Related
Hello,
I'm thinking of buying a mini-usb AA (1, 2 or 4, to be decided) travel charger for an Orbit 2.
There's plenty of cheap stuff on Ebay or Amazon (and elsewhere), but If anyone has used them, I'd like to know
A) do you think the output is regulated enough to be suitable for safely charging my Orbit.
B) How much power is lost? For example a 1.2V 2500 mAH AA battery, should (if the rating is correct) should have nearly 2.7 WHour capacity (1.2*2.5), so that should roughly half fill an 1350mAH (3.7x1.35 = 4.8 WHour) Orbit 2, even allowing for some power loss.
Does this match your experience.
Perhaps it's easier just to carry a spare orbit battery, but AA's are so useful, and you can find them anywhere.
Ive been tempted by these, but never heard good enough reviews to buy one so am interested to know how you get on.
I've been looking at a Li-ion pack on evilbay - 2600mAh in a unit the same shape as a PPC phone but just a little smaller. Seems like it will fit on the back of my m700 with some velcro (or rubber band!) - so allowing extended GPS use outdoors.
My questions are similar - are external packs worth it, and do they keep the phone charged and do they fully charge a dead phone?
BTW, I'm also looking at a solar charger currently on offer at maplins . Its £9.99 (£20 off ?) and will hold and charge 5 AAA batteries. Solar chargers like this generally get crap reviews, but the seemingly good thing about this one is its rated at 1w, which is more than similar ones which I've seen
r_southampton said:
Hello,
I'm thinking of buying a mini-usb AA (1, 2 or 4, to be decided) travel charger for an Orbit 2.
There's plenty of cheap stuff on Ebay or Amazon (and elsewhere), but If anyone has used them, I'd like to know
A) do you think the output is regulated enough to be suitable for safely charging my Orbit.
B) How much power is lost? For example a 1.2V 2500 mAH AA battery, should (if the rating is correct) should have nearly 2.7 WHour capacity (1.2*2.5), so that should roughly half fill an 1350mAH (3.7x1.35 = 4.8 WHour) Orbit 2, even allowing for some power loss.
Does this match your experience.
Perhaps it's easier just to carry a spare orbit battery, but AA's are so useful, and you can find them anywhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have several of the 4 AA usb type for my PPC and WM devices. I haven't had any issues with it damaging the device, but I'm careful as to what the power rating is on the device. I don't going over by 1watt but anything else I don't risk it. My devices require 5watt to charge, so the extra watt doesn't hurt anything. It's been a life saver on long trips and when in a pinch to need to charge.
Hi All! So this is my first time starting a new thread so I hope I'm doing this right. I couldn't really find a thread specifically for battery banks or battery backups so I thought I'd start one.
I was wondering what is everyone's method of backing up/recharging your battery for your cellphones? For me, the battery that comes with my phone is enough to get me through the day usually and I just charge it every night while I sleep. If I go on trips, I use the Rav Power 10000 mah battery bank. I find this a bit bulky but it works great and lasts many charges before I have to recharge again.
Everyone's taste and preferences are different so I'm seeing what other options are out there that may be lighter in weight. I'm thinking of getting their smaller one, the 5200 mah, and have this in my backpack or car for just in case.
Any mini reviews of what you have would be great :good:
Wow, cool gadgets, I need to get a bank for just-in-case emergencies. Thanks Currently i use a solar powered charger, which is really slow and somethings doesn't work as desired. Looks similar to this http://www.amazon.com/External-Univ...=8-4&keywords=solar+powered+cellphone+charger
Ive bought one at sunsky from china battery about 4000mah, but it was year before, now there is a better.
I used to have a bank that looked like a GBA SP, with foldable screens. In the screens were two solar panels, which charged the battery of, I think, about 2000mAh or something like that. The thing is now broken though. Still looking for a nice (affordable) replacement
Mine is Anker 5600
I use the Belkin 4000, size similar to a ext HDD and look nice, pocketable too
http://www.techhypermart.com/belkin-f8m160ak-portable-battery-pack-4000.html
Charger considerations
Hi,
I need advise for the following:
Charger A (Li-polymer battery) output : 5V, 1A
Charger B (Li-polymer battery) output : 5V, 500mA
Device input: 5V, 750mAH (Li-ion / Li-polymer)
When using Charger A, some people comment that it will limit the current of 750mAH for the device and the device's battery should be fine since both the charger and device are at 5V. However, some people comment that this will shorten the battery life of the device since it will perform a 'quick charge' using 1A.
When using Charger B, some people comment that the device will draw more current than it can deliver and causes it to heat up and reduces the charger's life. However, some people comment that Charger B will extend the battery life of the device since it performs a 'slow charge'.
I also read that USB pins on the charger denotes if the charger is a PC or a dedicated charger. If it is a PC, the device will limit the drawing current. If it is a dedicated charger, the device will draw more current to charge itself.
I am confused as to who is right and which charger should i be using.
Can someone enlighten me ?
Thank you very much.
bought this one from Ebay, has not yet arrived, therefore I cannot tell if its good or not.
but for its price its quite a good bet, 12000mAh for 33 bucks (on sale until tomorrow)
not able to post links, just type w ww. before the following
ebay.com/itm/12000mAh-External-Power-Bank-Battery-Charger-iPhone-3-4S-iPad-3-2-Blackberry-/280947027345
Zagg sparq 2.0 highly recommended
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
I recommend Anker 5600 is very good for that stuff.
