A travel charger deal for Apple users

When Apple introduced MagSafe, their version of wireless charging using a magnetic ring to position the phone, they also brought out a clever folding charger for a iPhone and an Apple watch. Called the Apple Duo Charger, it sold for about $129. As shown below, it folds in half to provide charging surfaces for the two items.

Apple Duo Charger

As expected, it led to a myriad of competitive products from China that tried to improve upon the Apple design. While there are now similar products selling for $50 to $150, I recently bought one for $22, 45% off of its normal $40 price.

I’m generally leery of cheap electronic products from a company I don’t know, but this product has a very high number of excellent reviews and I was able to confirm that it really has been selling for $40.

Products like these are made possible when semiconductor companies release chips that contain much of the functionality, enabling more competition and lower costs. The other thing to keep in mind is Apple’s margins on accessories are often at least 80%, so their $129 product probably costs them under $20 to produce.

The ARGOU charging station unfolds from a 3 x 3 x 1 inch package to charge an iPhone, Apple watch, and AirPods simultaneously. I’ve been using it for a week and so far it’s worked well. It even comes with a hard sided zippered carry case that holds its charging adapter (100-240VAC) and cord.

It’s great for travelers because it folds up into a small package and can quickly be set up on a night table to charge all three devices at the same time. Its clever design can be configured in several ways, depending on how by you unfold it, allowing the devices to lay flat, or the phone propped up at an angle.