Since the Apple Watch was born, there have been many attempts to create systems to extend its use on the move by recharging its battery in the absence of a socket or to leave it at home inconvenient cable with induction plate.
We have therefore seen key fobs with built-in mini accumulator, car systems, table stands also with batteries. In reality, none of these solutions has ever been too convincing either for product quality or technical design.
Belkin tries to change this scenario with its Valet Charger Power Pack 6700 mAh for Apple Watch + iPhone, a very long name but behind which simply hides a battery of, in fact, 6700 mAh capable of recharging both the devices mentioned. In this review we see how it works and its qualities and defects
Aesthetics and functioning
Belkin's product it stands out from everything else we have seen to date in the same category, both for functions and for build quality. This “block” does not skimp in terms of the material of the assemblies: it is in fact made of aluminum and black plastic of excellent quality coupled with precision. non irrievante weight: 176 grams. Ergonomics, weight aside, is the part that immediately leaves a little perplexing: the Valet Charger is in fact quite thick even if it is narrow. Putting it in your pocket is not easy, slipped into the zip of a bag, often tight, you will notice.
The technique
In addition to the materials, the electronics, as Belkin is keen to specify, has also been very accurate. In fact, the product is certified by Apple as fully functional both with iPhone (quite obvious since it has a USB port) and with Apple Watch. The aspect is notable because the induction magnetic platform for charging an Apple Watch requires a chip that enables it to function.
Belkin has Mfi certification for this component, which means it is approved by Apple itself. Many Asian manufacturers offering roughly competing products cannot say the same thing and this puts their operation at risk every time Apple updates its smartwatch operating system or launches a new model.
other technical aspects that are worth highlighting, in addition to the 6700 mAh battery on which you can find some considerations below, there are the specifications on the output current. The plate provides 1 Ah to the Apple Watch, the same power as the integrated USB port that should be used to recharge the iPhone.
Still technically speaking, this choice is not easy to understand: 1Ah ports in circulation very few of them are seen by now, practically only the Jurassic charger that Apple, among a thousand criticisms, slips into the iPhone box has this power. Using the port, which Belkin chose perhaps due to the electronics pairing with the Apple Watch plate, to charge the iPhone XS (and an iPhone X) takes at least three hours. Our iPhone XS Max takes three and a half hours. Normal and cheap batteries that we find everywhere for a few pennies can reduce these times by even an hour.
The impression that is obtained, therefore, is that charging the iPhone is in fact a ” bonus ”of the Valet Charger, not its specific purpose.
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The box of the Belkin Valet Charger Power Pack 
The Belkin Valet Charger Power Pack in the box 
The contents of the package 
The “nameplate” data of the Belkin Valet Charger Power Pack 
The Belkin Valet Charger Power Pack is made of aluminum 
The three LEDs that indicate the charging level 
Apple Watch Charging with the Belkin Valet Charger Power Pack
The test
The Valet Charger Power Pack put to the test with Apple Watch it does its duty, without problems and without complications The induction charging plate works perfectly: the watch is placed on it and this is recognized immediately you and recharges at the same rate as it would with its original charger.
Belkin promises 8 recharges without recourse to the plug; using the battery with our Apple Watch 4 we can say that this is a precise estimate even if, remember, the capacity of the internal battery of the new model is reduced by 17% compared to that of the Apple Watch 3.
The Valet Charger obviously works with Apple Watch too, but recharging, as mentioned, is decidedly slow due to the 1Ah port. In addition to this, the capacity is sufficient for one and a half recharges of an iPhone XS Max (probably for two recharges of an iPhone XS), a little bit.
In fact, if you were traveling and decided to leave the charger at home, this accessory could extend the autonomy of your iPhone + Apple Watch “package” from one day to two.
Conclusions
Valet Charger Power Pack 6700 mAh for Apple Watch + iPhone there is no question from the point of view of materials, assemblies and the quality of the device in its construction . From a technical point of view it works perfectly with Apple Watch, but the purchase must be well evaluated in light of some fundamental aspects.
The first aspect is the price. Valet Charger Power Pack 6700 mAh for Apple Watch + iPhone is a very elegant and well-built product and the only one capable of charging Apple Watch and an iPhone together, much more elegant than carrying around two cables and a Chinese battery. But in this case, elegance has an important cost: 99.99 euros for the Belkin product against ten euros for the more artisanal one without having an actual advantage from a “logistical” point of view, which is the second aspect to evaluate.
The dimensions and weight of Valet Charger Power Pack 6700 mAh for Apple Watch + iPhone are not competitive with those of a charging cable and a small charger. The speech could be different if it had been designed to be more efficient as a combined system for charging on the move even an iPhone. But the USB port is slow and the capacity modest.
At this point, unless you plan to stay somewhere where there is no power outlet, as it might happen on some treks of a couple days, better to carry around an iPhone charger that is much smaller and lighter and a couple of cables with which to charge both the iPhone and the Apple Watch. Or the elegant package consisting of two cables and a standard 10 thousand mAh battery, thus saving about ninety euros …
Belkin is a brand distributed in Italy by Attiva.com, and readers can find it in all Apple Premium Resellers of the peninsula. It is also available at various online retailers
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