Hi, I use choiix power fort 10Wh http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?product_id=3001 it have 2700mAh and it's small and looks very nice. It can give one full charge for my SGSIII
I went on a trip this year and searched for a good bank, and this showed up.
http://www.sayes.co/20-powerbank.html
I tried it and it was really good, it has lots of adapters and it's cheap =P
I was able to order a RavPower 5600mAh on sale a while back ago, that was posted on slickdeals. here. I am pretty happy with the performance of the little backup, it defiantly gets the job done. My only complaint is that the body gets scratched up easily.
I was comparing the Ravpower and the Anker 5600 and they both look exactly the same except that both are branded with their logos. So I'm wondering if they're from the same manufacturer. Going to have to do some more research. However my current Ravpower power bank I do have is working great and I love this thing for trips.
I'm also thinking of getting a solar one for my 3day emergency/bug out bag. Thanks for all the suggestions.
Green Ranger said:
I was comparing the Ravpower and the Anker 5600 and they both look exactly the same except that both are branded with their logos. So I'm wondering if they're from the same manufacturer. Going to have to do some more research. However my current Ravpower power bank I do have is working great and I love this thing for trips.
I'm also thinking of getting a solar one for my 3day emergency/bug out bag. Thanks for all the suggestions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, can someone please let me know if they are the exact same manufactuers, except for the company logos on them? I am deciding between the two. Also, what do you guys think of their 2600maH stick version? Which manufactuer would you go for over the other and why? I am very interested.
I'm using a "Scosche SolBAT II Solar Powered Backup Battery and Charger" which I bought off Amazon for something ridiculous like $15 last year.
I bought it for hiking mostly as an emergency charger. I use a Huawei phone as a GPS out in the wilderness, and the GPS app (Androzic) is quite power intensive. I have also used the same device on an iPhone and an iPod touch. The Huawei phone will receive a full charge from this battery, but the iDevices will only go to around 75%.
The solar cell on the back of the battery isn't all that efficient and will take about two days to charge the internal battery, but having it there gives you more options should an emergency occur while in the wilderness. A half hour charging in full sunlight would provide enough power for a short call or a couple of texts to family or emergency services.
The device comes with suction cups and a small carabiner, so it can be stuck to the inside of your car window or clipped to the back of your rucksack. The device is lighter and smaller than the average smartphone and can be fully charged by USB in about three hours. Interestingly, the device has a LOT of bad reviews on Amazon, so maybe they simply sent me a good one.
I also have a very cheap and nasty handcrank USB charger from dealextreme which can be used to add a bit of juice to the solar battery pack at night or in cloudy weather or can directly charge the phone in an emergency. It's a little flimsy and takes a fair bit of cranking to get enough juice for even one call, but it weighs nothing, cost about $2 and is cheap insurance out in the boonies.
My list of power equipment for the phone/GPS and the iPod Touch for a multi-day walk are as follows:
Short Micro USB cable x 1
iPod USB cable x 1
Scosche SolBAT II battery/charger with alloy carabiner
DX hand crank battery charger
Total weight is less than 200 grams
nottellingeither said:
I'm using a "Scosche SolBAT II Solar Powered Backup Battery and Charger" which I bought off Amazon for something ridiculous like $15 last year.
I bought it for hiking mostly as an emergency charger. I use a Huawei phone as a GPS out in the wilderness, and the GPS app (Androzic) is quite power intensive. I have also used the same device on an iPhone and an iPod touch. The Huawei phone will receive a full charge from this battery, but the iDevices will only go to around 75%.
The solar cell on the back of the battery isn't all that efficient and will take about two days to charge the internal battery, but having it there gives you more options should an emergency occur while in the wilderness. A half hour charging in full sunlight would provide enough power for a short call or a couple of texts to family or emergency services.
The device comes with suction cups and a small carabiner, so it can be stuck to the inside of your car window or clipped to the back of your rucksack. The device is lighter and smaller than the average smartphone and can be fully charged by USB in about three hours. Interestingly, the device has a LOT of bad reviews on Amazon, so maybe they simply sent me a good one.
I also have a very cheap and nasty handcrank USB charger from dealextreme which can be used to add a bit of juice to the solar battery pack at night or in cloudy weather or can directly charge the phone in an emergency. It's a little flimsy and takes a fair bit of cranking to get enough juice for even one call, but it weighs nothing, cost about $2 and is cheap insurance out in the boonies.
My list of power equipment for the phone/GPS and the iPod Touch for a multi-day walk are as follows:
Short Micro USB cable x 1
iPod USB cable x 1
Scosche SolBAT II battery/charger with alloy carabiner
DX hand crank battery charger
Total weight is less than 200 grams
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is a nice list of equipment. How is the solar powered charger coming along?
tgmeyer said:
Yeah, can someone please let me know if they are the exact same manufactuers, except for the company logos on them? I am deciding between the two. Also, what do you guys think of their 2600maH stick version? Which manufactuer would you go for over the other and why? I am very interested.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly i went with pricing. I assume if they look the same they are from the same vendors/manufactures but different brand/company. Reviews for both sound very good too. Ravpower had a promo going on a while back and i tend to see them pop up from time to time on slick deals. The stick might give you one charge but since it looks smaller than the rest, it may be the easiest and lightest to carry around. I say get a decent sized one. Anywhere between 5600mah to 10000mah so you can go through a few charges without needing to charge again.
