Anyone saw this yet? It is pretty expensive though, lol:
http://www.amzer.com/Amzer-3500-mAh-Battery-Backup-Solar-Charger-P83981.htm
I saw this on Fommy.com and was thinking about getting it.
How exactly does it work?
Does it charge it's own battery if not plugged in to the phone, then later when there is no sun you can charge your phone of the charged battery?
If so, that is kinda bad ass.
Yeah I think that is how it does work. If not, than that price is not worth it, lmao. Hopefully it works as how you described it though.
BigWorldJust said:
Yeah I think that is how it does work. If not, than that price is not worth it, lmao. Hopefully it works as how you described it though.
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That is exactly how it works. It has a 3500 mAh battery battery built in. For comparison the Vibrant comes stock with a 1500 mAh battery.
That's actually not a bad price, considering that a 2500 mAh Innocell from Seidio will cost you about the same. The Innocell is an internal battery with a replacement back cover. I was going to get one but I'll probably get the Amzer now.
For comparison shopping you can go to ThinkGeek dot com and search for "solar charger" to find the 4 or so they sell. They even have a $200 for laptops.
Follow instructions for usage. Do not overheat or overexpose the Amzer Solar Charger to direct or indirect sunlight and AC/ USB charge.
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WTH? Do not expose to direct sunlight? How is it a solar charger then? Idiotic legal disclaimers. This one's right up there with "Do not insert screwdriver into eye."
Nice. So basically it is worth it?
I say it depends. If I need more batteries I'd rather get them separately and have a charger specifically for it like the ones you can find on ebay.
Taking out the old battery and popping in the new one only takes a minute while charging from a solar battery could take who knows how long.
Col.Kernel said:
That is exactly how it works. It has a 3500 mAh battery battery built in. For comparison the Vibrant comes stock with a 1500 mAh battery.
That's actually not a bad price, considering that a 2500 mAh Innocell from Seidio will cost you about the same. The Innocell is an internal battery with a replacement back cover. I was going to get one but I'll probably get the Amzer now.
For comparison shopping you can go to ThinkGeek dot com and search for "solar charger" to find the 4 or so they sell. They even have a $200 for laptops.
WTH? Do not expose to direct sunlight? How is it a solar charger then? Idiotic legal disclaimers. This one's right up there with "Do not insert screwdriver into eye."
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direct sunlight means lots of heat (over 100F on a good summer day), lots of heat is not good for batteries. solar charger does not mean it charges from sun.......it needs any light source.
Follow instructions for usage. Do not overheat or overexpose the Amzer Solar Charger to direct or indirect sunlight and AC/ USB charge.
LOL
kolyan said:
direct sunlight means lots of heat (over 100F on a good summer day), lots of heat is not good for batteries. solar charger does not mean it charges from sun.......it needs any light source.
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lol.
mini semi scientific answer: they use heat to turn into electricity, and it's not that efficient, but it's enough to work (and gets better every year).
So sure, any light source might work, but something other than the sun will basically not work that well. Having it in a lighted room will do zero for it, for example.
designerfx said:
lol.
mini semi scientific answer: they use heat to turn into electricity, and it's not that efficient, but it's enough to work (and gets better every year).
So sure, any light source might work, but something other than the sun will basically not work that well. Having it in a lighted room will do zero for it, for example.
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yeah, but there is a battery in side as well. if it was just a solar charger then yes, more sun = better
I saw a similar product on Dealextreme for much cheaper. From the feedback the important thing is to find out if the charging current is at least 700mA. If not the Vibrant might not be charged properly.
Here are the ones from DE: http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.1101~search.solar usb charger
designerfx said:
lol.
mini semi scientific answer: they use heat to turn into electricity, and it's not that efficient, but it's enough to work (and gets better every year).
So sure, any light source might work, but something other than the sun will basically not work that well. Having it in a lighted room will do zero for it, for example.
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A solar cell does NOT use heat to produce electricity, it uses light waves. Full spectrum light is the most efficient but any light source will work.
The waves impact the cell and cause a potential difference on the diode, this then creates a current in the cell. Heat is actually BAD for solar cells, the cooler they are the more current they produce. This is one of the reasons that solar panels in snowy environments can produce more electricity than cells in the south. Reflected light off the snow is another reason.
sfsilicon said:
I saw a similar product on Dealextreme for much cheaper. From the feedback the important thing is to find out if the charging current is at least 700mA. If not the Vibrant might not be charged properly.
Here are the ones from DE: http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.1101~search.solar usb charger
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It's cheaper because you get less. 1800 MAh as compared to 3500 MAh storage.
I looked up the reviews of the Amzer solar one on amazon and it didn't look too promising.
I decided to get this one (no solar):
And for those in windy areas...
kizer said:
Follow instructions for usage. Do not overheat or overexpose the Amzer Solar Charger to direct or indirect sunlight and AC/ USB charge.
LOL
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People, the warning is not to put it in sunlight. It is to not put it in sunlight AND have it plugged into the AC/USB charger — thus providing 'double' charging.
Solar or not
<$20
You might want to look for one that includes a std usb adapter so you can use it w the oem cable for whatever phone/gadget, or get an Amzer mini-to-micro usb adaper for $5 (and get an adapter for your future phone, too).
