Design: Bulky body hides a virtual assistant
Despite its large size, the design is attractive. The two USB ports are highlighted with orange plastic, rather than LED illumination like many in-car USB chargers. And the unit itself is ringed by sporty-looking simulated carbon fiber. The top ring and activation button illuminate with different colors, depending on the operation status, which makes it easy to see what’s going on at a glance. The biggest downfall of the design is the dual USB ports are located on the side of the device. If your car’s 12V port is oriented horizontally on the dashboard, this means the ports will be harder to access and more difficult to locate without taking your eyes off the road. Really, it’s safer to plug your devices into the Roav VIVA when you’re not in motion.
Setup Process: A few minutes, plus a few apps
Setting up the Roav VIVA is relatively easy. Plug it into your car’s 12V charge port, turn your car’s ignition on, and select the Roav VIVA on your smartphone’s Bluetooth device list.
Performance: Quick to respond
To use Alexa through the Roav VIVA, just tap the top button on the Roav VIVA and a chime will come over car’s speaker system. You can then give Alexa your commands, such as, “Alexa, call Mom” or “Alexa, play Lady Gaga.” In this way, Roav VIVA is not as hands-free as one might expect. Asking Alexa to navigate you somewhere requires Alexa to open up Google Maps on your smartphone using voice commands. Alexa will then prompt you to tap your phone screen to open the Google Maps app once the directions are loaded and you will then need to start directions from your phone. From there, Google will take over with the audio directions. Ultimately, if you were hoping for a 100 percent hands-free solution, the Roav VIVA isn’t it. But it is as close as you’re going to get without updating your car or infotainment system.
Price: Top of the market
Competition: The only charger with Alexa
The Roav VIVA competes with other highly rated in-car USB chargers, like the Anker’s own PowerDrive 2 or the RAVPower 24W when it comes to fast-charging USB ports. Both are chargers that offer dual 2.4A USB ports, allowing for quick device recharge on the go. But despite being priced a fraction of the VIVA, neither are truly comparable since they lack a voice assistant or any extra functionality like hands-free drive. If you’re simply looking to charge devices, they’re still good options. However, if you want to have a voice assistant in your car while charging your devices, Roav VIVA doesn’t have a real rival. The Anker Roav VIVA is a clever car charger that brings some smart voice assistant functionality to “dumb” cars. It won’t replace dashboard infotainment systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but the VIVA is much cheaper to install, and has the bonus of giving you two relatively fast charging USB ports to keep your devices topped up.
