Develop Bugs

My alternative to a conventional external battery

I've just switched from one of those standard Energiser XP jobs (which I think I got in an airport somewhere). It did the job, but only one USB port, and needed separate charger which was a pain.
What I've switched to is this:
http://www.intl-outdoor.com/double-usb-mobile-device-charger-318650-xml-t6-flashlight-p-365.html
Essentially, it is a stupidly bright flashlight (up to 800 lumens) with a couple of USB ports on the back.
It uses 3 x 18650 batteries (which I've learnt are very common Li-Ion batteries) - I bought the 3100mAh ones (http://www.intl-outdoor.com/panasonic-ncr18650a-3100mah-liion-batteryone-p-213.html) so it'll charge my note from flat about 3 times (or it'll charge an iPad from flat to full).
Quick side note here, if you do buy a batteries from the same store, don't buy the protected ones - the torch has protection circuitry in it, and the protected batteries are a little bit long (so you'd have to trim the battery springs to get them in). Fortunately, Hank spotted this before they shipped, changed my order and refunded the difference.
There is a lot of stuff on various forums about these 18650 batteries. A couple of places suggested that 'Redilast' ones might be good as well - I really don't know and wanted to order everything from the same place.
I really love it, in fact, I liked it so much, I just bought one for my father's birthday, and, think I will get the same for a friend of mine whose birthday is coming up.
Pros:
It has 2 USB ports on it
One of the USB ports is high capacity (10 Watts/2 Amps?) so my note charges really quickly (much faster than when connected to my laptop)
It charges over USB
It is a pretty damned good torch in its own right (with 3 power levels on the one I got, but there are other options at ordering time)
It stores a bucketload of power
The store I bought it from (linked to above - the guy's name is Hank) had really great feedback and customer service
Very solid build, would be hard to break (except for maybe muck getting into the USB ports)
It uses its internal batteries in parallel for even charge and discharge (which probably happens in most battery packs anyway?)
As battery capacities increase, I'll be able to swap out the old 18650s for higher capacity ones
Will charge note 3 times to full from flat
Will charge iPad to full from flat (which is useful to me )
Cons:
It is a bit chunky (fine for a bag, but too much for a normal pocket)
The port you charge it through is mini usb, not micro usb, so that's one more cable to carry (a hell of a lot more convenient that one more charger to carry though)
When you are using it to charge something, the LEDs on the back are lit up like a Christmas tree
I've not yet tried taking it through as hand luggage at the airport
Wishlist:
I wish it was waterproof and had a screw on waterproof cap for the end with the switches and USB ports
It'd be nice if there was a way of turning the LEDs off, while it is charging (maybe one click for on but flicker every 5 seconds, one more click for on, and one last click for off in the same way the the different power settings for the torch work on the main switch)
I also, separately, bought the following tough little cables to go with it. I keep them in a gridit, but a couple of rubber bands would keep them with the torch. I also recommend these. The microusb one I only use for charging the torch and the dog's GPS
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Griffin-GC1...KXJQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1339193117&sr=8-2
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Now I'll try and link in to the pictures on the website I bought it from.
Very curious to see what others think.
Kent.

i really am struggling to understand - is the torch actually useful to you or are you just using it as a portable usb charger?

A fair question. I primarily use it as a portable, easily recharged, usb charger. The very solid casing makes it a very robust portable USB charger. The extremely bright torch is just a very cool bonus (and it doesn't add *that much* weight or size

the one i would use is:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Trent-I...MP50/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1339194487&sr=8-3
how would that compare in terms of mah and weight?

I seriously considered one of those:
Price:
Trent vs USB torch with 3x3100 batteries
£37 vs about £50 (torch includes shipping, so probably add a fiver to the Trent)
11000mAh vs 9300mAh
Charges via extra charger vs Charges over USB mini
So, the Trent wins on price and capacity, but carrying an extra charger drives for each device drives me mad. The torch also has 2 USB ports - not a huge deal, but handy.
But - the torch feels very solid. I've never seen the Trent in the flesh so don't know. I'd be surprised if it was that tough though.
The torch makes things light up in the dark and gives me little nerdgasms whenever I get it out

looks like a good comparison - excellent choice

Im still sticking to my 2 year old Sanyo mobile booster...
have 2 x usb slots..
5000mAh...
for torch y not use apps for it?
cost around $65SGD here as currently there is a PC show going on.

