As technology advances, our lives are now inseparable from digital products. The number of smart devices each person owns is on a path of rapid increase, along with screen time usage. As a result of this, charging demands have also risen. The amount of plugs is having a hard time keeping up with the demand, so the multi-port charger has become a convenient and practical solution. Many multi-port chargers now support fast charging, recharging devices very quickly, and meeting the needs of most users. This has attracted many different consumers to buy related products.
Since the PD power share charger cannot be certified in a laboratory, it needs to be designed based on specific characteristics to get successfully certified. As various manufacturers have started production on related products, issues have also risen alongside. Manufacturers make chargers with different wattages and there are still differences between each brand’s fast charging. This means it’s necessary to consider compatibility and safety issues between different products during product development. Therefore, it has become more and more important for brands and distributors to choose ODM products, considering there are so many products in the market today for consumers to choose from.
Common Issues For Multi-port Chargers
Allion has collected data on user reviews on the Internet. Below are the key issues that consumers are most concerned about:
1.The charger easily falls or pops out of the outlet
- Which design is better, foldable plugs or external power cords?
Foldable plugs are more portable, but since they need to be connected to an outlet, they could occupy other outlets. Also, due to the weight of the charger, the plug could potentially become loose during usage if the copper plate of the socket isn’t clamped on well enough (poor quality or old components). - External power cords enable users to connect charging equipment in different scenarios and distances. If the cord is damaged or needs replacing, users can easily replace the cord without having to replace the whole charger. However, it is inconvenient in terms of portability since an additional cord needs to be connected to the charger, adding more weight and volume.
2.The LED indicator is too bright in dark environments
The LED indicator makes the charging status easy to understand during usage, but the color and brightness of the LED light may cause problems. In a dark bedroom, blue light can be very uncomfortable to look at and also interferes with sleep quality. Therefore, it’s recommended for the indicator light to have a lower brightness.
3.Charging ports are too close together
It was found that if the charging ports are too close together, inserting and removing cables from the charger can be very inconvenient. Therefore, it’s recommended that the spacing between the ports should be larger, making it easier to plug and unplug cables. In addition to this issue, sometimes the weight of the charger and the force of unplugging cables can cause the charger to separate from the outlet. This is also an issue that can be mitigated during product design.
4.The user manual and packaging do not provide sufficient information regarding charging specifications
There’s no user manual or written content that lets consumers know more information about charging specifications. There are also too many charging protocols, which makes charging inconvenient. Allion found the following issues based on various online reviews and research on consumers:
- Lack of information on charging specifications (provided for professional users):
Usually labels on the packaging will communicate the maximum charging specifications of the product, and some will have more detailed information in the user manual. However, there are situations where this type of information is not communicated that well, leading consumers to misunderstand the specifications of the products. - Unclear setup information (for general users):
Not all users have a clear understanding of charging specifications. From the data we collected, we found that only a few products have illustrations or instructions in the manual about how the multi-port charger distributes wattage when charging. - Different charging protocols for each port
Is it true that more charging protocols equals a better user experience? To maximize charging performance on a device, it requires a charging specification protocol. When the charging protocols are different for each port and this isn’t communicated that clearly in the user manual, some consumers will not know which is the optimal port for charging. This can result in the users thinking that the charging performance isn’t that good, affecting their experience with the product.
With user feedback, we can understand where the issue lies, such as knowing if they obtained sufficient information during the usage experience or whether the user manual can guide the user to use the product correctly. This is an important indicator for consumers when purchasing these products.
Allion is the only laboratory in this industry that has both USB-IF certification experts and compatibility experts in our personnel. Having worked with many major brands and clients, we can help manufacturers understand the perspective of their users with unboxing tests and verifications. Allion has decades of experience in identifying problems and providing suggestions for our clients in this industry.
Faster, Easier, Better！Customized Consulting Service for PC Accessories
Other than paying attention to the product design and user manual, it’s also necessary to pay attention to the charging capacity and charging efficiency of each device. Potential problems for different user scenarios can be found just by being attentive to the details. Allion can help clients save time and cost on building their product ecosystems. We can provide compatibility tests, benchmarks, competitive analyses, and user scenario simulations. With our consulting team, our clients can enjoy a faster, easier, and better service experience, ultimately improving overall sales numbers.
Faster
Allion has professional experience in USB-IF certification and USB charging compatibility testing. Whichever stage your products are in, we can assist you in carrying out certification and compatibility testing simultaneously. Our approach makes product development and the debugging process much more efficient.
- Quickly build a charging-related testing laboratory
- Quickly design development verification strategies
- Quickly obtain validation planning
- Quickly obtain USB certification planning
Easier
By implementing AI and automation solutions, Allion ensures that every test is “qualitative, quantitative, and reproducible”, helping our clients to improve product performance in a more efficient manner.
- Provides less labor-intensive testing methods
- Provides more efficient and cost-effective solutions
- Provides more accurate results
Better
With more than 30 years of expertise, specialized technical team, and comprehensive testing environments and equipment, Allion is committed to providing clients with more improved quality of service based on extensive experience of User Scenario Testing.
- Provides more complete user scenario testing solutions
- Provides more complete verification testing plans
- Professional issue isolation and debugging support
If you have any further needs for testing, verification, or consulting services related to the system, please feel to explore the services online or contact us through the online form.