I have a 6600 mAh(well, in my experience it's not true, more like 4-4.5k), but I rarely use it after I bought a tablet with a fullsized usb port in it.
solar charger
I was looking for a solar charger. I bougth one but it crashed in two days. Therefore I returned it and now I am waiting for another one. In the place I live there are few options
This is a review of Anker Astro Slim2 4500 mAh dual output External battery (5V 1A Input, 5V 1A dual output with built in hideaway cable for one of the output ports): http://www.ianker.com/product/79ANS4552-BA
Every time I start to think about extended battery, I run into a big question of what am I going to do with all my cases that no longer going to fit the phone. That is why I decided to explore external battery solution. I don't trust no-name ebay brands because those have overly exaggerated capacity rating. So I turned to a trusted brand, Anker, since so many people in this forum had a lot of positive things to say about their products. In comparison to our stock 3100 mAh battery, this Slim2 external battery is not over the top with its 4500 mAh labeled capacity. If you take into consideration all the conversion factors between external lithium battery, USB port transport, and back to phone's battery, we are talking about final capacity which could realistically be closer to 3100 mAh (and actually stated in the manual as 30% internal power consumption due to losses). What makes the battery stand out is it's unbelievable slim form factor and all the design details that go with it.
When you first take it in your hand you can't believe how light and slim it is. We are talking about 10mm slim! I actually took exact measurement with my digital caliper and found it to be 4.97" x 2.52" x 0.41" (126.34mm x 64.08mm x 10.64mm) and weight to be 4.1 oz (116g) which also includes built-in micro-usb cable. I can see that a lot of thought went into it's design. The case of this external battery is made out of tough plastic with a matte finish and sides have a rubbery finish for a nice grip. The form factor is very slick, something that can go easily into your pocket or purse or even carried in one hand attached externally to your phone. The unit has one micro-usb input port which is cleverly covered by hideaway micro-usb output cable/connector, and another regular usb output port. Pretty much it eliminates a need to carry any external cables since the one you need for your Android device is already built-in. The cable for that external micro-usb connector is flat, flexible, and just long enough to wrap around the end of the battery pack, and it should be sufficient to connect to any phone or tablet. As part of the accessories that come with Slim2, you also get usb-to-micro-usb extension cable with additional mini-usb adapter and Apple 30pin adapter. This second regular usb Output port also comes very handy for another important reason. If you look at the pictures I took, you can see that hideaway micro-usb connector has trapezoid shape. It should work fine with most of the slim or rugged cases that have silicone or tpu inner shell/bumper surrounding micro-usb port opening. With my UAG case is was a very close call where I had to push it in with some force. This hideaway port will not work with Defender case due to its inner plastic shell suited and standard rectangular port opening. That's where 2nd usb output port comes in handy to use external usb cable with a regular micro-usb connector.
There is no power button, instead you have auto on/off capability and display of battery capacity using 4 led lights partitioned in 25% increments. Every time you plug/unplug power cable those lights lit up to show you capacity level or charging level. Also, auto shut off reassures that you will not overcharge the battery once it reaches 100%. I charged this battery to 100% (indicated by 4 solid lights), and used with my Note 2 which was down to 55%. To my surprise charging time was very fast considering it has 1A output, and I was able to get my phone back to 100% within 1.5 hour with 2 led lights remaining thus indicating that battery still had 50% of charge left. That is consistent with my assumption of battery capacity to be around 3100 mAh.
Overall, I'm very pleased with Slim2 as an emergency battery pack. It's slim, easy to grip, light weight, small footprint, NO need for external cables (unless if you have a case like Defender), and ability to charge 2 devices simultaneously. Furthermore, if you remember my mod with clip stand from a car mount, I actually found it to fit together really well which is great, for example, while watching a movie and charging your phone up at the same. Everything is captured in pictures below!
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With a clip-stand:
awesome, gonna get one
initial_k said:
awesome, gonna get one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep in mind, you will get about 3100 mAh of actual charge, these external batteries actual rating is 30% down from the label due to usb 5V conversion factor.
This one is not the highest capacity, but it's the slimmest one for sure. It actually saved us a few times when our Nexus 7 tablet was drained and I just sticked it in between book-cover case and was using a tablet while charging it up (with 1A output you get a relatively decent charging speed).
vectron said:
Keep in mind, you will get about 3100 mAh of actual charge, these external batteries actual rating is 30% down from the label due to usb 5V conversion factor.
