NITECORE NEW i4 Intellicharger

Product Information

A key point to specs above is that while the i2 has two independent channels (for 500mA), the i4 also only has two channels (but for up to 750mA). Since the i4 actually has four wells, that means that current needs to be shared between two wells. While the charger label reports this as "0.375A*4", in actual fact the charger remains at 750mA for each bay – but it alternates charging by cycling off/on about once every second for each battery. This effectively results in the same thing, but the cell is actually being charged at 750mA for a 1sec on, 1sec off, cycle.

Expanded compatibility to support 3.7V and 4.35V batteries allows you to charge a host of batteries with a single charger. Compatible with 1.2V, 3.7V, 4.2V and 4.35V. By simple operation with the V button it is easy to set charging voltage in each slot independently. At the end of the day, these are incremental upgrades to the Intellicharger line from Nitecore. I think these chargers still offer good value for the money - especially compared to discount "budget" chargers that cost almost as much, but with unknown charging algorithms. They are also particularly useful for less sophisticated users who are just starting to use Li-ions (and may thus inadvertently try to charge NiMH and Li-ion on the same device - a real no-no on just about every other charger!). So, right to the point....... Just bought a new toy, the TK75vnKT, and still need to get batts and maybe a new charger. In fact, since I already have the light in hand, i am just DYING to try it. For me, the biggest improvement of the new Nitecore i4 is the 100% acceleration of the charging time. My older i4 has a maximum output of 750mA, the new i4 is a full 1500mA. That means that batteries charge up twice as fast as the older model. This is a huge deal for Vapers that have a lot of batteries in play. The Nitecore i4 Intellicharger comes with individual slots for 4 batteries. The special slots allow the charger to handle almost any round rechargeable battery. The great thing about the Nitecore i4 is that each slot is charged independently. You can even charge 4 different battery types – all at the same time.Note* Although the Nitecore i4 is the charger of choice for ALL rechargeable batteries, I’m going to focus on the features that Vapers depend on. I understand that we all use our chargers for more than just the 18650 batteries we have, so I’ll include the litany of battery types the Nitecore i4 can charge at the end of this review

Flipping over to the topside of the board, we are presented with more differences. Every single component is different. Even though the capacitors on the board on the non-genuine charger have Nitecore wraps on them and are the same (purportedly, basing this on the wrap only) rating/values, they're not the same components underneath which leads me to think that the counterfeiting goes down to component level too. The first thing that caught my eye was the low voltage input power side of the board. The genuine charger uses a single 1500uF capacity next to the transformer. The non-genuine one uses two 470uF ones instead. The transformer itself is different too. While the fake one doesn't have the previously seen "NITECOKE" wrap, it's marking is on the wrong side and its notably smaller. I've not stripped it further as there's no real need.

Shipping, Delivery & Returns

When you insert a battery into the charger, the three yellow lights over the bay indicate the charging status by the number of flashing LEDs (counting from the bottom up). Three solid LEDs means the battery is fully charged and the unit has stopped charging (in theory – scroll down for a discussion on NiMH). Active current distribution (ACD) technology allows for the dynamic distribution of the NEW i4's charging power. For example, if two batteries are being charged in the NEW i4 and one of them completes charging, all charging power will automatically go to the other slot and charge the battery at the fastest speed.