I plan to use one of these
Basically a box for 1-4x 18650 batteries. It should provide about 8000mAh on standard laptop cells, but I would expect it to be a bit lower with 2nd hand cells.
I have loads of these cells from dead laptop batteries. 4-6 in a pack.
Usually its only 1 or 2 bad cells in a pack, with so at least a few should still be usuable. I have about 12 lying around, with another 3 laptops with dodgy batteries!
The box provides 1Amp current at 5v. Perfect for charging Big Smartphones.
It can handle 2amp input for a quick charge, or lesser for a slower charge. You could use the standard Note charge with a female micro to male miniusb adaptor.
Plug it in a usb socket for a slow charge, hack a microusb cable and connect it to another 5v PSU, or directly to your computer PSU. Red and Black is 5V.
The electronics seem advanced enough to avoid over charging, under voltage of cells and overvoltage protection for the output. I am going to get one and will report back on exact outputs but it will take a few weeks from China.

Review of Yoobao Thunder 13000 mAh external battery w/pics!!!

This is a review of genuine Yoobao Thunder 13000 mAh external battery: http://www.kevikev.com/Yoobao-Thunder-13000mah-Power-Bank-for-USB-Mobile-Devices-YBTHUNDER13000.htm
With so many reviews behind my belt, this is a first time I'm specifically referring to a product as "genuine". Here is a reason why. Yoobao is a popular Chinese manufacturer specializing in cases and batteries, but it's not that well known in the States because there are only 2 US dealers with www.kevikev.com being the only one verified by Yoobao (I actually checked that on Yoobao website). I came across HK products that look identical to these, but was informed by their sellers those weren't real Yoobao, only lookalike. That obviously turned me away, until I got an opportunity to review the real Yoobao product with samples provided to me directly from kevikev online store.
External batteries continue to push their capacity while maintaining small footprint. This Thunder model goes all the way up to 13000 mAh with a dimensions of approximately 136 mm x 74 mm x 28 mm. Higher capacity also means more battery cells and increased weight, which in case of Thunder is about 300g. I wouldn't call it pocket friendly, but you have to trust me - this is a kind of battery you want everybody to see due to how cool it looks! Personally, I wouldn't even call it Thunder but rather something like Ninja Warrior! That's how it looks to me It has a very solid hard plastic material on the top and the bottom and two end sides, while around the grip sides it has a red rubber material stamped with snow flake pattern. The power/control button is in a shape of a warrior mask where the eye light up blue/red depending on it's charging cycle. Also, there are 5 hidden light elements around it to indicate charging capacity of the battery partitioned in 20% increments. This battery has 3 ports, one micro-usb battery charging input, and two full size usb device charging outputs. In addition, it comes with a very bright torch LED light. A very nice bonus if you are in the dark (like during power loss) and need an extra light source which can last you over 500 hours at full battery charge, or just a way to light up usb ports so you can connect your smart phone or tablet. Along with Thunder battery, you get a high quality usb to micro-usb cable. I actually like the rubbery texture of that cable, it has a premium feel to it. Also you get Apple 30-pin adapter, and to my surprise a premium quality wall charger rated at 1A. This way you can use a wall charger with included cable to charge up the battery, and then use the same cable to charge up your device. This external battery came already pre-charged to about 80%, and when I was charging it up to 100% I felt wall charger getting a little warm, but nothing to be alarmed.
Even so this external battery looks very cool, it doesn't matter if it can't deliver. So here is what I found while putting it through my test. Since it already came pre-charged, I didn't have a chance to time a total charge up time. But since input is rated at 1A, we are talking about 12-13hr from empty due to its 13000 mAh capacity. The manual which comes with a battery mentions that Output 1 is rated at 1A while output 2 is rated at 1.5A. From my test I was able to to confirm that both outputs provide 1.6A of charging current which is what I typically see from most of the 2A wall chargers. This is a very good indicator that you can charger your Note 2 fast from either of the ports and don't have to worry if you are plugged into Output 1 or Output 2. For my test I actually had my N2 with ZL9k3 battery down to single % digits, and let it charge overnight. Yes, the rated capacity is 13000 mAh but the actual capacity available to phone/table battery will be less due to efficiency loss of conversion through 5V usb port. That is a know fact and common to every single external battery. According to my calculation of charging time and N2 battery percentage change I determined the actual capacity of Thunder to be around 8800-9000 mAh, which is very good and on par with 30-35% efficiency loss expected from these high capacity external batteries. This is a very impressive number considering you can fully charge your Zerolemon battery with Thunder or charge your N2 almost 3 times with stock battery.
Overall, this is one Awesome battery in terms of looks and performance!!! It's not your usual rectangular brick you keep for emergency out of sight. Thunder is something you would want to keep on your desk as a center piece to show off. And the cool looks are backed by a solid built and a great performance of high capacity and fast charging of your device. What is more important, you are dealing with an authorized Yoobao US dealer who will honor its 6-month warranty and can service/replace the product if you need to. This one gets my recommendation!
Also, I want to mention that I'm working on getting you guys an exclusive 10% off coupon for purchase of this battery... Here you go, hot off the press: the coupon code is kk001. It should work with this battery or any other purchase total of $50.
Here are some pictures for your enjoyment. I tried to take the last few in the dark so you can see LEDs better:
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I wonder how it compares to Anker 1300mAh external charger

