There are usually only two things that matter to consumers when it comes to a USB charger: making it as small and powerful as possible. The aesthetics of a wall wart rarely take into account the purchase decision, but now someone has come and created a wall wart that looks like a small Macintosh computer, with a bright, smiling screen.
We make a backup. Most consumers are also happy to use any USB charger included with the device they have purchased, but as more and more smartphone manufacturers send devices without a charger in the box, this is a trend that we will probably see spreading. to other devices. soon too. The demand for third-party chargers will only grow, especially because many companies are taking advantage of a material called gallium nitride to create very small but powerful wall warts that will not occupy a strip and are much easier to travel.
So the 35 GaN Retro Charger from a company called Shargeek (is it the abbreviation for shart or shark?) Actually has more to it than an adorable retro-inspired design. It uses GaN technology to produce 35 watts of power, enough juice even for a laptop, but with an overall size that isn’t much larger than the 5-watt USB chargers Apple previously shipped with the iPhone.
With a set of folding tips suitable for North America at the bottom, the Retro 35 also uses colored LEDs to illuminate its small screen and indicate its charge status, changing from white to yellow to blue to green depending on power and load speed. of the connected device. The smiling face of Happy Mac on the screen can also be replaced by other icons or images, as the creators have provided a template for users to print their own on transparent sticky material.
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The only reason we don’t call Shargeek to shut up and take our money is because the company has chosen the crowdfunding route to bring the Retro 35 to consumers, with a contribution of only $ 25, half its price. a total of $ 49, for his Indiegogo campaign he had to place a pre-order, with delivery scheduled as early as July. The company has already exceeded its funding target of only $ 510, but it’s always a good idea to anticipate unexpected delays with mass-funded products and understand that you may have to wait longer than promised. your device and accept the very real reality. the risk that, as with many other crowdfunding products that failed before, you may never see a product or a refund. Beware of the buyer.