Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

UPDATED INFO: This review is for an older edition of the product. Anker has a bad habit of re-using old product entries when they upgrade their product. The new product is 24W, the old one was 18W. The new allows either Android or Apple in either port, the old one was one port dedicated for each. So, assuming the new one delivers on the specs (which I suspect is true, but since I don't own it I can't confirm), it looks to be an improvement, solving my largest complaint. ORIGINAL REVIEW: There is a lot to like about this charger. 1st and foremost, it is amongst those few chargers that both clearly indicate what types of devices it will charge and supports the vast majority of both Apple and Android devices. This is a lot more rare than many realize, as it is impossible, without some sort of switch/configuration, to have one port on a charger that supports both Apple products and Android products. This charger goes the route that a few others have and allocates one port to Apple products and one to Android. This is great for flexibility, and while when the idea was first introduced I thought it was a great solution, over time I've grown somewhat disappointed with it. My family, like most families, have settled into being a one-OS family (Android in our case). So what good does that 2nd port, which only supports Apple, do if all my devices are Android? Yes, I know that I can use special "charging cables" to make ports designed for Apple products work well with Android devices, but personally I find that a weak solution. It means I have to carry two different types of cables on a trip, one for an actual USB connection to a PC and one for charging. I'd rather not have to do that. This charger also has another new feature, one that I've only seen on one other charger, the PowerGen 15W charger. Most multi-port chargers, even those who support different devices on different ports, use one voltage converter to power all the ports (called "bridged" from this point forward). The downside of a bridged solution is that if one device pulls too much power, the other device suffers. This device has two entirely independent converters, so if one device pulls a lot, it will have no effect on the others. Kudos to Anker for taking the lead on that. The downside for this device is that both ports do not have the 2.1 amps of current I would like to see, that the most power hungry devices require. The Apple port is spec'ed to 2.1 amps, but the Android port is only spec'ed to 1.5 amps. This means that people with 10" Android tablets won't be pulling the full power they could, even if the other device is only an iPod. The bridged products don't suffer similarly. However, it is worth noting that this device is better than the one other device that has it, which only has two 1.5 amp ports. As for whether this delivers on its specs, my power draw testing passed with flying colors. The USB spec is that the voltage shouldn't dip below 4.75 volts. The 2.1 amp port was at 4.81 volts when I was pulling nearly 2.2 amps. The 1.5 amp port held at 4.90 volts even when I pushed beyond 1.6 amps. This makes this the best performing charger I've tested. As an added bonus, when I did push the unit significantly beyond it's amperage specs, the ports went into auto-shutoff preventing damage to the device, yet another positive for this device. I had two minor dislikes for me personally: It doesn't support the HP Touchpad (I recognize few of you will care) and it doesn't have a power LED. I know some will like that, as they don't like the distracting light, particularly at night. For me however, I prefer a light (not too bright of course) so that I know the device is working (or at least claims to be). Overall, for people with an iPad and an Android phone, or an iPhone and a 7" Android tablet, or a her iPhone and his Android phone, or an iPhone and a lower power device (less than 0.5 amps) or is willing to buy a "charging cable" I think you'll be happy with the device. Not only does it deliver a lot of current, its good construction and compact size also are positives on its side that you'll like. For me personally, this will replace my 15W bridged device from PowerGen for when I have one Apple and one Android device, but I'll keep using the 10W bridged device from Bracketron for when I've got two Android devices or am lugging around my HP touchpad. For device manufacturers, if you want my coveted 5-star rating, this is what you have to do: 1. Deliver 2.1 amps to both ports 2. Make each device configurable (a small switch, etc.) to be either Android or Apple 3. Have good ergonomics/quality/compact size like this Anker 4. Support the HP Touchpad (OK, you don't really have to do that, but I'd really appreciate it anyway) Notes on the devices I tested with: -HTC Evo 4G LTE - showed "AC charging" -Kyocera Rise - showed "AC charging" -LG Optimus S - showed "AC charging" -4th gen iPod Touch - charged correctly -HP Touchpad - didn't charge correctly -Breadboard with cut cables, power resistors and a fluke DVM used for power draw/voltage tests Full disclosure: Anker shipped/gave me this product for free in exchange for my honest feedback.