Zendure Passport II Pro REVIEW 61W PD Fast Charge | MacSources
Back in 2017, Zendure launched the Passport Universal Travel Adapter with Auto-Resetting fuse on Kickstarter. This device helped travelers to avoid having to reset fuses and was embraced with open arms. Since then, they have continued to advance the technology of travel adapters with the release of the Passport Pro and Passport 30W devices. Most recently, with GaN technology allowing devices to become smaller, they have launched their Passport II Pro on Kickstarter. It appears that there was a name change at some point because I received a device called the Passport II Plus and not the Passport II Pro. The Passport II “Plus” arrived in a clean white 4 1/4 inches wide by 5 5/8 inches tall by 2 1/4 inches thick hanging cardboard box. The cover panel listed the Zendure company name along the top left and the Passport II Plus name just beneath it. Along the top right, you will find a blue-green “Powered by GaN” sticker and along the bottom of the panel, you will find four icons: 1. Quick Charge for USB-C Laptops. 2. 20% Smaller. 3. 5 USB Ports. 4. Work in Over 200 Countries. Despite the stark contrast between the dark font and the white background, the main focal point was an even whiter 2 1/4 inches long by 1 3/4 inches wide image of the 61W PD Fast charge adapter. The remaining surfaces of the packaging were left unadorned.
To access the Passport II Pro device, simply lift the top flap and slide the internal cardboard upward and out of the main box. Housed within the internal cardboard, I found the 6.06-ounce, 1 7/8 inches wide by 3 inches tall by 2 1/8 inches thick block wrapped within a thin semi-opaque bag. The front panel of the white block displayed the ZENDURE name in black font along the bottom of the panel, while the remaining portion of the panel housed six plug-in ports. The orientation of the three top ports, the semi-oval shaped middle port, and the two lower angry-eye shaped ports were designed to accommodate type A+B (USA/Canada/Mexico/Japan/+), type C (Europe,/South America/Asia/+), type E (France/Belgium/Poland/Slovakia/Czechia/+), type F (Europe/Russia/+), type G (United Kingdom/Ireland/Malta/Malaysia/Singapore/+), type I (Australia/New Zealand/China/Argentina/+), type J (Switzerland/Liechtenstein/+), type K (Denmark/Greenland/+), type L (Italy/Chile/+), and type N plugs (Brazil/South Africa/+). To see a full list of the power adaptors used throughout the world, you can navigate to the worldstandards.eu website. The left side of the adaptor had a single USB-C PD port with a laptop/tablet icon, while the lower panel had one USB-C and three USB-A output ports. The right side panel had three blue sliders, which deployed/retracted the posterior power plugs.
If you press and slide the top slider backward, two metal prongs will protrude from the back of the adapter. Each of the prongs was capable of rotating between USA (Type A) and Australian plugs (Type I). When ready to store the device, I was able to retract the prongs by sliding the adaptor back toward the front. If you press and slide the middle slider toward the back, three prongs will deploy from the rear of the adapter (UK plug). Similar to the above scenario, you can slide the slider forward when ready to store the device. Lastly, sliding the lower slider will allow you to deploy/retract the EU plug. With so little information available within the packaging, I turned to Zendure.com for additional information. I was pleased to find that the 61W USB-C PD adapter had a total of 5 USB Ports, 1 AC port, worked for over 200 countries, allowed PPS for Samsung Fast Charge, had a 10A Auto-Resetting Fuse, was compact and portable thanks to Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology, had press and slide prongs, and had intelligent safety measures built into the device. Additionally, the device supports other fast charge protocols such as PD< QC, PPS, 3A, AFC, FCP and noted that it would charge an iPhone 11 Pro 50% in 30 minutes or a Samsung Galaxy S20 fully in 1 hour. The website noted that the Passport II Pro was capable of plugging into “type A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, J, K, L, N and O outlets.” and would accept all of those listed above. Lastly, thanks to the included 10A self-resetting fuse, you no longer have to worry about searching for a fuse when blown. In fact, the website suggested that you could even use a hairdryer, straightener or electric kettle.
If you look to the small-print along the bottom of the reverse panel, you will find that the 61W Passport II (model ZDG2PP2) could accommodate AC input 100V-250V, 50/60Hz at 1.5A, and could output AC 10A max (1000W at 100V or 2500W at 250V. The side DC USB-C port, dubbed USB-C1) could output 1 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A,20.3V/3A 61W Max. The bottom USB-C port, dubbed (USB-C2) was capable of 5V/2.4A 12W max, while the USB-A ports 1–3 could output 5V/2.4A 12W max. The lower section of the panel provided “Made In China” and several of the typical product manufacturing labels. Even though the device felt robust and large, it was about 2/3 the length, the same height, but double the width of the charging brick that came with my new MacBook Pro. Most importantly, I gained 4 extra charging USB ports (3A and 1C) and another AC output port, and saved 4 oz of weight (10.26oz Apple charger vs 6.06oz oz Zendure Adapter). I loved the look, feel, and design of the travel adapter. The white coloration, the ribbed edges, the blue sliders, the charging input/outputs ports, and the USB ports proved to be quite visually appealing. The device will allow you to travel lighter and will allow you to charge up to six devices at once, from a single adapter. Personally, what more could you want from a device.
To test the power output of the adapter, I plugged the Zendure Passport II Pro into a standard Type B wall outlet and then plugged my DROK USB-C multimeter into the USB-C (USB-C2) port along the bottom of the adapter. I plugged a USB-C cable into the USB-C port of the multimeter and then into the USB-C port on my MacBook Pro 15″ 4th Generation. The USB-C multimeter read 4.59V/2.79A, which was on par with the max 12W output of the port. I plugged a DROK USB-A multimeter into one of the USB-A ports and then a USB-A to Lightning cable into the multimeter and into my iPhone 11 Pro Max. The multimeter read 4.55V/1.03A. I then removed all of the attachments and plugged the DROK USB-C multimeter into the USB-C1 port, which had the computer/tablet icon accent (PD PORT). The Multimeter read 20V/2.87A when plugged into the side port. I plugged the USB-A multimeter back into the USB-A port and found that the USB-C1 output did not falter. I plugged an additional USB-C cable into the lower USB-C port and then into my iPad Pro 11″. The side port continued to output to my MacBook but dropped to about 20.1V/1.48–2.05A. As I added extra devices to the mix, the output to each port decreased. As an example, while charging my MacBook Pro, iPad Pro 11″, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, the USB-A port read 4.65V/0.72A, the USB-C2 port read 4.48V/1.98A and the USB-C1 port read 20V/1.4A. With most of the power diverted to the USB-C1 PD port, there was not much left for the USB-C 2 or USB-A 1–3 ports. Honestly, I was just pleased that I did not have to take extra blocks for USB-A and USB-C devices. That alone was worth the $69 ($35 Early Bird Price) price point for the device.
I was pleased with the charging capabilities and was quite impressed with the Passport II ProAadapter. It is important to note tha this device is not a power converter and cannot convert voltage. I would caution against using larger appliances or those that may require grouding. It should not matter to most of us as many of our modern smart devices can self regulate needed power and essentially request their own needed power levels. The website did a great job detailing the intelligent safety measures, the GaN technology, and provided a wonderfully helpful side by side comparison of the passport II pro, chargeasap G6, SkrossProPlus and the Moshi Travel Adapter. Throw this into your laptop bag, take this along to power your Nintendo Switch, and enjoy a clutter-reduced, lighter-weight travel experience. I look forward to seeing the finalized packaging and to seeing these devices in the wild.
Learn more about the Zendure Passport II Pro.
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Originally published at https://macsources.com on July 16, 2020.
