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Details

  • Price $72.78 at item.rakuten.co.jp
  • Weight 10.69 oz / 303 g
  • Dimensions 2.5" (w) x 4.1" (h) x 1.2" (d) / 64 (w) x 104 (h) x 31 (d) mm

Overview

My mission to reduce the number of accessories in my digital nomad kit never ends. Just when I felt that I got it to the minimum; namely two cables, power adapter, and a mobile battery, it wasn't enough for me.

With the RORRY 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger, my iPhone 14 can be charged with USB-C. So technically, I can make just a single cable work. But I tried it and found that it wasn't practical since I usually need to charge multiple devices at once.

Reducing cables were a dead end, so I set my sights on reducing either my adapter or mobile battery.

What I ended up with.

And I found the answer in adapter battery combos. These are mobile batteries and power adapters in one, and plugging it into the wall socket charges the battery without the need of extra cables.

With a great experience with CIO Mate Powerbank 001, I knew exactly where to turn to. CIO graciously provided the CIO SMARTCOBY Pro Plug II to test my theory. Can I reduce my kit further? Let's find out.

Style

Having reviewed the CIO Mate Powerbank 001, I knew what I was in for. A sleek, functional, and timeless piece of gear that is right up my alley. I had the same expectations for the CIO SMARTCOBY Pro PLUG Ⅱ and was not let down.

The device is utilitarian and stealthy. There is something understated and toned down about the details, or lack thereof. The plug folds into the device, keeping it looking sleek and seamless.

There's a display that tells you the power output. I found the information displayed to be useful, but hard to read because of the size. I had to go up close a few times to decipher what was on screen.

There are three ports, that is purple on the inside. Other brands use color on the inside of the port to differentiate between PD and non-PD ports, but all three ports on the SMARTCOBY are PD-compatible, so the color here is pure branding.

Like most adapter-battery combos, the SMARTCOBY is a little bigger than the adapter only, like the NOMAD Power Adapter. You might have a hard time fitting it into compact organizers such as the GRAMS28 109 Essential Case.

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Tech

The SMARTCOBY comes with three ports that output 67W, 65W, and 60W respectively when charging from a power outlet, and 45W, 40W, and 45W when charging from the battery. This is the maximum output per port and will go down if you use multiple ports at once.

It has Power Delivery 3.0 (PD 3.0) and Quick Charge 4+ (QC 4+), two fast-charging technologies that make charging faster, safer, and more efficient.

PD 3.0 is a universal charging standard that uses USB-C to deliver high power. The SMARTCOBY Pro PLUG Ⅱ supports it, meaning it can charge devices like MacBooks, iPads, Android phones, and even a Nintendo Switch. It automatically adjusts power to prevent overheating and overcharging.

While PD 3.0 can go up to 100W, this charger maxes out at 67W. It also includes PPS (Programmable Power Supply), which fine-tunes voltage to improve efficiency and reduce heat.

QC 4+, made by Qualcomm, is mainly for Android phones with Snapdragon processors but also works with other devices. It charges up to 50% in just 15 minutes. QC 4+ is also backward compatible, meaning it works with older Quick Charge 3.0 and 2.0 devices. It helps prevent overheating by spreading power more evenly and works alongside PD 3.0 for broader compatibility.

PD 3.0 is best for laptops and tablets, while QC 4+ is great for fast-charging phones. The SMARTCOBY Pro PLUG Ⅱ supports both, making it a solid all-in-one charger.

It has passthrough technology, meaning that it will charge the internal battery and your devices at the same time.

Usage

How well a mobile battery serves you is highly subjective. The SMARTCOBY Pro PLUG replaces two devices, a charger and a mobile battery, with just a single device. In that sense, even though it is heavier, it is lighter than carrying two devices.

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While carrying it isn't a problem, you might face issues keeping it on sockets in less developed countries where the socket's hold is less firm. This can cause the charger to slouch or fall off. This is uncommon but has happened to me in countries like Vietnam and Thailand, especially if you need to pair it with a wall-type travel adapter.

My way to tackle this situation is with a travel adapter with an extension, like the MOGICS Super Bagel. It lets you extend the socket to the ground where the SMARTCOBY can be plugged downwards into.

One thing that I noticed was that it takes a while for the power output to be negotiated and build up which is probably the case with most chargers, just that you had no chance to see it. Once you plug in a second or third device, power has to be renegotiated, so the output resets to zero briefly.

Here's the average power output that I got

Plugged in
Battery

The output may seem low, but how PD works is that it negotiates the right amount of power with the device. So even if the SMARTCOBY Pro PLUG can output a max of 67W, the device might not accept it. I suspect you will get similar outputs with other plugs, although it would be much harder to verify without a display.

The SMARTCOBY comes with a button that you can switch displays to see exactly what each port is outputing.

Conclusion

The minimal yet stylish SMARTCOBY is perfect for those who bring along their charger and mobile battery all the time and are looking to reduce the number of devices. The display is nice for checking the output and remaining battery, but was a little hard to use.

I have many mobile batteries and chargers, and this gives me a chance to get rid of them.

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Tagged cio mobile battery power adapter review tech