This one is not the highest capacity, but it's the slimmest one for sure. It actually saved us a few times when our Nexus 7 tablet was drained and I just sticked it in between book-cover case and was using a tablet while charging it up (with 1A output you get a relatively decent charging speed).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Need to get something for my kid's Droid DNA. It doesn't have a lot of power for a day traipsing in the wilderness, and won't take a larger external. This might fit the bill.
drnihili said:
Need to get something for my kid's Droid DNA. It doesn't have a lot of power for a day traipsing in the wilderness, and won't take a larger external. This might fit the bill.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anker Astro 3E is only $10 more and offers 10,000 mAh versus this 4500 mAh. Unless they need something super slim/light, Astro 3E is a better value in my opinion, and still has a relatively small footprint.
vectron said:
Anker Astro 3E is only $10 more and offers 10,000 mAh versus this 4500 mAh. Unless they need something super slim/light, Astro 3E is a better value in my opinion, and still has a relatively small footprint.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No astro 4 is better 13000mAh
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
vectron said:
Anker Astro 3E is only $10 more and offers 10,000 mAh versus this 4500 mAh. Unless they need something super slim/light, Astro 3E is a better value in my opinion, and still has a relatively small footprint.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He'd like both.
We live (or soon will) in 70 acres of forest and he likes to go off wandering most of the day. Between camera, gps tracking and the like that can be a challenge for the DNA, especially if he's forgotten to top it off first. I'm really looking for something he can just toss in his pocket/daypack to be sure he has enough juice to get through the day. Looking at the 5600mah also. It may be more pocektable. He's never gone over multiple days unless I'm' with him, and I've got the ZL9300, so no worries there. I'll have a look at the 3E and the 4 to see how much bigger they are. Certainly they'r a better value per mah, but the key is finding something that's very easy for him to take. As with cameras, the best external battery is the one you have with you when you need it.
EDIT: I like the form factor of the 5600 and 8400 better, but I like the included cable of this model. An external battery is of no use if you don't have a cable, and you know how 14 year olds can be ...
5600 and 8400 from Anker are the old models.
Btw, I just received and charging Astro Pro 14400 mAh - that one is a monster with two usb ports and a separate 9V/12V DC outputs. Will have review in a day or two
Will the attached micro usb fit the case mate tough?
Sent from my SGH-I317M using xda app-developers app
vr_nguyen said:
Well the attached micro usb fit the case mate tough?
Sent from my SGH-I317M using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It should. With both UAG and CaseMate Tough cases the opening around micro-usb port is tpu material to that connector can wedge right in there. Tough port opening is wider than UAG, and I remember I had no issues wedging that micro usb connector right into UAG, so it should work with Tough as well.
I'm trying to think what's the advantage of this over an extra battery. It would make sense for those who carry several devices and does not want to carry several batteries. I for one only carry one device at a time, so I guess this would be useless for me.
Can you guys point out any other scenarios?
TIA
Sent from my SGH-I317M using xda app-developers app
vr_nguyen said:
I'm trying to think what's the advantage of this over an extra battery. It would make sense for those who carry several devices and does not want to carry several batteries. I for one only carry one device at a time, so I guess this would be useless for me.
Can you guys point out any other scenarios?
TIA
Sent from my SGH-I317M using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you're at home that's pretty much primarily use now the reason why the slim is more portable hence you can bring out on the road
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
The reason to use this ultra-slim battery is very simple, you can hold it connected to the phone while actually using the phone.
This is a picture from Anker webpage. So for example you are facing a scenario where your phone went dead or you are on call or browsing and down to 2% - but you have to continue using your phone and don't have time to wait for charging. This is the only battery that will allow you to do that because you can actually hold it physically together with your phone (and use built-in cable) and it will be charging your phone while you are using it.
I just purchased this for powering my phone and other equipment when away from chargers.
I really like the form factor and the micro-USB cable is very clever. However this battery has a glaring problem (in my opinion): you cannot charge your phone from the battery while charging the battery. When traveling light and grabbing an all-night recharge this would be a nice feature to have to not have to carry two chargers and cables.
- Juha
kuikkaj said:
I just purchased this for powering my phone and other equipment when away from chargers.
I really like the form factor and the micro-USB cable is very clever. However this battery has a glaring problem (in my opinion): you cannot charge your phone from the battery while charging the battery. When traveling light and grabbing an all-night recharge this would be a nice feature to have to not have to carry two chargers and cables.
- Juha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This feature disabled on purpose. I know some other vendors enable it, but it actually not good for the battery. You have two connections, from battery to a phone for charging of the phone, and from wall charger to a battery for charging of the battery. If you have both connected at the same time you will need a way to bypass charging of the battery until phone is charged up first - that pass will be extremely inefficient and it will take you almost twice as long to charge the battery due to all conversions. Then once you done, you will need another mechanism to stop charging of the phone and to switch to charging of the battery, and while you are doing that phone will be discharging so you will have to pick up it's charge as well. Too complicated, too inefficient, and complexity of control circuit will work against reliability of the device. At night it's much easier to charge phone from one outlet and battery from another, just need to get dual usb wall charger, like one of those 2A/1A ones. Charge the phone from 2A output and charge the battery from 1A output.
vectron said:
This feature disabled on purpose. I know some other vendors enable it, but it actually not good for the battery. You have two connections, from battery to a phone for charging of the phone, and from wall charger to a battery for charging of the battery. If you have both connected at the same time you will need a way to bypass charging of the battery until phone is charged up first - that pass will be extremely inefficient and it will take you almost twice as long to charge the battery due to all conversions. Then once you done, you will need another mechanism to stop charging of the phone and to switch to charging of the battery, and while you are doing that phone will be discharging so you will have to pick up it's charge as well. Too complicated, too inefficient, and complexity of control circuit will work against reliability of the device. At night it's much easier to charge phone from one outlet and battery from another, just need to get dual usb wall charger, like one of those 2A/1A ones. Charge the phone from 2A output and charge the battery from 1A output.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, the feature would make the design slightly more complex due to increased logic, unless the used charge IC supported something like that internally. It would not necessarily have to be inefficient as you can bypass the charger and just feed the input directly to output. Could be as simple as a switch controlled by the battery full information of the charger.
