The Centurion charges up to four devices and has 100W PD, but there's no Warp Charge 65.
There's a decent amount of choice if you're looking for the best 100W USB-C chargers, but most of these options are aimed at the U.S. market and not available in India. The few chargers that are sold in the country are either absurdly costly or from no-name brands with sketchy reliability.
That said, there are brands like Stuffcool and AMX that offer charging solutions built for India, and the latest offering from Stuffcool is particularly noteworthy. The Centurion is a 100W USB PD charger that has two USB-C and two USB-A ports, and it works with a variety of fast charging standards in addition to PD, including Samsung's Fast Adaptive Charging, OPPO VOOC, and OnePlus' Warp Charge.
So if you are looking for a unified charging solution for your notebook, phone, as well as any accessories, the Centurion may just be the ideal option.
Stuffcool Centurion
Bottom line: The Centurion is a decent choice if you want a charger that can be used with four devices at once. It goes up to 100W PD for notebooks, and works with most phone-based fast charging standards. That said, it isn't usable with Warp Charge 65 or VOOC 2.0, but if you don't care about that particular omission, this is a great charging solution for your devices.
The Good
- 100W USB PD fast charging
- Good for charging several devices at once
- Doesn't take up too much room
- Works with a variety of charging standards
The Bad
- Doesn't work with Warp Charge 65
- Most phone charging standards limited to 30W
Stuffcool Centurion: Price and availability
The Centurion made its debut in August 2021, and is now available on Amazon India for ₹6,999. The charger is sold in a single configuration with two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports, and it is already sold out on Stuffcool's website.
Stuffcool Centurion: What I like
The Centurion has a plain white design with Stuffcool branding and a square profile, and for a charger with four ports, it doesn't take up too much room. This isn't a GaN charger and is instead aimed at desk use, but the design makes it easily portable, particularly if you're on the go and need a unified charger for your notebook, phone, smartwatch, and any other accessories.
Thanks to a portable design, the Centurion doesn't take up too much room on your desk.
The charger measures 100 x 114 x 20mm and weighs 235g, and there are four feet at the bottom that ensures it stays planted on a surface. There's an LED indicator at the front, and each port is clearly marked: the USB-C ports are labeled C1 and C2, with the USB-A ports named A1 and A2. The front panel is prone to scratches; I nicked it a few times while plugging in cables.
The dual USB-C ports feature Power Delivery and PPS for phones, tablets, and notebooks, while the USB-A port does the heavy lifting for phones. The USB-A ports work Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 standard as well as Samsung's Fast Adaptive Charging, OPPO VOOC, OnePlus' Warp Charge, and Motorola Turbo Charge.
If you're looking to charge a notebook or tablet, you will be relying on the USB-C ports as they do the heavy lifting in this area. I tested the Centurion with Xiaomi's latest Mi Notebook Ultra and had zero issues; the notebook does 65W PD, and the charger was able to deliver that power consistently.
Before we take a look at how the Centurion holds up for phones, here's a look at the power profiles:
- USB-C (Max 100W): 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, 20V/5A
- USB-A (Max 30W): 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/2.5A
I tested the Centurion with the best Android phones, and your mileage will vary based on the manufacturer. Samsung's Galaxy Note 10+ goes up to 45W with PD, and the charger works with that particular standard over USB-C without any issues. The more recent Galaxy S21 series goes up to 25W, and that's also not an issue for the Centurion (over USB-A).
Same goes for Xiaomi phones as well. The Mi 11 uses the PD 3.0 standard and goes up to 55W, and the Centurion was able to deliver up to 50W consistently, with the phone triggering the Mi Turbo Charge label to suggest that the Centurion works with its charging protocol. The Redmi Note 10 Pro Max, on the other hand, goes up to 33W, and while that wasn't feasible here, the USB-A port's 12V/2.5A allowed the device to get up to a 25W charge.