VitaliyUvakin said:
I wonder how it compares to Anker 1300mAh external charger
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Click to collapse
You mean Anker E4 13000 mAh? Very good point. They are identical in spec, even with torch led light Anker is a few dollars cheaper (considering 10% discount you can get with Thunder), and you get longer warranty with Anker. But from visual perspective - Thunder is in a class of it's own. It's not a regular rectangular box, but rather a gadget with personality. The way how it's shaped, the quality of the case material and side grips, that warrior-mask power button with eyes that light up (either blue or red) and shapes of the little indicator lights around it - the Cool factor adds to it's value. Just my opinion, and please don't hate me if I persuade you to buy yet another gadget you weren't even planning to get

Lol. No hate here and you absolutely right, tunder looks very sexy and appealing.
Now I just need to find an excuse why I need it , which won't be an easy.... since I'm rocking ZL, which is powerfull beast on its own

Looks pretty cool! Just not a fan of the glossy finish

apallohadas said:
Looks pretty cool! Just not a fan of the glossy finish
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Click to collapse
yep, forgot to mention it will be a fingerprint magnet. Well, at least you can trace it back and ID who touched your external battery

vectron said:
yep, forgot to mention it will be a fingerprint magnet. Well, at least you can trace it back and ID who touched your external battery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been looking for an excuse to practice drawing prints off of batteries!

I'm selling this in Asia and i must say it's very popular. It's sold out the moment i gotten new stocks.

Max 1.5A seems to be a little slow at charging. Dig the design though.

IsolatedAbyss said:
Max 1.5A seems to be a little slow at charging. Dig the design though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I confirmed both ports charging at 1.6A, exactly the same as my oem Samsung 2A wall charger. So you are guaranteed to charge it as fast as from a wall charger.

Im on the fence between this boy and anker.. decisions, decisions...

VitaliyUvakin said:
Im on the fence between this boy and anker.. decisions, decisions...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is also Yoobao 15,600 mAh battery for $59.99 and you can apply 10% off coupon to get a discount. That one is even higher capacity. http://www.kevikev.com/Yoobao-Thunderbolt-15600mah-Power-Bank-for-USB-Mobile-Devices-YBT-655.htm