But I digress. For most people this is not an issue, I just like to travel light. :cyclops:
Would you by any chance know of a battery pack or vendor that would have this feature?
- Juha
kuikkaj said:
I agree, the feature would make the design slightly more complex due to increased logic, unless the used charge IC supported something like that internally. It would not necessarily have to be inefficient as you can bypass the charger and just feed the input directly to output. Could be as simple as a switch controlled by the battery full information of the charger.
But I digress. For most people this is not an issue, I just like to travel light. :cyclops:
Would you by any chance know of a battery pack or vendor that would have this feature?
- Juha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have reviewed so many Anker external batteries, already lost a count of everything lol!!! I think they had one that was charging both phone and charger, but they wouldn't recommend it. Or maybe that was one of the NewTrent batteries (NT70) I have reviewed in the past.
Btw, Anker is releasing AstroSlim3 in a week or so with 6000 mAh capacity (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CEZJT2E) and new Astro 3 with 12000 mAh (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CEZBKTO) with led indicator for capacity and no power button, activated by shaking it. Don't know the pricing yet, and hopefully will get both of these units for review as well.
This is a review of Anker Astro E7 25600 mAh external battery. http://www.amazon.com/Ultra-High-Capacity-25600mAh-External-Technology/dp/B00M3073L4/
About a week ago we were expecting a big snow storm. Thank God it turned out to be nothing, but in preparation I went through my usual routine of getting extra food and water, getting extra gasoline for our generator, and.... making sure all my Anker batteries are charged up! I often talk about external batteries as a boost source on the go when you want to have something small and pocket friendly. But if you want to be prepared for any emergency or planning to be away from a power source for days - you want to have a battery with a big enough capacity, and that's what 2nd gen Astro E7 delivers with its enormous 25600 mAh. Here is more about it.
After reviewing so many different Anker batteries, I'm already used to their environmentally friendly packaging and typical accessories of a high quality usb to micro-usb cable and storage pouch. But it's always a surprise to see how big the battery turns out to be based on the advertised capacity. You have to realize that increased capacity comes at a price of increased size and additional weight. It's a simple math - higher capacity means more internal battery cells. That is why I never trust some of the budget ebay and other retailers small battery bricks claiming 20k mAh in a footprint of 10k battery. Out of the box, you will definitely feel the weight of E7 at almost 16oz (450g), but it's still manageable thanks to its slick rectangular shape with rounded edges which is easy to handle. With a dimensions of 166 × 80 × 22mm (6.5 × 3.1 × 0.9in) it can actually slip into your front pocket or cargo pants side pocket without a problem, though it will be noticeable. The whole intent of this battery is not to be a small portable back up charger but rather a portable charging power station to give your phones and tablets a boost with up to10 combined charges.
The design is similar to their other 2nd gen E-models, just scaled up in size. You still get a slick piano finish plastic body, very sturdy, no flex. Also a power button on the side to turn the battery on/off, though I found it starts charging automatically as soon as it detects attached device. Another function of power button is to turn built-in white LED by holding and pressing this button. LED functionality is a welcome bonus, especially in emergency situation to use as a portable flashlight or to lit up usb ports so you can connect the cable in the dark. The top of the battery has 4 LEDs to indicate remaining power or to display charging power. These indicate 25% per LED, not as accurate as a regular Astro line with 10-led indicators, but for bulk charging this should be sufficient. I also prefer led indicators over some other batteries that use LCD display which drains the battery. And speaking for that, I can confirm that all of my 2nd gen Anker batteries hold the charge for multiple months when not in use.
E7 model comes with one micro-usb input charging port and 3 full size usb power output ports, each equipped with PowerIQ feature that automatically adjusts current supply per attached device requirement. So if you have an old Android phone, it will source only 1A, while newer phones will get 2A, and your latest iPad will be charging at full 2.4A. Just have to keep in mind that a total combined current can't exceed 4A. Another very important feature is 2A charging input. With a capacity of 25,600 mAh it will take you over a day to charge this battery from empty using a typical 1A charger. Here with 2A wall charger you can juice it up to 100% in approximately 12-13 hours. Also, it's very important to keep in mind that with any battery you have to take into account the convergence efficiency since you are going between 3.7V cells and 5V usb interface. Anker converters are usually very efficient and deliver only 10-12% drop, bringing it closer to 90% efficiency. In comparison, a lot of other batteries are struggling around 80%. With Anker E7 battery you can get about 23,000 mAh of the actual charging capacity.
