The Anker 24W charger differentiates itself from most of the USB car chargers out there in a few ways, but at first glance, it isn't very noteworthy.

This little 2-inch-long white dongle plugs into your car's 12V power outlet and provides 5V USB power for your gadgets that need it. I wasn't a fan of the white and gray, "iDevice-esque" color scheme and would have preferred a darker finish to better blend with most cars' dark interiors. The unit also uses a sealed design and can't be opened to swap fuses - presumably, this is to streamline the compact device's design and because most people couldn't be bothered to swap fuses on a car charger when they could just buy a new one.

However, I liked that the device didn't have an LED power indicator light to draw unnecessary attention to itself at night.

Double the ports, double the power
Things get interesting when you start to pay attention to the business end, where the USB ports reside. Firstly, this is a dual-port charger that is capable of charging two USB devices at once. Furthermore, the ports are high-speed USB chargers that can output up to 2.4 amperes of current to charge compatible tablets and to fast-charge smartphones that can handle the additional current.

What's more, those ports can output their maximum 2.4 amps of current simultaneously for a claimed total of 4.8 amps. Most dual-port chargers that I've tested can only output maximum current through one port. Now, with this, if you're in a cross-platform household and wanted to charge an iPad and a Nexus 10 at the same time, you could.

The best of both worlds
However, the two USB charging ports are not identical.

One is labeled Apple and features the unique pin configuration and circuitry required for Apple products, such as the iPad, to charge at their maximum rate of between 2.1 and 2.4 amps, depending on the generation.

The other port, labeled Android, is designed to charge non-Apple devices at their maximum rate - anywhere between 0.5A and 2.4A, depending on the device. Interestingly, despite being labeled "Android" this port is equally adept at charging Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and other USB-powered devices (such as GoPro cameras or GPS devices). I suppose labeling the ports "Apple" and "Not Apple" would have just been too awkward for Anker.