Home Tech Accessory Review- IDAPT i4 Charging Station

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I have way too many devices that need to be charged on a regular basis. There’s my iPhone, my iPod touch, my LiveScribe Echo smartpen, an assortment of Bluetooth headsets, the Motorola headset I use for running and more. The result is a jumble of wall chargers and a tangle of cables that is annoying, collects dust and just looks terrible. That’s why I was excited to check out IDAPT’s latest Universal charger, the IDAPT i4. The i4 looks similar to the i3 but with one significant, and useful change, it now has a USB port on the side that makes it possible to also use the unit to charge your iPad (or other devices with USB charging cables).

I like the IDAPT i4 a lot and it now has a permanent place on my desk in my home office. Let’s take a look…

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From The Company-

IDAPT I4 is an innovative charging solution that can charge up to 4 mobile devices simultaneously and is compatible with over 4,000 mobile electronic devices including the iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Nintendo DS, PSP, GPS systems, digital cameras, and Bluetooth products.

The IDAPT i4 features an interchangeable tip system making it completely customizable. It has 3 charging points and an additional USB charging point, allowing users to charge their electronics without the mess of tangled cords or the need for more than one outlet.

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Features-

The i4 comes with a number of adapter heads to get you started.
Included tips fit… iPhone/iPod, microUSB, MiniUSB, Samsung, Nokia Sony Ericson
A wide assortment of adapters means the unit will work with pretty much anything you currently own or will own in the future

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My Take-

I like this unit… a lot. It is sleek, has a nice modern form and a relatively small footprint. The three spots for the tips are positioned in such a manner that you can load up the unit with various items and they will rarely get in each other’s way. Since I use it mainly with an iPhone or iPod touch I put the iDevice tip in front. Since my remaining devices use either a Mini USB or MicroUSB I placed those tips in the back.

The tips lock into place with a gentle press down and give a noticeable click when locked in. This way you know the tip is in and ready to be used. Removing the tip to swap in a different one is as simple as pressing down on the two buttons on either side of each tip.

A power button at the back is made of the same colored material as the i4’s deck. This way it is easy to locate (even in pitch black) but doesn’t stand out. In a nice design and usability touch what does stand out is the fact that when the unit is on a small light shines in front of eash tip. This way you will always know that the unit is pushing power through the tips and to your devices.

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To the front right of the unit (when facing it) is a USB port. Plug in your iPad’s cable and the iPad will charge too. Awesome. And if you have a sync/charging cable the iPad will sit in place while other gear is also charged.

The result is nice, neat and easy to use.

I do wish the unit came with two iPhone tips and left off some of the other tips. After all, I will NEVER use the Nokia, Samsung or Sony tips so they will simply go to waste. Then again, customizing each unit would be a bit impractical. One other minor complaint is the placement of the USB port. Since it is flush with the side of the unit it sticks out when something is plugged into it. The makes things the tiniest bit cumbersome. I would prefer if the USB were recessed or on the back to maintain the clean lines but since it works well I can’t complain too much.

The bottom line is this, The i4 looks great and works as promised. Instead of a mess of chargers and cables sitting around I now have the IDAPT i4 and an iPad charging cable plugged into it. Three, four or even five different wall adapters have been replaced by the one i4 plug and everything I own that needs to be charged can be from one tip or another on the unit. I no longer have to scramble to find the right type of cable for this device or that. I love it and am thinking of buying one for my study at work. Of all the multi-device chargers I have tried this is by far the nicest, easiest to use and most functional one I have tried.

The IDAPT i4 Universal Charger is available directly from the IDAPT web store.

MSRP: $59.99 for 4 or 6 tip bundle; Additional tips $10 each

What I Like:: Comes with a good assortment of tips; has a nice, low profile; will even charge my iPad; lights up to indicate it is on and charging; easy to swap out tips

What Needs Improvement: The 6-tip bundle I was sent for review is wasteful in that it includes three tips I will never use; I would love a bundle with 2 iPhone tips

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.

6 Comments on "Home Tech Accessory Review- IDAPT i4 Charging Station"

  1. Home Tech Accessory Review- IDAPT i4 Charging Station | Gear Diary: I do wish the unit came with two iPhone tips a… http://bit.ly/bYjD78

  2. stevenshytle | August 11, 2010 at 12:21 am |

    Almost every device I have had and half of wife’s electronics seem to always come loose at the charger, creating early retirement. “Balancing” to charge seems to invite even more stress to the problem. How do you feel handles this?

    • I was a bit concerned about this at first but don’t see an issue. I certainly would not charge the iPad on the iPhoe tip for that reasons but it works fine for other devices. For it I use the USB connection and the iPad dock from Apple.

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