AUKEY (PA-D2) Focus Duo 36W Dual-Port PD Charger REVIEW | Mac Sources
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AUKEY (PA-D2) Focus Duo 36W Dual-Port PD Charger

5

A cost-effective, compact, efficient wall charger for USB-C devices.

I’m a firm believer that you can never have too many charging options for your gear. Since there are so many different third-party manufacturers out there, we wanted to highlight a trusted company — AUKEY. AUKEY is a leader in power and charging technology and they make some great power adapters. Since more and more product designers seem to be leaving power adapters out of their equipment packages, taking a closer look at one of AUKEY’s more versatile power adapters — the Focus Duo 36W Dual-Port PD Charger — seemed like a good idea.

DETAILS & SPECS

The Focus Duo 36W Dual-Port PD Charger is a compact, efficient charging adapter. It has the ability to ‘fast charge’ USB-C compatible devices like smartphones. The charger is augmented with AUKEY Dynamic Detect, which means that either USB-C port can output the full power of the charger (when used on its own). When used simultaneously, the ports can provide an output of 18W each. The adapter is designed to be compact and travel-friendly. It is actually about 30% smaller than the Apple 61W power adapter. The plug is foldable for maximum portability.

SPECS

Model: PA-D2

Input: AC 100–240V 50/60Hz

USB-C Output 1/2 (Power Delivery 3.0): DC 5V 3A, 9V 3A, 12V 2.5A, 15V 2A, 20V 1.5A

Max Power Output: 36W

Dimensions: 64 x 60 x 29mm / 2.52" x 2.36" x 1.41"

Weight: 115g / 4.1oz

USER IMPRESSIONS

The 36W Wall Charger from Aukey arrived in a plain cardboard box with a line drawing of the product on the front. The back only featured contact information for the company and the model number of the product (PA-D2). While a product like this doesn’t really warrant fancy packaging, I would completely pass this up if it were sitting on a shelf in a retail store. It would be nice if some product details were included on the back along with the model number.

Upon opening the box, I found the charger laying on top of some cardboard packaging. Beneath the packaging was a user manual and a 24-month product warranty card. Even though the main focus should be on the adapter, I think it would be great if a short USB-C cable was included with it.

The user manual provides instructions and details about the product in six different languages — English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Chinese. In addition to product care and operational instructions, Aukey also includes a nice description of what Power Delivery is.

“USB Power Delivery is a new, universal multi-voltage charging standard that dynamically negotiates power output over a USB Type-C connection to safely and efficiently recharge a wide range of compatible devices.”

One of the things I really appreciate about Aukey products is their sleek design. They have rounded corners and soft edges. Even though it’s ‘just an adapter,’ Aukey does a superb job of taking pride in their product designs.

After unboxing the adapter, I plugged it into a power strip and allowed my iPad Pro to charge in order to test the charging rate and efficiency. The iPad immediately started charging when it was plugged into the adapter. After 35 minutes, the iPad gained 9% battery for a charging rate of 0.25% per minute. As a comparison, we recently completed a review of another AUKEY Power Adapter. It was their 18W power adapter, which we also used to charge the iPad Pro from. In that case, the charging rate was 0.20% per minute. So, the Focus Duo 36W Dual-Port PD Charger definitely provided a quicker, more efficient charge than an adapter with a lesser output.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Focus Duo 36W Dual-Port PD Charger is a really nice option to carry with you for those times you need to charge a USB-C compatible device. It’s cost-effective (available at a discount on Amazon at the time of publishing this article) and compact. I would recommend this to people who are looking for a dependable USB-C power adapter.

For more details, visit AUKEY, Facebook, and Twitter.