple Watch disc whatever the mannequin. That’s not stunning, although, as Belkin is the one third-party accent maker that’s embraced quicker charging for Apple’s newest wearable. 

An excellent (albeit acquainted) charging possibility

Ugreen’s 3-in-1 MagSafe charging stand is a succesful charging stand that works as designed and provides a couple of attention-grabbing twists — significantly by being extra adjustable than others we’ve checked out. Nevertheless, there’s not a lot to set it aside aside from the general design.

To be clear, the adjustable stands are a huge plus — I’ve been utilizing Belkin’s Enhance Cost Professional 3-in-1 wi-fi charging stand on my bedside desk for the previous couple of years, and there are occasions I’ve wished I may angle my iPhone into a extra handy place. 

But when adjustability isn’t your factor, then you definitely’re just about all the way down to aesthetics. Ugreen is barely extra inexpensive than Belkin’s 3-in-1 MagSafe stand, its principal rival. Nonetheless, it’s important to needless to say Belkin consists of the mandatory charger, so that you’ll solely be saving cash with Ugreen’s charging station if you have already got a appropriate 25W or better USB-C charger readily available. 

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