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Old 05-03-2010, 11:47 AM   #1
scottjl
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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Griffin PowerDuo for iPad/iPhone/iPod

Just a mini-review on the Griffin Technology PowerDuo that I received today. $40 for a combo pack wall and car charger that works with the iPad (supplying 5v @ 2.1Amps for a fast charge), iPhone, iPod or any other USB device if you supply your own cable.

Both the car and plug chargers are made of thick black plastic. The prongs on the wall charger fold flat for easier storage and travel. The car charger is one solid piece and does not have any sort of fuse that other car chargers have. I don't know if it has a self-sealing fuse inside or just doesn't have anything, no specs on the web site say. Both units have green lights that let you know power is being supplied to your device. Both are small and relatively lightweight without extra casing. The outlet charger is more rectangle vs. Apple's squarer design and has some slightly sharp plastic edges.

Inside the minimal packaging (no blister pack!) is the car charger, the outlet charge, a 3' (1m) cable and a "Griffintechnology.com" sticker similar to Apple stickers included with their products. There is no documentation, warranty papers, etc. in the box. Product specifications are printed on the outside of the cardboard packaging.

The included cable is black and seems to be quality made with thick cabling and good stress relief points at the connectors. There is no marking on the top of the iDevice plug, unusual, so if it's upside-down you won't know until you try to plug it in. It is locking with two buttons on the side to squeeze to release the cable from your iDevice.

Specs:

PowerBlock (wall charger)
  • Input: 100 - 240 V AC
  • Output: 5 VDC @ 2.1 amps

PowerJolt (car charger)
  • Input: 12 VDC
  • Output: 5 VDC @ 2.1 amps

The PowerBlock sells for $30 and the PowerJolt $25 individually, or $40 for both. Individually they each come with a USB-to-30pin iDevice cable, the combo pack only comes with a single cable. Guess individual cables go for $15 each.

For $10 more than Apple's 10W USB Power Adapater you get a car charger as well, although Apple's does include a longer cable and is white. These chargers have been blessed by Apple to work with their products, no error messages about "Not designed for this device" when plugging them in.

I would have liked a longer cord, and rounded edges on the PowerBlock, but these are well made chargers from a reputable company. If you're looking for an extra charger for your iDevice you might want to consider picking this up.

Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5.
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