Overall, I'm always impressed with power products from Anker and consider their external batteries to be among the best. You don't have to take my word for it or to tell me that I'm biased, just search our community for all the positive feedback or look on Amazon where it's #1 best seller in every category with thousands of 5-star reviews. The combination of top quality LG battery cells, durable design, super fast input charging without a need to use proprietary connectors (just a standard micro-usb), bonus of LED light, high efficiency and huge storage capacity, and their 18-months warranty and excellent support - makes this battery my top recommendation, despite a price tag of $80 (just factor in combined cost of smaller capacity batteries).
Here are the pictures.
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E7 next to E4
vectron said:
This is a review of Anker Astro E7 25600 mAh external battery. http://www.amazon.com/Ultra-High-Capacity-25600mAh-External-Technology/dp/B00M3073L4/
About a week ago we were expecting a big snow storm. Thank God it turned out to be nothing, but in preparation I went through my usual routine of getting extra food and water, getting extra gasoline for our generator, and.... making sure all my Anker batteries are charged up! I often talk about external batteries as a boost source on the go when you want to have something small and pocket friendly. But if you want to be prepared for any emergency or planning to be away from a power source for days - you want to have a battery with a big enough capacity, and that's what 2nd gen Astro E7 delivers with its enormous 25600 mAh. Here is more about it.
After reviewing so many different Anker batteries, I'm already used to their environmentally friendly packaging and typical accessories of a high quality usb to micro-usb cable and storage pouch. But it's always a surprise to see how big the battery turns out to be based on the advertised capacity. You have to realize that increased capacity comes at a price of increased size and additional weight. It's a simple math - higher capacity means more internal battery cells. That is why I never trust some of the budget ebay and other retailers small battery bricks claiming 20k mAh in a footprint of 10k battery. Out of the box, you will definitely feel the weight of E7 at almost 16oz (450g), but it's still manageable thanks to its slick rectangular shape with rounded edges which is easy to handle. With a dimensions of 166 Ã? 80 Ã? 22mm (6.5 Ã? 3.1 Ã? 0.9in) it can actually slip into your front pocket or cargo pants side pocket without a problem, though it will be noticeable. The whole intent of this battery is not to be a small portable back up charger but rather a portable charging power station to give your phones and tablets a boost with up to10 combined charges.
The design is similar to their other 2nd gen E-models, just scaled up in size. You still get a slick piano finish plastic body, very sturdy, no flex. Also a power button on the side to turn the battery on/off, though I found it starts charging automatically as soon as it detects attached device. Another function of power button is to turn built-in white LED by holding and pressing this button. LED functionality is a welcome bonus, especially in emergency situation to use as a portable flashlight or to lit up usb ports so you can connect the cable in the dark. The top of the battery has 4 LEDs to indicate remaining power or to display charging power. These indicate 25% per LED, not as accurate as a regular Astro line with 10-led indicators, but for bulk charging this should be sufficient. I also prefer led indicators over some other batteries that use LCD display which drains the battery. And speaking for that, I can confirm that all of my 2nd gen Anker batteries hold the charge for multiple months when not in use.
E7 model comes with one micro-usb input charging port and 3 full size usb power output ports, each equipped with PowerIQ feature that automatically adjusts current supply per attached device requirement. So if you have an old Android phone, it will source only 1A, while newer phones will get 2A, and your latest iPad will be charging at full 2.4A. Just have to keep in mind that a total combined current can't exceed 4A. Another very important feature is 2A charging input. With a capacity of 25,600 mAh it will take you over a day to charge this battery from empty using a typical 1A charger. Here with 2A wall charger you can juice it up to 100% in approximately 12-13 hours. Also, it's very important to keep in mind that with any battery you have to take into account the convergence efficiency since you are going between 3.7V cells and 5V usb interface. Anker converters are usually very efficient and deliver only 10-12% drop, bringing it closer to 90% efficiency. In comparison, a lot of other batteries are struggling around 80%. With Anker E7 battery you can get about 23,000 mAh of the actual charging capacity.
Overall, I'm always impressed with power products from Anker and consider their external batteries to be among the best. You don't have to take my word for it or to tell me that I'm biased, just search our community for all the positive feedback or look on Amazon where it's #1 best seller in every category with thousands of 5-star reviews. The combination of top quality LG battery cells, durable design, super fast input charging without a need to use proprietary connectors (just a standard micro-usb), bonus of LED light, high efficiency and huge storage capacity, and their 18-months warranty and excellent support - makes this battery my top recommendation, despite a price tag of $80 (just factor in combined cost of smaller capacity batteries).
Here are the pictures.
E7 next to E4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Great review. I have the same pack at home. I charge my oneplus-two with it. Normally I should get at least 7 charges out of it but I can get only 4 or sometimes 5 at max. Do you have this too?
@CounterC Not really sure what you mean. You used exactly the same battery with the same capacity to charge the same phone 7 times, and not it's only 4-5 times? If that is a case, maybe your phone is discharging too fast while you charging it up, so you get less # charges. Or maybe you were using a different phone or different charger before when you got 7 full charges? To make a true A/B comparison, everything has to be equal
vectron said:
@CounterC Not really sure what you mean. You used exactly the same battery with the same capacity to charge the same phone 7 times, and not it's only 4-5 times? If that is a case, maybe your phone is discharging too fast while you charging it up, so you get less # charges. Or maybe you were using a different phone or different charger before when you got 7 full charges? To make a true A/B comparison, everything has to be equal
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Click to collapse
I have a OnePlus 2 that has 3300mah battery.
