Nearly everyone I know carries around two to three devices. It’s some combination of a laptop, smartphone/s, and tablet/s. Imagine having to lug around these devices along with their power bricks. That’s a significant weight added to your bag. Enter the Kovol 65W 4-port charging station. This thing, as the company says, is small in size but big on power.
Personally, I’m a member of this multi-device tribe. I almost always carry with me a laptop and two smartphones. That’s excluding any other smartphones or laptops I may be reviewing at the time.
This is part of the reason why I’m in the ‘USB-C Everything’ camp. It would make our lives as tech reviewers just that much better. But since that reality may not be happening anytime soon, multiport GaN chargers like this are the next best thing.
Regulated power
Just because it has 65W written on it, doesn’t mean that it’s the only power output available. It can smartly allocate power to each device based on its needs. The 65W ranges from 65W, 45W, 30W, 25W, 20W, and 18W. So, whichever fast charging output your device supports, that’s what it’s getting.
There’s also a 120W version of the charger and it can output at 87W aside from others that have already been mentioned.
Kovol also claims it has low-heat and safe-charging. This means there will be no risk of overheating and overcharging your device. During my time using the charger, I can say I never felt any sort of unusual heating from it.
How fast is it, really?
But of course, the real question is how fast it actually is in real world use. Fret not, I have you covered. I’ll list the charging times of the three devices I primarily use.
Before we start though, I would like to describe my normal usage. I’m totally not the type who lets the devices reach red levels of the battery indicator. Small beads of sweat immediately form around my head as soon as my devices’ battery indicator shows anywhere between 40% to 50%.
Go ahead. Laugh all you want. But I’ve been in waaaay too many situations when I forgot to juice up only to need to charge but without any power outlet nearby. It’s a sticky situation I would like to avoid as much as I can.
With that said, here are the charging numbers I recorded. Duration in minutes (mins) is how long it took to reach 100%.
iPhone 11 Pro
- At 30% – 40 mins
- At 40% – 32 mins
- At 50% – 23 mins
- At 65% – 16 mins
OPPO Find X3 Pro
- At 10% – 59 mins
- At 30% – 46 mins
- At 40% – 37 mins
- At 50% – 25 mins
- At 65% – 18 mins
13” M1 MacBook Pro
- At 35% – 1 hour, 41 mins
- At 40% – 1 hour, 26 mins
- At 50% – 1 hour, 10 mins
- At 65% – 40 mins
Naturally, these numbers will vary depending on your devices and the kind of wired fast charging they support. But what’s evident is that these are more than decent charging speeds. These are especially useful if you only have a limited time access to a power outlet when you’re out and about.
Small for its power
The charging speeds are impressive but what really takes the cake is how small the Kovol 65W 4-port charging station is. It’s a little chunky, but it’s short enough that it’ll easily slide into your bag without taking up much space.
Personally, I carried it in this tiny-gadgets-and-cables pouch I normally bring around whenever I step out.
Its small size is also helpful when you have limited table space. It can sit just right next to your devices without taking away any wiggle room you might need.
Price and availability
Some manufacturers are following Apple’s lead in taking away the power bricks from brand new devices. It’s a good reason to invest in a multiport GaN charger other than the ones already mentioned.
The Kovol 4-port charging station comes in two variants. Pricing are as follows:
Accessories
Peak Design’s new City Line combines minimalism and color
Less padding, more personality
Known for its camera-friendly bags with generous padding to protect photography gear, Peak Design is taking a different approach with the City Line.
The new collection prioritizes lightweight construction and everyday functionality, stripping away unnecessary bulk while still delivering the thoughtful organization the brand is known for.
The new collection includes the City Backpack in 15L and 22L sizes, the 15L City Tote, the City Crescent in 6L and 12L options, and the compact 2L City Sling. While each bag serves a different purpose, they all share the same minimalist aesthetics and intuitive organization.
To achieve that lighter design is Peak Design’s new weather-resistant MonoShell material, along with a seam-reduced construction that cuts down on unnecessary bulk.
It also comes with Peak Design’s built-in BagLev hook, allowing you to hang your bag from a table instead of placing it on the floor.
Beyond the neutral and muted finishes we’ve seen in the past, Peak Design is also introducing brighter options that add more personality to the collection.
The vibrant Lapis blue, in particular, stands out as a fun alternative for anyone looking to move beyond the usual black everyday bag.
The City Line is now available through peakdesign.com and authorized retailers worldwide.
DJI’s smartphone gimbals have always chased one goal: delivering cinema-smooth footage without forcing you to carry a heavy rig.
The Osmo Mobile 8P (OM 8P) makes its priorities clear right out of the box. This is not a simple refresh. DJI rebuilt how you control the gimbal, and that decision shapes the entire shooting experience.
Freedom behind the lens
The biggest change is the FrameTap remote, and it’s the kind of upgrade that fixes a problem you didn’t realize was slowing you down until it’s gone.
On the standard OM 8, adjusting your framing meant reaching for your phone every time, which broke the flow of shooting and pulled you out of the moment.
