We have all heard the expression, good things come in small packages. That now applies to the new line of Omnia wall chargers from the folks at AUKEY, thanks to the latest GaNFast technology.
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What is GaNFast Technology?
GaNFast is a revolution is charger technology. Through the use of Gallium Nitride (GaN), a “wide band gap” semiconductor material, AUKEY Omnia chargers provide faster charging of your devices in a smaller and lighter package than chargers that use conventional silicone based components.
Apple Tech Talk Scorecard
| Pros | Cons |
| GaN technology makes them small enough to carry in your pocket | None |
| Dynamic Detect allows charging of multiple devices | |
| Multiple configuration options to meet your particular needs |
AUKEY Omnia Mix 65W PD Wall Charger
When we travel with our 13” MacBook Pro, one of our biggest issues is packing the original Apple 61W wall charger that came with the computer. In addition, we also have to pack the original wall charger or some other charger for our iPhone.
The
new AUKEY Omnia Mix 65W PD Wall Chargers changes all that.
AUKEY Omnia Mix 65W PD Wall Charger – Unboxing
The package for the AUKEY Omnia Mix 65W PD Wall Charger (Model # PA-B3), is as small as the charger itself, and contains the AUKEY Omnia Mix 65W PD Wall Charger, a User Guide and the usual 24-month Warranty card.
The wall charger measures a mere 2.05” long x 2.05” wide x 1.18” thick (52mm x 52mm x 30mm) and weighs just 3.6oz (102g).
The 2-prong US plug unfolds from the front of the charger when needed and folds away completely for storage.
The AUKEY Omnia Mix 65W PD Wall Charger has self-switching power input of 100-240V 50/60Hz at 1.5A.
The front of the charger has a USB-C port which supports Power Delivery 3.0 and outputs DC at 5V 3A, 9V 3A, 12V 3A, 15V 3A and 20V 3.25A.
There is also a USB-A port that outputs DC 5V 2.4A.
Finally, above the two USB ports is a single LED indicator to show that the wall charger is powered.
AUKEY Omnia Mix 65W PD Wall Charger – Test Results
As you probably expect, there isn’t much to test on a wall charger, since when you plug it in, it either works or it doesn’t.
Instead,
we will focus on the many positives we see when using it.
First, and perhaps most important is the size.
The AUKEY Omnia Mix 65W PD Wall Charger is about half the size of the Apple 61W wall charger included with our 13” MacBook Pro. This is true for almost all of the Apple wall chargers which are all about the same size.
While the Apple charger has a single USB-C port, the AUKEY Omnia Mix 65W PD Wall Charger has both a USB-C port and a USB-A port. The AUKEY Omnia Mix 65W PD Wall Charger has “Dynamic Detect”.
When the USB-C port is used alone, the charger provides a full 65W of power to recharge your MacBook. When both the USB-C and USB-A ports are used, the charger automatically reduces the USB-C output to 45W and delivers 12W through the USB-A port. This allows you to charge your MacBook and iPhone simultaneously. This eliminates the need to have a separate charger for your iPhone, making travel a little easier.
We like the LED included above the ports of the AUKEY charger. On more than one occasion, we have tried to use an outlet in a hotel room, only to find out after connecting everything, that the outlet didn’t work.
Because of the higher power output of the AUKEY Omnia Mix 65W PD Wall Charger, the time to recharge your devices is greatly reduced. In AUKEY’s lab tests, charging an iPhone 11 with 0% power for 30 minutes, using the standard 5W Apple charger brought the power level on the iPhone to 16%. Using the AUKEY Omnia Mix 65W PD Wall Charger under the same conditions for the same 30 minutes, charged the iPhone to 55%.
Like most AUKEY power products, the AUKEY Omnia Mix 65W PD Wall Charger has built-in safeguards to protect your equipment from excessive current, overheating and overcharging.
AUKEY Omnia Duo 65W PD Wall Charger
If all of this sounds interesting but you would rather have a wall charger with two USB-C ports, check out the AUKEY Omnia Duo 65W PD Wall Charger (Model PA-B4).
The AUKEY Omnia Duo 65W PD Wall Charger is the same size and weight as the AUKEY Omnia Mix 65W PD Wall Charger, but the USB-A port is replaced by a second USB-C port.
It uses the same GaNFast and Dynamic Detect technology discussed above, but where the Mix provides 12W of power from the USB-A port, the Duo provides 18W from the second USB port when both ports are in use.
AUKEY Swift 18W PD Wall Charger
If these 65W wall chargers are more than you need or you just want something more compact, consider the AUKEY Swift 18W PD Wall Charger (Model PA-F1).
Measuring just 1.73” x 1.69” x 1.1” (44 x 43 x 28mm),and weighing just 2.05oz (58g), it is about the size of an AirPods case and with the foldable plug tucked away, it can easily fit in your pocket or purse.
The single USB-C outlet supports Power Delivery 3.0 and provides DC 5V 3A, 9V 2A and 12V 1.5A. It will still recharge an iPhone 11 from 0% to about 50% in just 30 minutes.
Given the price and convenience of the AUKEY 18W PD Wall Charger, it makes sense to carry this in your bag, even if you already have the larger 65W charger with you.
Don’t Forget Your Cables
Like many of you, we keep a travel bag of chargers and connectors packed at all times so we can just grab it and go. That not only saves time, but we never have to worry that we have left something behind, since a high speed charger does you no good if you don’t have a cable to connect it to your computer.
AUKEY has several options so you are always sure to have the cable you need.
We previously reviewed the AUKEY CB-CD6 USB-C to C Cable (read our review here). This 6.6ft (2m) braided cable supports USB Power Delivery when used with a compatible wall charger like the AUKEY Omnia series. It is rated for data transfer up to 480Mbps and supports charging of the 13” MacBook Pro 2016 and 2017 and the 2015 MacBook.
Some folks prefer to use right-angel connectors when they travel to reduce the chance that someone will accidently knock into the cable connected to the computer. If that describes you, check out the AUKEY CB-CMD37 USB-C to C Right Angel Cable.
These cables have the same braided design and provides the same FastCharge and data transfer speeds. While only 3.3ft (1m), they come two cables to the package so you never have to worry about not having a cable when you need it.
For iPhone charging, we suggest the AUKEY USB-C to Lightning Cable. At 6.6ft (2m) there is plenty of length to go from wall charger to iPhone.
The Bottom Line
We have been fans of the AUKEY brand for a while, and while we advise people to avoid cheap third party power products, you can be confident that products from AUKEY are well made and safe to use, without fear of damaging your Apple equipment.
You can find out more about these and other fine products at the AUKEY web site here.
We would like to thank the folks at AUKEY for providing the wall chargers and cables reviewed here.
What are your favorite chargers and cable for home, office o on the go? Why not join the conversation and leave a comment below?
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Apple Tech Talker
[…] The AUKEY 61W PD Wall Charger uses GaN technology which allows it to be about ¼ the size of an Apple charger with similar power. If you are not familiar with GaN technology, check out our earlier AUKEY review which has the details here. […]