So in theory I should be able to charge the device 7,75 times. Unfortunately I get only half of the charges. I explained this to Anker and they just refunded me so now I have a free battery pack [emoji1] [emoji1]. You also see this behavior with your pack?
Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk
CounterC said:
I have a OnePlus 2 that has 3300mah battery.
So in theory I should be able to charge the device 7,75 times. Unfortunately I get only half of the charges. I explained this to Anker and they just refunded me so now I have a free battery pack [emoji1] [emoji1]. You also see this behavior with your pack?
Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't work like a simple math. Just because battery has 25600 mAh capacity it doesn't mean it will charge your 3300 mAh battery 7 times. This capacity is based on the cells inside, and you have 25.6 Ah at 3.7V. You usb charging port is rated at 5V, and there is a converter at the output from 3.7V to 5V from your battery. Your phone micro-usb port is 5V but internal battery is probably 3.8V, so you have to convert it internally back from 5V to 3.8V. Every time you do the conversion, you loose power due to efficiency. So by the time it gets to charging your phone battery with external battery, you loose a chunk of capacity where instead of 7 times you can charge only 5-6 times. Now, the charging cable is another bottleneck. If you have a thick high quality usb to micro-usb cable with good connector, there is less lose. But if it's an older cable or connector is loose, you - will loose more charging capacity, down to 4-5 charges which you are seeing now.
So, enjoy your free battery
This is a Review of Anker PowerCore+ Mini 3350 mAh �lipstick� external battery. http://www.ianker.com/product/A1105011.
When it comes to external batteries, bigger capacity doesn�t necessary mean a better battery. Yes, we always look for the best price/performance/capacity ratio, but with batteries you need to figure out the capacity per need ratio. When you are at home and need a backup battery, get the largest capacity you can find � there is no need to drag it around so it could be as heavy as it comes. When you are traveling, maybe a compromise of a smaller capacity in exchange for a lighter weight is the better way to go. But for everyday portable use where you need an emergency backup � the smallest footprint with the largest capacity you can find is what you should be looking for. Even so Astro is already small and portable, it will be hard to beat Anker�s latest �lipstick� PowerCore+ Mini with 3,350 mAh.
I know some will say capacity of only 3,350 mAh?!? We get spoiled quickly with 10,000 mAh or 20,000 mAh external batteries, but when you take a look at this tiny 95 x 23 x 23mm (3.7 x 0.9 x 0.9in) size lipstick cylinder in a quality aluminum drop-tested shell with a weight of only 3oz � you will really appreciate size/capacity ratio. On top of that, it comes with Anker�s typical drawstring small storage pouch and a quality usb to micro usb cable. And since it�s available in a variety of colors, including some colorful pink and blue finishes, this battery can also be used as a �fashionable� accessory for the ladies.
The design itself is very minimalistic and elegant. I already mentioned about aluminum shell finish which feels very solid in your hand and gives you extra peace of mind if you accidentally drop it. The shell covers the entire cylinder in one solid piece, leaving only the top open where you have full size USB port to connect cable to your phone or tablet, micro USB port to charge this battery, and a small led/power button. To display the charging capacity, led has 3 colors to indicate: green 50%-100%, yellow 20%-50%, and red 5%-20%. It�s obviously not as accurate as Astro�s 10-led indicator with 10% increments, but considering this small footprint � it works fine. Plus keep in mind, most of the time you will probably get one or two full charges from this battery, so accuracy is not as important.
In terms of performance, Anker mentions it uses a premium Panasonic cell which is always a plus. The battery itself has a rather high efficiency of almost 92% (confirmed) which means you still get a solid 3,080 mAh of charging from this battery after internal 5V conversion through usb port. Most of the other lipstick batteries are typically in 80% efficiency range due to less efficient converters. The charging of the battery itself will not be lighting fast since input port is 5V at 1A, so expect a little over 3hrs of charging from empty. The ext charging port is only able to supply 1A of output power at 5V, though I actually confirmed it to provide 1.2A with my Note 4. It does offer PowerIQ intelligent charging current adjustment, but it doesn't matter since you are not going between 1A, 2A, or 2.4A charging speed. Most likely it will run around 1A-1.2A which is OK for emergency charging when you are on a go.
Overall, if you are looking for a super portable external battery for your phone or tablet, and need the smallest compact footprint to put it in your shirt pocket or a purse without adding too much weight, and still want to have enough capacity for emergency fast charging � this new Anker PowerCore+ Mini might be the one for you. 3,350 mAh is a pretty good capacity for on-the-go emergency charging, and if you factor in high efficiency, quality build with aluminum solid shell, included travel pouch and usb cable, and Anker�s 18-months warranty � this is one cool gadget to keep with you in a pocket for under $20.
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I have two of these, neither achieves anywhere near that efficiency with either Galaxy S4 or Note 5, with the cable provided, which the phone entirely turned off.
Both provide around 2300-2500mAh effectively, that is efficiency net of battery, powercircuit, cable and phone charging circuit losses, or around 70%.
