For years I have argued that brands such as Apple, Samsung and Google should stop shipping single port chargers. Instead they stopped shipping charging bricks altogether. The good news is, there are plenty of third-party products in useful form factors, such as the Acefast Z9 80W 6-in-1 GaN charger.
Design and First Impressions: A Compact Powerhouse
The Z9 is billed as a desktop charging station, and Acefast has packed a lot into it. It is small enough to be a travel charger, however it is not a particularly light unit to carry around at 590 grams. Arguably still lighter than a pushing-the-airline envelope power bank.
Acefast does claim fast wireless charging, however let’s set the record straight upfront – it is not Qi2.2 compatible. Max output on the wireless charging pad is 15W which puts it at Qi2 with MPP (Magnetic Power Profile).
This also means the Z9 does not need active cooling which is necessary to sustain a 25W wireless power delivery a la Qi2.2 standard.
The 6-in-1 Breakdown: Wireless, Retractable, and Beyond
The top of the Z9 is the Qi2 wireless charging pad with MPP.
If you flip it up, it is hinged at the front and can almost reach 90 degrees, it hides a second wireless charging pad, without MPP. With a maximum power delivery of 5W, this one is suited for wireless charging enabled earbud cases.
But the wireless tricks don’t stop here. On the right side of the unit is a Apple Watch compatible charger. It is hidden behind a spring loaded bar, which unlocks the charger so you can pull it all the way out. This one tops out at 2.5W.
Apple does not publish an actual power draw on the Apple Watches, but if I recall correctly, it tops out between 5W – 7W if you have the proprietary Apple cable.
And if you have been keeping count, there are three more to go, all USB ports.
The Z9 has a built in retractable USB-C with a length of 70 cm. There is also a run of the mill USB-A and USB-C ports that you will have to bring your own cable to the party.
Individually, the maximum power delivery are:
- Retractable USB-C cable: 60W
- USB-C port: 65W
- USB-A port: 18W
There are some limitations when you use multiple ports, which I will cover off later.
But at first blush, the Z9 is a pretty versatile piece of kit.
Performance in Action: Total Output and Port Limitations
The Acefast Z9 is a charger, I am sure we all know what they do and how to use it. As a Magsafe charger, it will support the Apple Standby mode when placed on the charger in the portrait position. For Android users, yes it will support screensaver.
Neither of these modes are charger dependent, but it will make good use of the adjustable angled Magsafe charger. Officially Acefast says it is up to 65 degrees, but you can get a lot more and the magnets will hold on.
The Z9 has a total output of 80W across all the ports.
On it’s own, the USB-C port will handle a standard laptop with it’s 65W output. If you are also charging a phone at the same time at the 15W, then it is maxed out.
If you are using a combination of the USB ports, the rate limits are as follows:
| Combination | Output |
| USB-C cable + USB-C port | 45W + 20W |
| USB-C cable + USB-A port | 45W + 18W |
| USB-C cable + [USB-C port + USB-A port] | 45W + [15W] |
This makes the Z9 a workhorse if you are charging up multiple mobile devices. If you are relying on it to power a laptop, then you are stuck with wireless charging one more mobile device at full speed.
This is not an unexpected outcome given the form factor and the lack of active cooling. It doesn’t detract it’s overall usefulness but it won’t attract power users.
Safety Features and Fast Charging Protocols
Supported fast charging protocols are as follows:
- USB-C cable / USB-C port: PPS, PD3.0, QC4+, QC3.0, QC2.0, AFC, FCP, SCP.
- USB-A port: QC3.0, QC2.0, AFC, FCP, SCP.
Acefast states that there is an AI-powered thermal system, checking the Z9’s temperature forty times a second and automatically adjusts the power delivery to prevent overheating.
Final Verdict: Is the Acefast Z9 Worth It?
The Acefast Z9 is a handy GaN multi charger. With a small footprint of 83 × 72.5 × 72.5mm, you could pretty much take it anywhere with you.
The built-in retractable cable is a handy design feature that eliminates the worry of forgetting a cable. However you could still forget the AC power cord which will render the entire unit useless real quick.
The Acefast Z9 has a RRP A$104.43, but there is a 30% off deal happening at time of publishing bringing it down to A$73.10 and is available from Amazon.
DRN would like to thank Acefast for providing the review unit.