For OnePlus phones, you will be limited to Warp Charge 30, and you will have to use the USB-A ports. Connecting the devices over USB-C will fall back to 10W charging, but you do get up to 30W charging once you switch over to USB-A. As OnePlus, OPPO, and Realme all use similar tech for fast charging, you won't be able to go over 30W for any of these devices.
If you're looking to charge a notebook at 90W, your best option is to use either of the USB-C ports and make sure that nothing else is plugged in. The 100W charging power is spread out over the four ports when in simultaneous use, so if you have more than two devices plugged into the two USB-C ports, the charger will switch to 65W + 30W instead. Here's how the power governance looks based on how many ports are in active use:
- C1 (USB-C) + C2 (USB-C) = 65W + 30W
- C1 (USB-C) + A1 (USB-A) = 65W + 30W
- C1 (USB-C) + A2 (USB-A) = 65W + 30W
- C2 (USB-C) + A1 (USB-A) = 65W + 30W
- C2 (USB-C) + A2 (USB-A) = 65W + 30W
- A1 (USB-A) + A2 (USB-A) = 5V/3A (15W Max)
- C1 (USB-C) + C2 (USB-C) + A1 (USB-A) = 45W + 30W + 18W
- C1 (USB-C) + C2 (USB-C) + A2 (USB-A) = 45W + 30W +18W
- C1 (USB-C) + (A1+A2) (USB-A) = 65W + (15W)
- C2 (USB-C) + (A1+A2) (USB-A) = 65W + (15W)
- C1 (USB-C) + C2 (USB-C) + (A1+A2) (USB-A) = 45W + 30W + (15W)
So if you're using all four ports simultaneously, you'll get 45W and 30W of power out of the two USB-C ports, with a combined 15W out for the two USB-A ports. Considering it is the USB-A ports that feature the phone charging protocols, this isn't an ideal solution if you want to charge your phone and notebook simultaneously; the maximum power available for your phone in this instance will be 15W, but if you're charging overnight, this becomes a moot point.
Stuffcool Centurion: What needs work
The biggest issue with the Centurion is that it does not work with Warp Charge 65. The charger is instead limited to Warp Charge 30, so if you have an older OnePlus phone or the first-gen Nord and don't care about 65W charging, the Centurion is a decent enough option.
But if you're using the OnePlus 9 or 9 Pro, Nord 2, or the 8T, you won't be able to unlock the full charging speeds with this charger. The same goes for OPPO VOOC 2.0 as well, so if you're using the Reno 6 Pro or any devices in the Realme portfolio, you won't be able to use this charger and get 65W charging.
Stuffcool Centurion: Competition
As I said earlier, you won't find many alternatives if you want a 4-port charger with 100W PD charging. There are a few options like the AMX XP60 that gives you three USB-A ports and a single USB-C port that goes up to 45W, and retailing at ₹2,045, it is a decent choice if you want a value-focused charger for your phone and other accessories.
If you want a GaN-based solution, the ₹3,999 iEDS charger has two USB-C ports along with a single USB-A port, and it delivers up to 65W of PD power. You also get a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box that handles up to 100W of power.
Stuffcool Centurion: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if ...
- You want a single charger that can be used with four devices at once
- You need the versatility of PD and custom charging standards
- You want up to 100W fast charging
You shouldn't buy this if...
- You use a recent OnePlus phone
Overall, I like what Stuffcool is offering with the Centurion. The charger makes it easier than ever to charge up to four devices at once, and the fact that it goes up to 100W over USB PD makes it a great choice for charging the latest notebooks and tablets.
That said, the charger doesn't fare nearly as well for OPPO and OnePlus devices as you won't be able to unlock the full 65W speeds. If this isn't a consideration, the Centurion should be the default option if you want a 100W PD charging solution in India.
Stuffcool Centurion
Bottom line: The Centurion is a decent choice if you want a charger that can be used with four devices at once. It goes up to 100W PD for notebooks, and works with most phone-based fast charging standards. That said, it isn't usable with Warp Charge 65 or VOOC 2.0, but if you don't care about that particular omission, this is a great charging solution for your devices.
Source: androidcentral