Charge 4 Devices Simultaneously Anywhere in the World with the ‘World’s Smallest’ 270W Charger

By Elliot Nash - News Published: 30 Nov 2022, Last Updated: 22 Sep 2023

It might be small, but this Australian-designed USB-C charger packs a lot of power and technological ingenuity. With a Zeus 270W USB-C charger in your possession, you can charge your Macbook Pro, iPhone 14 Pro, iPad and Apple AirPods simultaneously! And it won’t matter where you are in the world either, since the 270w GaN FETs USB-C charger comes standard with four plug converters (US/AU/EU/UK), offering the most powerful and versatile charging solution we’ve seen. And if it weren’t on Kickstarter for preorder (shipping not expected until sometime in May 2023), we’d add it to our list of the Best Tech Products of 2022. Alas, good things come to those who wait.

Zeus 270W GaN USB-C Charger | Image: charge asap

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Thanks to Sydney-based technology startup Chargeasap and its clever use of GaN FETs from Navitas in Los Angeles, California, alongside the latest graphene cooling solutions, the team has managed to manufacture what it claims is the world’s smallest 270W USB-C Charger. Capable of powering up to four devices simultaneously via the three USB-C and single USB-A ports, it’s available right now for preorder on Kickstarter for an early bird pledge of AUD$176 (retail price of AUD$324.39), with shipping expected in May 2023.

Before we continue, we need to break down the incredible engineering for those who don’t know what GaN FETs are (we didn’t either). Manufactured out of TSMC in Taiwan, a gallium nitride (GaN) power IC monolithically integrates GaN power and combines several functions onto a single chip, using a field-effect transistor (FET) to control the flow of current. This electronic integration enables 3x faster charging in half the size and weight compared to older, much slower, silicon-based charger designs, making the Zeus up to 45 per cent lighter than industry leaders. An additional benefit of these chips is the monolithic power staging, which enables fast switching power delivery, i.e. swapping over from a MacBook that requires 60W to an iPhone that only needs 37W. So with the tech side of things out of the way, let’s get into the Zeus 270W GaN charger.

Zeus 270W GaN USB-C Charger | Image: charge asap

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The Zeus 270W charger includes four of the latest GaN power chip from Navitas, each measuring 90 x 42 x 50mm and weighing 320g. Surrounding the board are several tiny, high-density heat sinks to help heat dissipation, with the main charger components carefully wrapped in an industry-first graphene ribbon layer to assist with cooling. Altogether, it’s about the same size as a pack of Eclipse mints!

This combination of cooling solutions for the massive power output from the three USB-C ports (one 140W port and two 100W ports), a single 36W USB-A port and a 0.96” OLED displaying real-time information. Updating five times a second, the little screen details charging volts and amperage. From here, you can monitor how each port simultaneously charges at full speed across four devices, making it the only charger (at the moment) that can output 270W all at once!

Keeping everything under control and at the right temperature are two other digital chips to efficiently and safely manage the circuits for reliable 140W fast charging (compatible with Apple MacBooks and DELL XPS laptops). Oppo owners will benefit from the specially designed 36W USB-A port thanks to Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0. And you won’t have to worry about overcharging your iPhone since all three USB-C ports automatically output the maximum charging speed of 20W for the entire iPhone 14 lineup.

Zeus 270W GaN USB-C Charger | Image: charge asap

Coupled with superior power efficiency (over 92 per cent), Zeus reportedly loses 16 per cent less energy than Apple and Anker chargers, which means no more waiting for your charger to cool down before packing up at the end of the day. Those buying from the US will benefit from Chargeasap’s patent-pending 2-way foldable US prongs. Alongside four included power adaptors (AU/EU/UK), the Zeus 270W Wall Charger can be used in over 200 countries, making this a handy travel charger for all digital nomads!

The Zeus 270W Charger looks like an incredibly well-valued device, especially if you manage to cop one for the early-bird price of AUD$176. Outside Kickstarter, however, shoppers will pay the total AUD$ 324 retail price. While that might sound expensive, to put that into perspective, the 140W USB-C charger from Apple costs AUD$149.

For a little over the price of two, the Zeus 270W charger offers far more charging capabilities, even if it can only output 140W through one of the three USB-C ports. If reliable and efficient fast charging across all your devices is necessary for your setup, this might just be the best charger, besides being the world’s smallest. And if you need a hydration boost alongside your fast-recharging Zeus, check out Gatorade’s Smart Gx Bottle, the high-tech Hydration Station.

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Elliot Nash

Elliot Nash is a journalist and content producer from Sydney with over five years’ experience in the digital media space. He holds a Bachelor of Communications (Media Arts & Production) from the University of Technology Sydney and a Diploma of Screen & Media from the Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE. Specialising in pop culture, news & current affairs, photography, audio and hi-fi, Elliot’s work has featured in 9News.com.au, 7NEWS.com.au, Next Luxury, Alive Radio and WhistleOut. He currently works as a Context Executive at Yoghurt Digital.

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