USB Charging Stations and Chargers

How to choose a Charging Station for your Apple device.

Apple has established its own platform ecosystem, incorporating distinct device charging features not found on Android devices. There are specific things you have to look for specifically while purchasing an Apple charger or charging station. A charging station is a robust charger that conveniently consolidates all your Apple devices in a single, easily accessible location, enabling simultaneous charging of multiple devices.

1. PD or Power Delivery Ports on the charger.

The latest MacBooks, iPad, and iPhone models (iPhone 8 or later models) can benefit from a new fast charging technology that is supported by USB-C Power Delivery (PD). This technology allows for higher levels of power to be delivered quickly through USB-C ports, ranging from 18 to 160 watts. To charge your Apple devices with this new technology, you should look for charging stations with USB-C PD ports. If the charging station has QC printed on it or QC figures in the specifications table of the device information, it means it uses a different fast charging standard that is designed for Android devices; Apple devices will charge through the QC ports, but will only do so at a slower standard USB charging power delivery.

2. Minimum Power Output For Different Devices

if you're going to be charging multiple devices at the same time, it's really important to consider the the total wattage needed to charge your devices. For example most models of iPad require a power adapter rated at 10-12W or greater to reliably charge. So if you're going to be charging 10 iPads all at once you'll need about 100W-120W in total to charge them all at the same time. If you connect them to a charging device that only allows 60W in total, this may cause the charging device to overload or not charge at all. 

Although the charging station has multiple USB or USB-C ports, it may not be providing the maximum power output for each one of your devices. To ensure maximum power output, check the body or specification table of the charging station for the port's maximum power output. If you want to charge a MacBook Pro, look for a USB-C PD port with an output higher than 60W. For a MacBook Air, look for an output higher than 30W. For newer models of iPhone, iPad, AirPods, and Apple Watch after iPhone 8, look for an output higher than 18W.