Charge two iOS devices together
The Arc 450 is a charging device that comes with a wireless charging pad for the Apple Watch and a lightning cable for charging devices like the iPhone, the AirPods, and some of the iPads, letting you charge up to two devices simultaneously. The lighting cable folds itself and lets you store the lightning charging end inside the device itself, saving it from dust. The other end of the accessory is a regular USB jack which can be plugged into a charger or any power source into which a regular USB can be plugged in. You can plug it into a charger plugged into a wall outlet, into a notebook, or into a powerbank – any power source with a USB port will do. It is a compact, very lightweight accessory (made mainly of plastic) and can be carried in one’s pocket easily. The USB jack can also extend a little if needed, but its implementation is a little rickety in an otherwise very sturdily designed product.
Very good for Apple Watch, kinda good for AirPods…sorta handy for others
The Arc 450 works just fine for AirPods and the Apple Watch, especially the latter. You can just park the watch on the accessory and let it charge away merrily – the speed depends on the source to which it is attached. The fact that the watch charging pad is part of very close to the USB jack means that the watch remains stable and does not dangle at all. There is also space for the watch band to loop around it. The lightning jack is great for the AirPods and can also be used for iPhones and iPads, although the length of the cable, which is barely half a foot, restricts its utility sometimes – the AirPods are light enough to dangle in the air from a wall outlet but the sight of a tablet or a phone dangling thus can be a little scary.
But yes, you can charge an Apple Watch and any other iOS device with a lighting port from a notebook with a regular USB port – ironically you cannot use a MacBook Pro or Air for the purpose as those only sport USB Type C ports. Raegr claims it comes with safeguards such as surge protection to protect your devices. We used it with a notebook, a portable charger, and a wall outlet and we liked it best with a portable charger, as it literally added to the charging abilities of that accessory. A USB type-C variant of the device would be really interesting. And yes, we would advocate doing away with the USB jack extension option as that seems a trifle rickety, and perhaps letting the wireless pad charge the AirPods too.
Super value for money, especially if you have an Apple Watch
But all said and done, at Rs 1499 the Raegr Arc 450 is very good value for money for anyone who uses an Apple Watch (which we think is its real strength) and also has other iOS devices. It saves one from the hassle of carrying different chargers and the tangle of wires that tend to accompany them. And well, it also saves money. A regular Apple Watch charging cable puts you back by around Rs 1900 and often comes with more cable than one needs. The Arc 450 is easy to carry, solid enough, and is great for charging your iOS devices – if you have the space you can even charge the iPhone and iPad with it. What we really like is that it works very smoothly with even a portable charger making it the perfect travel accessory – small, efficient, and effective. A super option for anyone who has an Apple Watch and a few other iOS devices, and does not want to get tangled up with cable bloatware! Buy Raegr Arc 450
