IDAPT i4 Charger
The IDAPT i4 Charger simplifies your charging station with removable plug in adapter tips for each device you use and routinely have a need for charging on more than one device at a time.
Ease of Use, Performance: 24/25
Look & Feel: 24/25
Features 22/25
How much I enjoy 23/25
Total: 93/100
I really like the idea and implementation of a universal charge station as well as having all my charging for my battery operated devices in one place. Cell Phone, Nintendo DS, Sony PSP and all those AA and AAA batteries all need to be plugged into a wall at some point or another.
Having all the various chargers I use almost daily for my work and fun right at my office shelf makes things very convenient for charging and a single device for most of this is handy. The IDAPT i4 fits the bill nicely for a handy charger base with interchangeable socket tips for each device as well as a side USB connection.
The IDAPT i4 is a small base unit with a 6 3/4 by 5 1/4 top and 1 1/4 inches tall using three plug in sockets for your devices along with a side USB connection. The IDAPT system uses a socket plug they call tips with two spring contacts on the bottom that connect to the base power system and the appropriate plug on the top for your devices.
The base unit has three sockets with side buttons that pop the tips out of the base and the unit also has the side USB connection with the common USB A female plug in. The IDAPT i4 uses common wall power and comes with a power cord, the base unit, either a default 6 pack of tips or a custom 4 pack of tips you choose from the available tips on the site.
The tips are easy to figure out which ones you need with the default pack having the most common phones for four of the tips, a microUSB and miniUSB tip. The other pack where you can choose your four tips would be the way to go if you do not have any device for the tips of the default pack.
Even though I received the default pack I did buy a couple from Amazon for my Sansa View and my Nintendo DS so I have all my charging needs in one place. I did not try out or purchase the AA/AAA battery tip as I have plenty of battery chargers and did not feel a purchase on my part was necessary for the review.
The tips plug easily into the base and pop out with a push on both side buttons to change them out with another one, this really is a nice system for phones and smaller devices. The main feature I was concerned with was the unit that has the devices like your MP3 player standing upright and only being held by the connector on the bottom.
For my MP3 player, the SanDisk Sansa View I had no problems placing the player on the base and tip and having it charge easily without falling over. I also have a Nintendo DSi that hangs over the base and is a bit bulky but it sits on the charger base and tip well.
The IDAPT i4 has a simple on off push button switch on the top and each socket has an indicator that shows what is charging and charged at any time. The unit does shut off each socket when the device has charged so it will not be sending power to each socket full time, only when the device needs power while connected.
I had no problems charging all the devices I tried including my Sansa View, Nintendo DSi, Syma RC helicopter and several others using the side USB connection which does not really add any difficulty. The top tips work well and are very easy to pop in and out without hassle, you can store spare tips right next to the unit and just quickly pop one in when you need to.
You can also use a special tip/adapter to charge batteries like AA and AAA rechargeable batteries that add a very unique feature that several other charger base units don’t offer. The ability to not only charge devices but the more common rechargeable batteries really adds a feature that I like as it puts all the charging you should need in one device.
You can have the IDAPT i4 sit on a table by your front door where you commonly leave your phone after a day at work or out on the town and have all your charging needs in one spot. The IDAPT 4 costs about $60 with tips costing about $5 each and the AA/AAA battery costing about $20 with all of them readily available on the internet.
I highly recommend the IDAPT i4 for a convenient and well-designed charging base that can be configured to charge all your handheld devices in one simple to use unit.