No Need to Carry a Bunch of Chargers When Going Out, Meizu 40W "Mini Trend Charger" Experience Review

Back in the Nokia phone era, I used to carry four batteries for my S60 Symbian devices. Later, the iPhone ended the "battery-swapping" era, and everyone had to rely on the traditional "5V 1A" charger. Then, OPPO's "5 minutes of charging, 2 hours of talk time" ushered the smartphone industry into the fast-charging era. Chargers with various power outputs sprang up like mushrooms, and I, who once carried several batteries, became a young adult who carries a bunch of chargers on business trips.

However, besides the charger that comes with the phone, I am also keen on buying smaller third-party chargers to "lighten the load." For example, the Nubia 22.5W Candy Charger is a perfect match for the 20W iPhone fast charger, but it can't handle higher-power Android phones. Therefore, whenever a charger that combines higher power and a compact size is released, I can't resist the urge to try it. This time, it's the Meizu PANDAER 40W Charger, nicknamed "Little TV."

There are three main reasons why I bought it. First, its 40W power is sufficient; my main phone is the Xiaomi 12 (67W), and it can basically reach 80% of the original charging speed. Second, it has dual ports, allowing me to charge multiple devices simultaneously. Third, it has a high aesthetic appeal, bringing a bit of fun to my mundane life and daily work.

The design is the biggest highlight. Meizu defines it as a "Trend Charger" (trendy charger). It not only mimics the "form" of an old-fashioned TV but also restores the "charm" of an old TV by lighting up when plugged in. As someone born in the late 80s, I remember sneaking to play on the "Little Overlord" learning machine when my dad was at work. Every time he came home, the first thing he would do was feel the back of the TV to see if it was warm. Whenever he caught me playing games, he would give me a stern look. Unfortunately, those childhood days are long gone.

My current main phone is the Xiaomi 12, and my backup phones are the Honor V10, Xiaomi 6X, and Xiaomi 5S. The maximum charging powers for these four devices are 67W, 22.5W, 18W, and 18W, respectively. Therefore, the 40W output of the Meizu PANDAER Mini Trend Charger is quite balanced. Any higher, and the size would probably be too bulky. Additionally, the "TV antenna" on top is actually a dust plug or decorative plug. When removed, it reveals two Type-C ports.

These are all the chargers I currently have: two original Apple chargers, one original Xiaomi charger, one Nubia small green charger, and one LeEco QC 3.0 fast charger. You might be familiar with the last two, especially the LeEco charger, which is one of the few remaining legacies of Jia Yueting. It costs just over ten yuan, but its 24W output is a bit slow now. The Meizu PANDAER Mini Trend Charger supports 40W and is compatible with FCP, SCP, AFC, MTK-PE, QC2.0, QC3.0, QC4+, and PD3.0-PPS charging protocols. Therefore, it not only perfectly replaces my four chargers but also achieves 80% of the speed of the Xiaomi 67W original charger. In terms of portability, the foldable plug of the Meizu PANDAER Mini Trend Charger is definitely better than the Xiaomi 67W original charger.

Additionally, whether by accident or design, the Meizu PANDAER Mini Trend Charger is perfectly compatible with the Nintendo Switch charger. Besides supporting 20V/2A (40W), it also supports 15V/2.6A output (39W, exactly the same as the Switch's original charger). If the Switch's original charger breaks, you can completely replace it with the Meizu PANDAER Mini Trend Charger.

Let me share my experience using it. The Meizu PANDAER Mini Trend Charger uses AI technology, specifically the AI Super Sensing Intelligent Allocation 2.0 technology, which can intelligently adjust the charging power based on different devices. The most interesting part is that when the charger is plugged in, the "TV screen" lights up and uses four colors to indicate the output power. Green indicates dual C-port output of 20W+20W; red indicates dual C-port output of 32.5W+7.5W; blue indicates charging for non-mouse, non-headphone fast-charging devices or single C-port maximum power output of 40W; and yellow indicates that it's powered but not charging.

In terms of charging speed, both the Xiaomi 12 and Honor V12 displayed "Fast Charging" when connected. At this time, the dual C-ports should be outputting 20W+20W, solving the charging problem for two phones simultaneously with one charger. For iPhone users, previous models had a maximum of 20W, so charging two iPhones would be at full speed. However, the latest iPhone 14 Pro has been upgraded to 27W fast charging.

Charging power banks is also very convenient. Both of my power banks are 10,000mAh fast-charging versions—one is the Baseus 20W (black), and the other is the Xiaomi 33W (white). I find the speed quite fast, and the key point is that the Meizu PANDAER Mini Trend Charger doesn't get hot even after charging two power banks for a long time, maintaining a warm temperature.

Finally, here's an official image showing the "lit screen" effect when the charger is plugged in. I couldn't capture this effect during the day. Honestly, besides being aesthetically pleasing and adding fun, this design can also help users "locate" the charger and phone in the dark. After watching short videos, placing the phone next to the charger on the bedside table makes it much more convenient to find the phone when waking up at night.