[Review] Poweradd Pilot C 10,000mAh Powerbank

Hi all,
Continuing on my new found hobby of tech reviewing I wanted to share with you my thoughts on some Poweradd products I've recently got my hands on.
Unboxing
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The powerbank comes in a fairly well packed black box with a few product details on the front and back. On the font it lists
Quick Charge with no memory effect
USB charge
High capacity
easy operation
safety protection system
The last one - safety protection system - is really key for me seeing as im planing on plugging in my £500 smart phone and my tablets and camera into this thing so im putting a lot of trust in it and that makes me feel a bit more at ease!
Not wanting to go on too much about the packing, but it does feel like a really well made packet that the powerbank comes in that really just added to the feel of high quality, it didnt arrive in just a plastic bag with no instructions so i do feel safe trusting my valuables to it!
On the back of the packet it lists a few more details, it uses a Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 10,000mAh (37Wh)!. The weight is listed as 8.68 ounces with a +/- 0.35 ounce variance. I was a bit disappointed not to see any promises of how many recharge cycles this thing would last for written onto the box.
Ok so lets open this thing up finally!!
inside the box is just the powerbank, a Microusb lead and a small set of instructions. Little disappointed that there isnt a little pouch or something to keep the thing in as you see with some of the Ravpower powerbanks. Also the Micro USB lead felt excessively long at about 1m I use these things in my pocket to charge my phone in my pocket so the extra cable felt a little excessive but on the plus point it does reach the outlet on the floor so not too worried about that.
The powerbank its self feels quite chunky (1.26 inches thick) but its sturdy. The weight is noticeable and isnt central in the small box, feeling like the majority of the battery is down the bottom end. It fits into your hand quite snugly. The body is made from a thick feeling strong plastic with a a textured body making it easy to hold (although giving my camera a nightmare to foucs on the body! ) I've tried to get my fingers into any gaps in the body to try and pry apart to do a bit more of a teardown and it feels like basically it wont come apart without destroying it so it does feel very well put together.
Moving round the powerbank there are 2 USB outlets on the top and a Micro USB inlet. The 2 USB outlets have 1 dot or 2 indicating the amount of juice they supply from the powerbank and also meaning that you can charge 2 devices at once!
USB1 is rated at 5V, 1A
USB2 is rated at 5V, 2.1A
the 2.1A slightly confused me as most devices are 500mA, 1A or 2A, not sure why the extra 100mA was felt needed and it made me feel a little nervous charging my S4 which is rated 5V, 2A (I wasnt worried it would explode but i just want sure about the long term effect on the battery.)
The input Micro USB is rated at 2A (yay) meaning you can charge this thing up pretty quick as 10,000mAh will take a while to charge on 500mA PC USB.
Moving round to the side there is a single button which can be used to show the amount of power in the device. There are 4 blue LEDs on the front to signify levels of charge. A little disappointed that there is no LED light option as you get on some of the powerbanks which can be handy when fumbling in the dark as I often find myself when camping!
So thats the product!
In summary:
Positive points
+Massive capacity
+2 USB ports with different rating
+can charge 2 devices at once
+2A input so quick charge
+Feels well put together
+uses micro USB (long live the standard cable!)
+LEDs to show battery capacity
Negative points
-feels a little chunky, im ok with the weight given the capacity but the thickness almost excluded is from jeans pocket storage
-no LED torch
-USB lead supplied is a little long
-weight is off center - a minor point really but makes it feel end heavy to hold.
-No supplied storage pouch! Feels like PowerAdd missed a trick with supplying a cheap little bag to make this feel like even more of a premium product.
-The USB cable supplied is charge only so cant be used for data, feels a little mean
Overall im fairly happy with this and it feel rugged enough for my camping trips away or to be slung in a backpack and not worry about it coming apart or breaking.
My Score out of 5:
:good::good::good::good:
Hope everyone found this useful. I'll upload a video review shortly when i get my camera working. Feel free to ask me any questions.

:good: nice and conplete review, pity nobody has taken notice
Sent from my LG-E400 using XDA Free mobile app

[REVIEW] Lumsing 6000mAh powerbank (PBJ-6200)