FrameTap puts that control back in your hand. You can reframe shots and manage the gimbal without touching your phone at all, and for anyone shooting solo, that alone changes how usable the whole setup feels. Tracking has taken a real step forward too.
ActiveTrack 8.0, paired with Module 2, held onto its subject even after they stepped out of frame for a moment, then picked them back up without much fuss.
It also lets you sit off-center in the shot instead of forcing you into the middle every time, which gives you more room to compose something that doesn’t look like every other gimbal video.
None of that would matter much if the gimbal itself wasn’t solid, and it still is. The OM 8P holds onto the same foldable design, magnetic phone clamp, and built-in tripod that made the OM 8 easy to live with.
And it remains one of the better compact options for stabilization, tracking, and portability in one package.
The tripod legs are a touch wider this time, and that extra width does make a noticeable difference on uneven ground.
The trade-offs in touch
The trade-off for all that new remote functionality is a control scheme that takes more getting used to. More of the gimbal’s functions now live on the FrameTap touchscreen, the joystick is smaller, and switching between shooting modes takes a few extra taps compared to the OM 8. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s a learning curve you’ll need to budget time for.
DJI also removed the zoom and focus wheel, so if you leaned on that dial for quick adjustments, you’ll feel its absence here. Module 2 no longer lets you plug a DJI wireless mic in directly either.
You’ll need to connect it to your phone instead, which adds a step to a setup that used to be simpler. Phone compatibility is still a limiting factor as well. DJI lists support for phones up to around 300g and 11mm thick, so bigger phones or ones in chunky cases may not clamp in properly.
Finding your ideal workflow
The OM 8P makes the most sense for solo creators who want dependable tracking and the freedom of remote framing without stepping up to a dedicated camera like the DJI Osmo Pocket.
If you’re already shooting on a phone with a solid camera, this fills the gap nicely. It’s a tougher sell if you prefer physical buttons over touchscreen menus, or if your phone runs on the larger and heavier side, since fitting it onto the clamp might be a problem before you even get to shooting.
Price, availability
DJI is offering the OM 8P in three combos, so how much you pay depends on how much of the ecosystem you actually need.
- Standard Combo (PhP 7,499): the gimbal itself, with 8th-gen stabilization and the detachable FrameTap remote included.
- Advanced Tracking Combo (PhP 9,199): adds the Multifunctional Module 2 for the improved subject tracking we tested.
- Creator Combo (PhP 11,099): the full kit, built for creators who want everything DJI bundles in from the start.
Is the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P your GadgetMatch?
The DJI Osmo Mobile 8P asks you to relearn a few habits in exchange for a gimbal that finally lets go of your phone. If hands-free framing and steadier tracking matter more to you than a dedicated zoom dial, this is worth the adjustment.
If you’d rather keep things exactly as they were on the OM 8, that learning curve might be the deciding factor.
Swipe right if you shoot alone often and have been waiting for a gimbal remote that actually works. The FrameTap remote alone justifies the upgrade if reaching for your phone mid-shot has been slowing you down.
Consider this if reliable tracking matters to you, especially if you’ve had a subject wander out of frame and stay lost on older gimbals.
And of course, get this if you already own a capable phone under the weight and thickness limits, and you’d rather invest in a smartphone rig than jump to a dedicated camera like the Osmo Pocket.
Swipe left if you lean on physical dials for zoom and focus, and moving those functions to a touchscreen sounds like a downgrade rather than an upgrade.
This is not for you if you use a DJI wireless mic and want it plugged directly into the module without routing through your phone first. Or, your phone runs heavier or bulkier than DJI’s limits allow, since no amount of enthusiasm fixes a clamp that won’t close.
Last year, the Sony WH-1000XM6 quickly became our favorite pair of noise-cancelling headphones. The audio quality pairs remarkably well with its ANC capabilities. Now, a year into the accessory’s life cycle, new colors are still coming out. Today, the acclaimed WH-1000XM6 is getting an Olive Gray variant.
A few months ago, Sony expanded the WH-1000XM6’s colorway options with a Sandstone version, launching alongside the Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION. At the time, the new color added a splash of life to an already blossoming lineup.
Now, much like the rest of the lineup, the new Olive Gray version is a subdued mashup between olive green and gray. Though it stands out on its own, the color is still cool enough to mix well with the contours of the user’s head.
Other than that, the new version is still identical to the inner workings of the original device. The Sony WH-1000XM6 comes with a new HD Noise Canceling Processor QN3, providing 12 microphones for effective noise cancellation. In terms of audio quality, the headphones support High-Resolution Audio and High-Resolution Audio Wireless, thanks to LDAC support.
Also, the accessory sits comfortable on the head with a high rigidity carbon fiber composite material dome, cushioned well with synthetic leather.
As always, the Olive Gray version, launching today, will sell for US$ 459.99.
In Singapore, the Sony WH-1000XM6 in Olive Gray is available starting today through Sony Stores, the Sony Store Online, and authorized dealers for S$649, matching the pricing of the existing color options.
SEE ALSO: Sony WH-1000XM6: Master of sound quality and noise cancellation
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