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Review on Plugable Voltage Amperage MacBook Spectre by Joz Lowe

Revainrating 4 out of 5

It works like a meter, but the design leaves a lot to be desired, both the body and the display. (UPDATED)

UPDATE 6/26/2017: A representative from Plugable contacted me via email and offered an updated version which was great. Customer service with Plugable is excellent and as a brand I trust what they are doing with USB-C. The updated version is definitely more durable and I'm sure they solved the design problem. As shown in the updated image, the display no longer alternates between heading and V/A. However, there are some issues that have not been resolved. The case is the same size, so I suspect it still has a lot of free space. The Satechi meter is a bit longer but much thinner, meaning it can be plugged directly into thinner devices like my Pixel XL and simply placed on a table without supporting it. Not so with this detachable meter, you have to lift a thinner device to avoid its weight resting on the connector. As I mentioned, it even barely fits on my Razer Blade laptop. Satechi also has a small extension cord in the pocket that allows it to plug into my pocket phone, which is another benefit. As for the display fixes, they changed the orientation, but that's not exactly what people were asking for. Of course it now fits how you connect it to a MacBook (and my Razer), but ideally the user should toggle it. Satechi has the same disadvantage. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I preferred Satechi because Plugable is at least one well-known brand that actually makes an effort to promote USB-C responsibly (i.e. according to the spec) and they have experience with a USB-C "Twinkie" device. Analysis. Unfortunately, I also encountered the same design issue as a few other reviewers. The case fell apart, one end pushed out the other end, and the tip of the device became slightly curved. What I also noticed after it fell apart is that the case is much thicker than it should be, with lots of empty space. Inside. The case is thick enough to just barely extend past the bottom of the laptop, and it can't be used with a desk phone without having to lift the phone, at least not unless you want to risk bending it. Connections. There are a few minor annoyances, as well as others. First, the display doesn't flip, and as it happens, it flips on my Razer Stealth laptop, just as I use my phone in the car. Another thing is that the display toggles between reading and an arrow showing the loading direction, making it impossible to get a fully continuous display. Satechi doesn't have the last problem.

Pros
  • Wow
Cons
  • I vaguely remember