Shargeek is a Chinese accessory maker that's best known for its see-through power banks. I reviewed the Storm 2 and Storm 2 Slim a few months ago, and while they are costlier than standard power banks, the unique design along with the built-in power meter — which gives you a real-time look at charging speeds — makes them an easy recommendation.
It looks like Shargeek is intent on integrating a power meter into all of its products, because its latest offering is a USB PD 3.0 charger that's unlike anything else I've used. It's called the Retro 67, and as the name suggests, it uses a 1980s Macintosh design for the chassis that makes it stand out. But what's unique about the Retro 67 is that the screen isn't just for aesthetics — it has a real-time charging indicator, and it is incredibly cool.
I used the Retro 67 for just over a month now, and it's safe to say that it is one of my favorite charging accessories in the house. The retro styling essentially hides the fact that this is a charger, and I like the grey finish and the attention to detail here. There's a decent amount of versatility as well thanks to the three USB-C ports, and you get a total power budget of 67W over the USB PD 3.0 protocol.
Like the Storm 2 power bank, my favorite feature on the Retro 67 is the screen; it shows real-time speeds when the charger is in use, and the best part is that it uses a large pixelated font that goes well with the design. When the charger isn't in use but plugged into a socket, you'll see the Matrix code scrolling through the screen — a very cool addition.
As for the charging potential, all three ports can hit 67W individually, and the power budget is split between ports when more than one is in use. Here's the various charging scenarios:
- USB-C1/C2/C3 (5V/9V/12V/15V at 3A, 20V at 3.35A): 67W Max
- USB-C1 + USB-C2: 45W + 20W
- USB-C1 + USB-C3: 45W + 20W
- USB-C2 + USB-C3: 15W total
- USB-C1 + USB-C2 + USB-C3: 45W + 15W between C2 and C3
I was able to charger the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Z Fold 4, Pixel 7 Pro, and a slate of wireless earbuds with the Retro 67, and it worked without any issues whatsoever. It is able to hit the 67W for phones and notebooks that charge over USB PD, and it does a decent job managing thermals.
The charger has an accurate power meter; I was able to verify the charging speed is in line with the power being sent via the outlet, and the large font makes it easy to view the details from across the room. The fold-out pins also make the charger great for portability, and considering you get three USB-C ports and 67W of charging potential, it has a diminutive size.
That's down to the fact that it uses GaN tech, and with dimensions of 57 x 39 x 41mm and coming in at just 110g, it is smaller than most 67W chargers I've used.
Overall, Shargeek did a brilliant job with the Retro 67, and the design combined with the feature-set and the large screen make it one of the best GaN chargers available. The charger is currently being crowdfunded, and you can get your hands on it at Indiegogo for just $39, 51% off its $79 retail price.