Anker officially also confirms an efficiency of around 70% or, quote: "an almost one full charge to a Galaxy S6" (< 2550mAh), respectively.
So I am not just making this up. I tested this with an inline USB meter as well as with Battery Monitor Widget.
In their English that is almost one full charge for my Galaxy S4, or about 3/4 charge for my Note 5 (phones off while charging, duh!)
This is still a handy little thing to have, but Anker is very shy to openly say how efficient their devices are. All about that sale and Amazon tags after all.
kaefers said:
I have two of these, neither achieves anywhere near that efficiency with either Galaxy S4 or Note 5, with the cable provided, which the phone entirely turned off.
Both provide around 2300-2500mAh effectively, that is efficiency net of battery, powercircuit, cable and phone charging circuit losses, or around 70%.
Anker officially also confirms an efficiency of around 70% or, quote: "an almost one full charge to a Galaxy S6" (< 2550mAh), respectively.
So I am not just making this up. I tested this with an inline USB meter as well as with Battery Monitor Widget.
In their English that is almost one full charge for my Galaxy S4, or about 3/4 charge for my Note 5 (phones off while charging, duh!)
This is still a handy little thing to have, but Anker is very shy to openly say how efficient their devices are. All about that sale and Amazon tags after all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure you are not talking about PowerCore Mini, rather than their latest PowerCore+ Mini? "+" is an updated version.
Yes, Anker PowerCore+ mini 3350mAh. I got one for my Note 5 thinking should be a full charge, but wasn't the case.
After that, I went to the reviews on Amazon and also http://www.ianker.com/support/A1104041, they actually say it's 70-80%, mine was more around 70-75% with the Note 5 off while charging.
It's not Anker-specific though, Anker is doing relatively well, Aukey 5000mAh is only around 65%...
Also, either way, for 10 GBP it's really not bad. Just love how 90% of customers incl myself buy something without knowing better b/c it's all in the fineprint.
The quote from ianker website:
The efficiency of this powercore is around 70%-80%. The internal circuit board is 92% efficient, accounting for power lost through circuit heat and voltage conversion, which is up to 5% above the industry average. Energy is also lost within the charging cable and the device being charged (approximately 15-20%). Additionally, the efficiency can be affected by the cable length and the age of the device being charged.
Where the efficiency of conversion under ideal condition is over 90%. They trying to be conservative saying overall it could drop to 70%-80% depending on your phone model, internal battery age, and the most important - cables which can overheat (if they are cheap thin with loose connection). In one of my reviews testing battery charge monitor and different cables I demonstrated variation of different cables which could affect efficiency as well.
But anyway. This lipstick battery is for emergency boost (not a reliable full charge, but a boost to keep you afloat ) and doesn't even allow a fast charging. If you really need a backup, get a higher capacity more advanced battery from Anker with PowerIQ chip.
vectron said:
the most important - cables which can overheat (if they are cheap thin with loose connection)
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Click to collapse
And what about a cable supplied with this device?
Bought one yesterday, did 2 full charge-uncharge cycles:
1) Razr Maxx XT910 +35% (65->91%) and Nexus 9 +12% (27->40%)
2) Nexus 9 +33% (27->60%). Charging current was 1.25A.
A chinese device showed that Anker got about 3200ma*h from power supply. And it delivered about 2200 ma*h to Nexus 9, which really looks like 33% of its 6700mah battery.
andray said:
Bought one yesterday, did 2 full charge-uncharge cycles:
1) Razr Maxx XT910 +35% (65->91%) and Nexus 9 +12% (27->40%)
2) Nexus 9 +33% (27->60%). Charging current was 1.25A.
A chinese device showed that Anker got about 3200ma*h from power supply. And it delivered about 2200 ma*h to Nexus 9, which really looks like 33% of its 6700mah battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure what you got, but the review was for 3350 mAh lipstick battery from Anker, this model on Amazon. Not 6700mAh battery. Wonder if you got something fake?
vectron said:
I'm not sure what you got, but the review was for 3350 mAh lipstick battery from Anker, this model on Amazon. Not 6700mAh battery. Wonder if you got something fake?
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Click to collapse
no, no! I mean that powercore+ mini managed to give additional +33% to Nexus 9's 6700mah battery.
andray said:
Bought one yesterday, did 2 full charge-uncharge cycles:
1) Razr Maxx XT910 +35% (65->91%) and Nexus 9 +12% (27->40%)
2) Nexus 9 +33% (27->60%). Charging current was 1.25A.
A chinese device showed that Anker got about 3200ma*h from power supply. And it delivered about 2200 ma*h to Nexus 9, which really looks like 33% of its 6700mah battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tested 3 of these.....
multiple charge/discharge cycles gave similar results....
My usb monitor shows. for full discharge (100-0)%....
Capacity: 1.657Ah ( @5v ) , 8.622Wh := 2.23Ah (@3.7v) ...or 2230mah
This is almost identical to what you got.
Charging(from usb power -->> anker mini ) : 15.858Wh = 3170mah .....from (0-100)%
also similar to what you got..... confirmation of your results ( and mine).
Yes, it's only useful as a partial boost......
(Note5 : 5% to 83% ... real world test)
......for todays high-end smartphones