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Ugreen caught my attention earlier this year when it launched a new line of "Uno" accessories that are equipped with LED screens that can display fun emoji faces. The Uno range has everything from wireless chargers to power banks, and I've spent several months testing the products to see how they perform.

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Everything in the Uno line was designed with a "robot-inspired" aesthetic, according to Ugreen, which equates to a boxy style with an LED screen that can display emoji-like faces. The emoji faces are amusing and bring some fun to accessories that are typically boring, but they're also useful and can change based on power level and other factors.

Ugreen Uno Magnetic Wireless Power Bank

Priced at $45, the Magnetic Wireless Power Bank looks like a lot of other power banks on the market at first glance, featuring a rectangular design that mirrors the shape of the iPhone. An LED screen and an attached stand that happens to look like a set of headphones set it apart, though.

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The power bank is made from a smooth, metallic plastic material, with a soft silicone on the back where it attaches magnetically to a MagSafe iPhone. It feels relatively lightweight, but it is a bit over 3/4ths of an inch thick, so it does add some bulk to the iPhone. It comes in black, which looks similar to Apple's space black, and a light purple shade. Though it's a bit thick, it is pocketable, measuring in at 4.2 inches by 2.8 inches. The plastic material feels a little cheap, but it's light and I don't expect too much more for the price.

The LED display protrudes slightly which does indeed give it a distinctly robot-like look, and it often displays an emoji face that corresponds to power level. I say "often" because a lot of the time, it actually shows a percent reading of the exact power level. I don't know what triggers the emoji face to show up, and I wish there was a button to toggle between the power percent and the face.

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You need to turn the power bank on by pressing the side button when it is attached to an iPhone, which initiates charging. More than once, I've attached it to my iPhone and forgotten to activate it, but having a sleep state seems to preserve battery level when it's not in use. The button has other functions as well, and a single press will turn on the LCD, while a double press will turn it off.

When the power is on, it displays a "Hi" message, and when it's powering down, it shows a "bye" message. The emoji face that's displayed changes based on power level. At 100 percent, the face shows heart eyes, and at 99 to 80 percent, it changes to a happy face with smiling eyes. At 79 to 21 percent, it's a happy face with a more neutral eye expression, and 20 percent or below, there's a sad face. Each face animates slightly, with the eyes and mouth changing position.

This is a Qi2 charger, so it can charge MagSafe iPhones at up to 15W. 15W is no longer the maximum charging speed because iPhone 16 models support 25W MagSafe charging, but it is equivalent to the original 15W MagSafe charging. It has a 10,000mAh capacity, which is standard for smaller chargers these days.

In an hour-long test, it charged my iPhone 16 Pro Max from one percent to 39 percent, and there was 67 percent of the battery left. After charging my iPhone to 80 percent (the maximum I have set), the power bank had 20 percent power remaining.

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I've tested several times, and I am able to reliably get one full charge of the 16 Pro Max from the power bank, and I've had no issues with it during my testing. My iPhone does sometimes get warm, but it does that with any MagSafe power bank that I use.

Along with Qi2 charging, there is a USB-C port that can be used for charging iPhones and other accessories, plus it's used for charging the power bank. The USB-C port is 20W, so you can get faster iPhone charging using a USB-C to USB-C cable (included) or a USB-C to Lightning cable depending on which iPhone you have. 20W can also charge an iPad at a reasonable speed, but it's not enough for fast charging. Passthrough charging is supported, so you can charge the power bank via USB-C while also charging an attached iPhone.

There is an included stand on the power bank that flips down from the top. It holds an iPhone in an ideal position for FaceTime calls or watching videos, and it's sturdy. The stand has multiple positions so the viewing angle is adjustable, and it can be used in landscape or portrait mode. When not in use, it folds up at the top of the power bank and looks like a set of headphones.

Ugreen Uno 30W Power Bank

The $38 10,000mAh Ugreen Uno USB-C Power Bank is similar to the Magnetic Wireless Power Bank in design, but it doesn't have wireless charging. Instead, it offers 30W charging over USB-C, and it has a built-in USB-C cable.

All the emoji faces are the same and the build quality is identical, but the power bank is slightly slimmer and taller at 4.6 inches by 2.8 inches. This model is a little over a half inch thick, and does not magnetically attach to an iPhone.

While it has the same headphone-like design at the top, there is no stand. Instead, one side of the "headphones" features a power button for turning the power bank on and off.

Along with the built-in USB-C cable, there are additional USB-C and USB-A ports at the top, so more than one device can be charged at once. The flat USB-C cable tucks into a slot at the back of the charger, and it feels well-attached. I couldn't get it to budge by pulling on it, but there's always a danger that attached cables will break.

30W is fast charging for an iPhone, and my iPhone 16 Pro Max charged from one percent to 54 percent in a 30-minute period when testing, which is in line with fast charging tests using standard 30W power adapters. I was able to get one full charge out of the power bank before exhausting the battery.

Because it has a built-in USB-C cable, this model is best for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models that have USB-C ports, but since it has an extra USB-C and USB-A port, it can be used with a Lightning cable, too.

For charging at fast speeds, the USB-C Uno power bank is the better pick over the Qi2 model, and it's nice not to have to carry a USB-C cable around.

100W USB-C Charger

Ugreen's $48 1... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: Review: Ugreen's Line of 'Uno' Chargers and Hubs Brings a Bit of Whimsy to Utilitarian Products
 
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  • Haha
Reactions: JapanApple
Personally I think Ugreen usually have pretty good quality - but this don't look very good.
But it gave me a smile - so if they work a bit on it...it might get interesting in v. 2.
 
You would think that the display on the USB-C cable would be more useful for indicating the charging rate, not frigging eye brows.
 
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The aesthetics is for a different market that typically does not use MR.

For anyone looking for a powerbank, car charger or wall charger that does fast charging for iPhones & iPads.

Look for one that does 30W USB-C output. I typically fast charge with a powerbank or car charger.

Slow charge over night with a 5-12W USB-A wall charger.
 
Don’t know about the emoji stuff but i have two chargers, a couple of cables and just ordered an ssd enclosure from them and they’ve never disappointed me.
 
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Reactions: NoGood@Usernames
Bought the 30 watt power wall adapter earlier in the year and no complaints so far. Looks cool and it's a fun take on the thousands of adapter/chargers that are out there.
 
I absolutely love this concept! What a way to cheer up my day!
I have one question - the face that looks like a sideways y - what emotion does that mean? Best I can guess is it's supposed to be chewing, and you see his cheek? But the photo with that face wasn't being charged at the time.
 
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