REDMAGIC DAO 150W GaN Charger review - "Charging has never had this much swag"

• Fast charging with powerful cables included
• Gorgeous RGB aesthetics and transparent design
• Not the lightest thing to lug around when you're on the go

From low-latency TWS earbuds to Bluetooth controllers that can withstand the fastest button-mashing, mobile gaming peripherals are all about speed. The same is true for charging hubs for our portable devices - there's nothing worse than running out of juice in the middle of an intense PvP match.

REDMAGIC knows that feeling all too well, given the brand's niche market that wants nothing more than for you to "win more games". Just like we demand only the highest level of performance for our smartphones, we need to maximise power - and fast. In that sense, is the DAO 150W GaN Charger up to the task, or is it just another pretty little thing that's more form than function?

LOOK AND FEEL OF THE REDMAGIC DAO 150W GAN CHARGER

Because REDMAGIC is all about the transparency and the lights, the DAO 150W GaN Charger boasts everything you'd expect from the gaming-centred brand when it comes to its hella cool swag. The transparent casing lets you peer into the nuts and bolts that run the whole thing - plus, when the RGB strip lights up, all the nooks and crannies of the charging powerhouse come alive. After all, just because it's "only" a charger doesn't mean it can't sport that loud-and-proud gamer badge too.

The LCD display shows you the different ports and their capacities when you're charging, but with the one-stop-shop REDMAGIC Goper app, you can tinker around with this display by switching up different screensavers. You can even set an image from your phone as the main display - a quality that won't actually add value to your charging needs, but it's worth having when you feel like showing off a photo of your pet doggo.

The app also lets you play around with the RGB lights, as well as monitor the charging ports and see how much power each one is supplying to your gadgets. What also makes this charger stand out, in my opinion, is the detachable adapter. This gives you the full flexibility of using your unit as a desktop charger without all the chonky wires messing up your workstation, and it also saves you from having to lug around that thick cable when you're travelling - a portability must-have for on-the-go gamers.

REDMAGIC DAO 150W GAN CHARGER PERFORMANCE

With the four output ports on the charger, you're really spoiled for choice when you're looking to juice up your gadgets in a jiffy. There are two USB-C ports with 140W, a USB-A port with 30W, and, surprisingly, a DC port with 150W. The instruction manual in the package gives you a handy list of the adapters you might need to help you charge your brand of laptop using the DC port, but I, unfortunately, didn't have any of the right ports that fit from among the laptops at home. It would've been totally cool not to have to carry my laptop's hefty charger everywhere I go, and instead just have this nifty REDMAGIC gem with me for all my devices - but alas, I'm just not that lucky.

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Of course, the USB-C port still worked when I tried to use it to charge my laptop, with the indicator telling me I was siphoning off 86W of power. As soon as I plugged it in, my Lenovo Legion R7000 laptop started complaining about "slow charging", but surprisingly, it kept chugging along until I got a full charge, which meant it wasn't just supplying me with enough power to survive (the rate was about 10% for 10 minutes, by the way).

On the other hand, I did get a kick out of testing the USB ports for my iOS/Android devices. For instance, when using the hub with a REDMAGIC device, I was able to charge up to 33% of power in 10 minutes. The stats do vary depending on the devices you plug in simultaneously, and the charger reallocates the power automatically with its intelligent detector. 

With the charger's advanced safety features, you're supposedly protected against overcharging and overheating, and true enough, it didn't feel too hot to the touch while I was testing. It is, however, not so portable in the sense that it weighs a hefty 870g - and it's a shame too, because without the extra adapter, it's easy to slip it inside the included pouch in the package and be on your way.

WHAT'S THE APPEAL?

I admit that the looks of the charger alone already scored top marks for me. The package not only includes the aforementioned velvet pouch with the DAO logo on it, but it also includes a flexible bright yellow USB-C to USB-C cable protected by silver DAO tips and tied together nicely with a luxurious leather strap (the same goes for the DC to DC cable). RGB lights are pretty much my weak point when it comes to aesthetics - slap those on and it instantly becomes a clear winner for me. You can also keep the charger in a vertical orientation for it to look like a mini-CPU, and the LCD display will rotate its orientation with you.

When it comes to performance, charging is interrupted each time you plug or unplug a new device into the ports. It's also a little odd that, while you can tap on the touch interface to toggle the display/lights or turn them off altogether, doing so sometimes also turns off the charging along with it.

Charging also isn't at its optimum when you have all ports running. Additionally, while it's a gorgeous thing just to have on your desk, its formidable weight means you can't plug it into a wall socket without it sagging (you'll really have to use the wired adapter in this case).

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Overall, the REDMAGIC DAO 150W GaN Charger speeds up charging times, allocates power more efficiently, and does it all in style. For the most part, I was happy with just the USB-C and USB-A ports, but I suppose the DC port is a nice option to have if you're ever in a one-charger-fits-all situation.

The REDMAGIC DAO 150W GaN Charger is now available for purchase from the official website at $199. It's currently at a discounted price of $179 or your local equivalent until March 31st.