Hi all
Continuing on my new found hobby of tech reviewing I wanted to share with you my thoughts on a new Lumsing product ive got my hands on.
Unboxing
The powerbank comes in a fairly well packed in a cardboard box with a little handle and minimal product information on the front of the box.
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On the back there is a good list of features:
Size 4.88 x 2.64 x 0.51 inches
capacity 6000mAh
Weight 6.49oz
Input Mirco USB 5V / 1.5A
Output 5V / AA & USB 5V / 2.1A
Service life 500 charge cycles
compatible with all 5volt input required devices.
Security protection design
protection for overcharge
protection for overvoltage
protection for overcurrent
protection for short-circuit
And one of the other product features I thought important to point out:
Made with grade A cells and premium microchips.
The fact that this device lists 4 different protection methods is really important to me. I know it basically just a battery but its a lithium product which im planning on plugging my expensive devices into and I dont plan on having it explode or overvolt and break my phone or tablet. Having all 4 listed puts my mind at rest somewhat. I also like the fact that they have pointed out that they are using premium productions and a first for any battery pack I’ve reviewed - they call out the service life! Finally a company that will state how long these things should last. 500 cycles feels like a good bit of usage, I dont tend to use these things a lot and seeing as it can recharge my phone 3 to 4 times I could actually get 2000 phone recharges out of it before it starts to give up. I do a fair amount of travelling and I think it will be a number of years before I use up this product service life.
Hands on
Anyway enough about the box and the outer packaging, lets open it up already and take a look inside. I have to say the box felt a little cheap, being printed basically on brown card so I wasnt holding out high hopes when I opened it up for the quality of the product. How wrong I was!! Inside the battery is really well packed in a solid foam insert and in a little bag. Included under the powerbank is a nice little coiled USB lead. Again not something I’ve seen from the other powerbanks I’ve reviewed, this to me, although a simple little thing makes all the difference, seeing the little coiled lead was a moment of “oh thats good” in my head. I tend to use these powerbanks on the go, usually on holiday or when im out and about on a long day out (shopping with the girlfriend!), so i tend to have the powerbank in my pocket and as my phone starts getting lo I just plug it in to my powerbank and have the whole thing charging in my pocket while im walking around. Some of the companies seem to think you need a 2m lead with these things! So this for me is a big plus! It is worth noting that no Apple leads are included but these can be purchased separately.
One thing that did let me down with the lead is that it is charge only, there are no pins for syncing so straight away meaning that if you are traveling you need this lead for the powerbank and another lead for syncing with a PC. Feels a little mean…
Ok continuing to unbox, there is also included a lovely feeling little bag for the powerbank with drawstrings and a Lumsing logo. This also impressed me as I havent had any others which included a bag to keep it in. Also included is a simple instruction manual with how to use the product.
The powerbank itself is covered in brushed aluminum and is pretty solid feeling and it looks lovely (it was a pain to take a picture of because its so shiny!!) On the top there is a USB input port for charging and 2 USB output ports labelled 2.1A and 1A. Having a parent who needs reading glasses for everything a potential improvement would be to colour code the ports to prevent you plugging a 1A device into the 2.1A port by mistake and damaging it.
Also looking at the device from top (or bottom) profile shows an apparent bulge in the middle of the device. Im assuming this is just the battery cells but having had a galaxy S4 with bulging battery problems this made me worry slightly about what was going on under the skin! It charged and discharged fine so I wont dwell on this.
The top, side and bottom are a black plastic with a blue trim. Another nice little touch to add to the premium feel of this product was the fact that all the black plastic parts of the device are covered with that peel-away protection which always feels nice to peel and and makes it feel like they really care that this is in beautiful condition when it reaches you.
On the side is a single bottom (left hand side) along with 4 blue lights each of which indicates 25% of the battery capacity. towards the bottom is a dotted design which looks kinda cool. The right hand side is all aluminum (single sheet used to cover front, back and 1 side.
Overall it charged my Galaxy S4 fine. The 2.1A rating slightly confused me as my phone is 2.0A input and most of my other devices are 1.0A. I plugged it in and nothing blew up so I assume 0.1A isnt anything to worry about.
Positive points
+Really really premium feel
+Felt bag
+Coiled charging cable included (USB)
+Premium aluminum body
+stylish looks
+Premium lithium cells and circuitry used
+Well packaged and protected
+Two different charge outputs
Negative points
-Charge only lead included, so cant be used for phone sync
-Slight bulge in unit, not sure if it was just mine or if this is normal
-The aluminum body seems to scratch fairly easily
-Input for charging is only 1.5A so no fastcharge from 2A phone chargers
Conclusions
Feels like the manufacturer really cares about their product and the end user experience. There were a few very minor annoyances but these are easily overcome with the premium feel to the device. Lumsing is my new top choice for power accessories.
Score
My Score out of 5:
:good::good::good::good::good:
5 out of 5 - really premium quality and premium feel to this device.
Bottom Line
Top quality premium device with almost every detail well thought out.
Links
Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KV80WYA
Also available in black and orange
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lumsing-6000mah-Portable-External-Battery/dp/B00KT26W0G
Manufacturer Website
http://www.lumsing.com/product/ultra-slim-lumsing-6000mah-portable-power-bank/

