Published on July 2nd, 2017 | by Sunit Nandi

Innergie PowerJoy 30C Review: One Wall Charger to Power Them All

Introduction

Nowadays, most of us have multiple devices. Consider me, for example, who has two Android phones and an iPad. And among us are a lot who are always on the go. That includes me too. Now imagine the amount of effort to pack in different power adapters with different power ratings, and taking out one among them when you need to charge one of them. We’ve all been there, right? Fortunately there is a solution. The upcoming PowerJoy 30C USB wall charger is an attempt to solve this problem.

About the Product

The PowerJoy 30C USB-C Wall Charger is (oh well!) a wall charger with a USB-A and a USB-C ports. As stated on the product page

Each of these ports have dynamic power sensing (called SmartBoost) that automatically selects the optimal power output to charge your device, usually being 35% faster than stock chargers.
The InnerShield feature protects devices from short-circuiting, voltage surges and over-heating.
The charger is extremely power efficient.
The charger is made of durable material. Innergie claims that it can handle temperatures upto 120 degrees Celsius.
The charger has been designed in such a way that it occupies as little space as possible and avoids blocking other sockets if plugged into a power strip.
The compact design also ensures that it can be easily carried in a jeans pocket.

A video with an overview of the features is given below:

So how does it perform in real life? We’ll soon find that out, as I have a pre-release unit sent to me from Innergie.

So without further ado, lets move on to the review.

Unboxing

Innergie shipped us a pre-release unit in a simple cardboard box packing, with absolutely no inner packaging apart from a simple bubble wrap. So this time, I am going to skip reviewing the packaging as this is something that is going to change completely once the PowerJoy 30C is in production.

The PowerJoy 30C itself is a small white glossy plastic block. The front on the charger has the words Innergie written on it.

The back of the charger has a port for the multiple socket adapters. Also, on this side, the power ratings and regulatory information are printed.

On the side are the two ports, one USB Type A and the other Type C.

The socket adapters come in three types, a US plug, an EU plug and an Indian/South American plug.

On the back of the plugs is a groove which secures firmly to the port on twisting.

This is how the PowerJoy 30C looks like when completely assembled.

Now that we have unboxed the product, lets use it.

Usage and Experience

The PowerJoy 30C USB-C wall charger feels like an absolute beauty when held in the hand. It looks and feels premium, something you could associate with Apple or HTC OEM mobile accessories. I felt its durability when I accidentally dropped it twice while taking it out of the bubble wrap. It did not even get a single scratch or nick in the process. However, the gloss finish makes it prone to fingerprints and regular wear and tear makes the casing lose its shine over time.

The size is indeed perfect for everyday travel. When the plug is not connected to the charger, it is compact enough to fit into a jeans or trouser pocket. Also, the swiveling plug design ensures that you can plug it into a wall plug at any possible angle.

Looks matter the least when something like a charger is considered, so I wont dwell on it. Instead let’s move on to the usage.

The PowerJoy 30C when plugged into a power socket has a subtle blue LED that indicates it is running. It gels pretty well with the glossy white casing.

Now lets come to charging tests. First I tried to charge my YU Yureka smartphone from flat battery to 100%. The stock charger takes 2 hours and 10 minutes to fill up the 2500 mAh. The Innergie PowerJoy 30C finishes the job in 1 hour and 40 minutes, a saving of 30 minutes.

Next, I charged my Apple iPad Pro LTE 12.9″ 128GB from zero to full. It took about 4 hours and 35 minutes to charge to full, same as the stock 12W charger (5V x 2.4A).

Coming to charging a Motorola G5 Plus with a 3500 mAh battery, it takes close to 3 hours. The stock 15W TurboPower adapter in the box takes 1 hour and 30 minutes.

From all the above observations, we can conclude that the PowerJoy 30C can deliver varying power upto a maximum of 12W on the USB Type A port. On the USB Type A, neither Qualcomm Quick Charge nor DASH charging is supported.

The Type C is however, where the magic comes in. The PowerJoy 30C supports USB PD. So it can charge a USB-C mobile device (like OnePlus 5 or Google Pixel) at the same or better than stock charger speeds.

Image source: cjay.cc

The Type C port can also power laptops like Macbook Pro, Chromebook Pixel or the Dell XPS series, albeit at lower charging speeds as the type C port output maxes out at 30W, according to paper specs. Right now, I do not have a type C laptop to test this out. I’ll be updating this section later when I purchase a Macbook next month.

Another thing I noticed about the charger is that it does not heat at all even under load. Also, it does not make a hissing noise like some of the universal chargers I reviewed previously. The build quality is quite good.

Overall, I liked the charger. I only miss the ability of the USB-A port to charge faster than 12W. Apart from that, the looks, design and wide device compatibility makes it a brilliant travel companion. I’d happily recommend it to travellers who have several devices with a mix of micro-USB and USB Type-C ports on the go.

Summary

Pros

Wide compatibility with devices and charging rates.
Choice of 3 wall socket adapters.
Extremely good USB-C performance with USB PD.
Good looks and premium feel.
Strong and sturdy plastic body.
Good heat dissipation. Silent.

Cons

Glossy body loses shine with wear and tear as well as is prone to fingerprints.
USB Type-A port doesn’t support Quick Charge/DASH charge/TurboCharge, and thus cannot deliver power over 12W.

Conclusion

The Innergie PowerJoy 30C USB-C Wall Charger has proved to be a capable universal charger for mobile devices and small laptops. If we ignore the USB-A port limitations, it is one of the best universal chargers I have come across. Possessing great build quality and wide compatibility, it is a perfect accessory for regular travellers.

Pricing and purchase details will be revealed later by Innergie upon product launch. For now, you can subscribe to updates via email on the pre-launch page.

Techno FAQ rating: 9/10

Tags: 30C, adapter, charger, Innergie, power, PowerJoy, wall charger

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.