review

Zendure SuperHub Review 48W PD GaN Charger With HDMI Port

Thursday, March 19, 2020

The Zendure SuperHub has a unique hardshell suitcase design with grooves surrounding the outer shell. SuperHub is extremely small, being as compact as a credit card, measuring 8.5cm long and 6cm wide. While SuperHub is thicker than a credit card (3cm thick), SuperHub is substantially smaller and more powerful than most USB C Power delivery hubs currently on the market.
The key differentiator between SuperHub and other Power Delivery USB hubs, it's the use of Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor material, which allows SuperHub, not only to be smaller but also more efficient at managing power and heat than power hub chargers made with silicon semiconductor material. On the base of the Zendure SuperHub, there are two long rubber feet running 3/4 quarters across the length of SuperHub to help stabilize it on a desk. The rubber feet measure 50mm long and 4mm wide. Total weight of SuperHub is 132 grams.
Zendure SuperHub only needs 1.5-amp to operate but, it requires high voltage (100-240 volt) via mains electricity so, the Zendure SuperHub can only deliver enough power when connected to an AC electric wall socket. The SuperHub can output a maximum of 30 watts via the top USB-C (PD/Hub) port, which supports both data and Power Delivery.
Power delivery is a USB-C specification some devices feature that allows them to deliver up to 100 watts of power. Being also a USB-C data port, the top USB-C port can handle up to 5Gbps transfer rate. The second USB-C (PD) port on the SuperHub is a power USB C port only capable of outputting a maximum of 18 watts.
The USB-A port on the SuperHub can output a maximum of 7.5 watts (5-volt/1.5-amp) and a maximum of 15 watts (5-volt/3-amp) when used at the same time as the second USB-C (PD) port. The total output power the Zendure SuperHub can put out at one time is 48 watts. The HDMI port supports 4k at 60Hz video with up to 18Gbps transfer speed but, you will need a v2.0 HDMI cable (not included) if you plan to connect to a 4K UHD TV.
Two cables are included with the Zendure SuperHub, one off which is a meter-long USB C male to USB C male 3.1 Gen 1 cable with a thick rubber sleeve. The other cable included is a 7A 125A power cord with a Linoya E315592 XYP 2-pin plug. The cable measures 1.5 meter-long and has a figure8 plug at the other end. The 7A 125A power cord is designed for powering SuperHub.
 The Zendure SuperHub 7A 125A power cord has the same rating as the 7A 125A power cord of many laptops and some games consoles, namely Playstation 3 (PS3), Playstation 4 (PS4) Pro and Xbox One S.
If you own any of these consoles or a laptop 7A 125A power cord, you could technically use their cable to power the Zendure SuperHub and viceversa. Before doing so though, you should be aware of the rating of the SuperHub power cord, which has the following specification: UL E31620 SPT-2 VW-1 105C 300V 2X0.824MM^2  (18AWG) Linoya CSA 242699 SPT-2 FT-2.
The above specification shows 18AWG SPT-2, which means the SuperHub 7A 125A power cord uses 18 gauge wire with stranded copper conductors and thick SPT-2 insulation made with PVC material. The 18 gauge wire inside the SuperHub power cord is smaller than most power cords' 16 gauge wire (16AWG), which can handle higher amperage.
The Zendure SuperHub is a low amp device; hence why it uses 18AWG wire. That said, the Zendure SuperHub power cord sleeve is made of the same high temperature PVC cable insulation used in panel building, which is rated for 105 degree celsius temperature.
While the SuperHub power cord has heavy duty insulation and, it is rated for 300 volts (pressure), you won't be able to safely use it to power a PS4 Pro or high amp device because the SuperHub power cord has a low amp rating.
The SuperHub power cord would get really warm when powering a PS4 Pro, which uses a thicker 14AWG (c13) wire power cord rated between 15A/250V and 10A/250V. The PS4 Pro power cord has a similar rating to the power cord of a PC.
The SuperHub power cord does have a VW-1 flame retardant rating by the Underwriters Laboratories (UL E31620) standard, which is the same standard electrical house wiring and cooking appliances wiring have to adhered to. This means, even if the SuperHub power cord was to catch on fire it would self-extinguish, which is reassuring.
As mentioned earlier, the Zendure SuperHub can output 48 watts, which is massive considering its small size. That much power is perfect for simultaneous charging of multiple devices and/or powering a 30W laptop such as the DELL XPS 12.
When charging single devices at a time like a phone, the Zendure SuperHub can charge a 3,700-mAh phone battery startlingly fast like 30%-100% in under 60 minutes, which is superb. That said, you probably don't want to do this regularly because charging a phone battery this fast will degrade the lifespan of the battery faster than using the charger that came with the phone.
Speaking of phones, the Zendure SuperHub also supports Samsung DeX desktop mode so, if you own a Galaxy phone (i.e. S20, Note 10/Note10+) or Huawei phone (i.e. P20/P30, Mate 10/20/30), you will be able to mirror the display of the Galaxy phone to an external monitor and keyboard via a HDMI cable without the need of a docking station, making SuperHub a very nifty gadget indeed!

Similar Gadget Explained Reviews

0 comments

Connect With Gadget Explained