Modern smartphones and tablets are definitely power-hungry beasts, requiring up to 2.1A to charge at full speed. While you can get car chargers that’ll dispense the necessary power, usually they’re 2A split between two USB ports – not enough to charge a tablet and smartphone simultaneously at full speed.
That isn’t a problem for this Kensington Powerbolt Dual Car Charger, though – it dispenses a mighty 3.4A all told, with 2.4A on the top port and 1A on the bottom. That’s more than enough to charge even the latest iPad and iPhone at full speed – no more waiting around for the iPad to charge, or even having it lose charge faster than it gains it back!
This Powerbolt also comes with a rather useful extra – a free Lightning USB cable that’ll allow you to charge any of Apple’s latest devices, including the iPad 4, iPad Mini and iPhone 5. The cable is a meter long too, so it should be quite convenient to use as an iPad charger or for other devices too.
You might worry that you’d mix up which socket is which, but Kensington have thought ahead and included labels on both USB ports to ensure that you’re always going to be charging at maximum speed.
The Kensington has a simple, professional looking design, with a very small size that’s only as big as is necessary to include the two USB ports. That means it’ll never get in the way of other nearby connections or buttons. It’s so small and light that it’s easy to toss in a bag or take on holiday without issues.
All in all, the Kensington Powerbolt 3.4A charger is a complete in-car charging solution, particularly for Apple devices as you’ve got that extra Lightning USB cable. Of course, the USB ports will work fine with your own cables for Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone, as well as other USB charged items like e-readers and headsets.
What do you think of the Kensington Powerbolt – do you reckon it’s the best iPhone 5 and iPad 4 charger? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and have a good one!