The Cell Phone Junkie

Charging phones while in a vehicle is something many people do each day, but the introduction of tablets brings another factor to the mix, higher amperage requirements. Devices such as the Apple iPad and BlackBerry Playbook need 2.1AMPs to charge, and most car chargers max out at 1AMP. With the Monaco 3.1AMP Extreme Charge Car Power adapter, you plug the adapter into your vehicle’s DC power outlet, and can charge 2 devices via USB at the same time. The first port offers 2.1AMPs for fast charging for phones, and enough to top up your tablet. The second delivers 1AMP, and charges most phones, including iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices*. The product used in this review was provided by, and is available for $14.95 on WirelessGround.com.

Usage

Driving up to Las Vegas for the 2012 Consumer Electronics show was the perfect time to try out the adapter as we traversed the Arizona desert. Between two of us, we had 2 iPads, an iPhone, a Nexus S, an HTC HD7, a BlackBerry and an iPod Touch. Keeping the iPads topped up was the primary focus, and the Extreme Charge worked perfectly. Plus, we were able to swap the phones out with usb cables to keep each of them charged along the way. Charging of the iPad seemed about 20% slower than with the OEM provided charger, but this is about the same as the experience charging it with the 2.1AMP ZAGG Sparq.

Overall

The Monaco 3.1AMP Extreme Charge Car Power Adapter is perfect for someone that needs to charge more than one device at a time, including a tablet such as the iPad. Never worry again about running out of power on your iPad while on a roadtrip, or charge it back up quickly as you head from one site to another.

*The Monaco 3.1AMP Extreme Charge Car Power Adapter is compatible with the Apple iPad, iPad 2, iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 10.1, BlackBerry PlayBook and most other USB supported smartphones, tablets and handheld devices.