[Mega Review] Anker PowerCore External Battery Charger 10400, 15600, 20100 (Pics!)

Hi all,
I have a lot of external battery packs. If you're familiar with Anker or even follow them on social media, you'll know they recently had a sale on their new chargers. I was able to get the 15600 and 20100 units for half price. They previously offered Power Users the 10400 unit for $9.99 which I gladly accepted. This review is in no way an obligation to these deals, but I wanted to share my impressions of these. Mostly, this will serve to compare to some of their other (older) products.
My favorite external battery charger to date is the Anker 2nd Gen Astro E5 16000. It's long and slim and fits in my front pants pocket really nicely. It's got a fabulous piano black plastic chassis, and blue indicator LEDs.
The PowerCore chargers all have a soft matte finish that slightly more of a charcoal black. The matte finish is advertised to not leave fingerprints or smudges, but I can assure you, it does pick up the oils off of your fingers. It does have a better grip than the glossy finished units.
A look at the specifications states that the new units have 4.8A output current, which is up from the 3A max that the Astro was capable of. This is awesome if you need to charge two devices simultaneously. I have a Legion USB Multimeter that I can verify that with but haven't done so yet. These chargers also boast PowerIQ tech, which is supposed to deliver the best charge type for your device. There's also protection and VoltageBoost features.
I've always admired Anker's relatively simplistic packaging and graphics design. They certainly do a nice job making you feel comfortable with your purchase decision, with reassurance that if you're not happy, they will make things right. I haven't had a negative experience yet.
Each unit includes a mesh carry bag and a USB cable (3' I think). The 10400's carry bag is a nice fit, but I think the bag included with the 15600 and 20100 is a bit too large for the size of the charger. I imagine this bag was sized to one of the larger chargers and they haven't updated the bags for the new product. I LOVE how perfect the bag fit is for the Astro 16000.
The USB cables are a great inclusion, although I wish they would include their heavier duty 28 / 21 AWG cables that you can purchase separately. I've noticed HUGE charging speed improvements using those heavier cables, especially with the longer lengths. Another point would be that if you're using these chargers with Apple devices (or anything other than Micro USB), you're going to have to source your own cable.
Charging the batteries is a matter of reversing a USB and plugging it into a charger just as you would your phone. LEDs light up with one LED flashing to indicate charge level.
Now, one difference I should point out compared to the Astro is that when these finish charging, ALL LEDs turn off. On the Astro, all LEDs stay on when the unit is fully charged. I prefer the Astro's behavior so you can see it is done charging at quick glance.
Since I've had the PowerCore 10400 longer, I've actually been using it since I got it. It performs just as you'd expect. That said, I find the wider design harder to keep in my pocket. I like the longer narrow build better.
And on size, the PowerCore 15600 and 20100 units appear to be exactly the same. The specifications say that the 15600 should weigh 341g, but according to my non-scientific OXO scale, both weigh 356g, which is what the specs say for the 20100. And the two being exactly the same size, I can't really tell them apart from each other without reading the very fine print labeling. This could be a problem of sorts should I keep them both around... I could easily grab the wrong one. Now, I'm only trading off maybe 2 charges for my Galaxy S6, but I do like to know what I am carrying. Also for reference, that Astro weighs in at 308g, so it is lighter, smaller, and has more capacity than the PowerCore 15600. I'll certainly use these newer units, but that Astro might remain my favorite.
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}

Thanka for the review.
I would like to know howmuch mah does they really have?
For example xiaomi 16000 mah powerbank has 10000 mah (the rest get lost at the conversion.
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