But yeah. $70 is a little steep. I'd rather get two of these. You could get 4 for that price.
Edit: Im liking this. It says the battery can be replaced, and it doesn't say with what,exactly, but it looks AA sized to me. It has all the adapters, the port you plug your phone into is usb (yeah, you could probably scrap the cable and the adapters), and it looks like it chrges via the same port. None of these parts is entirely enticing, but the stuff in the bag, not to mention the bag, is a MacGyver use-for-everything in whatever way you need package. I think part of the appeal to me is the mystery as to whether it really is as all-purpose as I think it is. I love this kind of Asian innovation. I'm very tempted to support it. If I do, I'll report back.
OK, while I'm at it: $7, free shipping, with std usb so you can use your OEM cable.
Amzer sells a lot of overpriced stuff, this is one of many
solar chargers
Well i was looking for one and i got from dealextreme , but after 3 months, its not charging properly. Not sure why?! My brother got for me one and its good, he said he got from Chinabuye, its online store from China. Good battery life. so far so good.
Amzer is JUNK
Amzer makes JUNK. Purchased their junk before and it's not worth it even if it was free.
The owner of Amzer, basically gets Chinese manufacturers to make his junk and label it Amzer. His products are the same junk you can find on ebay for 50 cents.
This is BS.
This is the best battery if you’re looking for something that can charge your phone multiple times.
When you first open the box, you find a “Thank you for your purchase” card, the battery itself (which is in a plastic molding while in a plastic sleeve), your “Warranty Card”, your Manual, and many accessories! The accessories include two tangle-free micro USB cables (one 2-foot and one that is a little over 25.5 cm/ 10 in. You also get a Samsung tablet pin-adapter and a mini-USB adapter. Lastly, you get a really nice mesh bag sleeve that is really nice to carry the battery and one or both of the micro USB cables.
First Impressions and Use: The battery arrives with a little less than 75% of a charge. I know this because I charged my phone from 30% to 80% on the first use and it fell to the second light (indicating 50%). The battery has four LED lights which indicate how much power the battery has. When you press the button, all four LED’s light up from right to left and then a certain number of them stay on to show you how much power is left in the battery. It does have an ebony look and feel (like the product description says). One thing this battery has that beats other batteries that I have used is the brightness of its LED light. You hold the button for two seconds to turn it on. I have to say, this is the brightest LED light I have ever seen in any external battery pack. It is very nice and can prove to be extremely useful, especially if you find yourself in the dark in a power outage. Yes, you can charge your device(s) and have the LED light on at the same time. To turn the LED off, simply hold the button down for another two seconds and the LED light will turn off.
After managing to finally kill this huge beast, I charged it up. It took about 3-4 hours while charging at 1.5A (since this is its highest input). Its highest output is 2.1A and 2.4A. The battery has one 2.4A port and one 2.1A port. Both have something RAVPower has invented called iSmart technology. What iSmart technology basically is is something built into their USB ports on their batteries which allow fully maximized compatibility with all devices and enable the device to be charged as fast as it can handle. The battery can charge devices at speeds of up to 4A! It is something I definitely notice while charging my Samsung Galaxy S3. I was able to charge it from 30% to 100% in a little over an hour. I did this twice and I still had a four LED’s on the battery. That is truly amazing!! You don’t have to worry about your device not being able to be charged with this battery. You also don’t have to worry about it charging to slow, because with this battery, your worries on how much battery you have left are gone!
This battery is perfect for students, those that are camping, travelers, people with jobs, basically anyone that owns a device in this day and age that requires charging!
The reason I like this battery the most over the others is its LED and its brightness AND all of the extra accessories that it comes with. Many of the batteries I have had don’t come with extra cables or pin adapters.
Overall, I think this is a REALLY nice battery and it is extremely useful!! You’ll be sorry for not getting one while the price is down and while the battery is in stock!
I have no complaints on this battery. The only thing that could bother people is that the silver part can get scratched if you’re trying to plug in a cable in the dark.
*iPhone users: just because it does not come with Apple cables DOESN’T mean it won’t work with your device! Just plug in the original cable you use to charge your Apple device and you’re good to go. I used it with my Apple iPod Touch 4th Generation and it works great.
I was provided a unit for testing purposes and I promised to provide a completely honest and fair review.
Unfortunately, I cannot post the link to this product on Amazon because posting commercial links is forbidden, but you can find it on Amazon by searching for the product's name that is in the title of this thread. Thanks!
Do you have any photos of the actual device?
refinition said:
Do you have any photos of the actual device?
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Sure, here are some pictures. More pictures are on the Amazon link.
If you’re looking for a battery that’ll keep charging your phone and will last for a LONG time, this is the battery for you!
When you open the packaging, you pull out a plastic molding and you find the battery and a micro-USB cable. Under the battery, you’ll find a “We’d love to hear from you!” card and an Instruction Manual.
First Impressions and Use: The battery arrives with about 75% remaining (three of the four LED lights). They recommend that you fully charge the battery before using it. After charging the battery up fully, I plugged the provided cable into the port with two lightning symbols and charged my Samsung Galaxy S3 from 30% to 95% in a little over an hour! The battery does feel heavy, but it has a whopping 20000mAh! Of course it’s going to be heavy! It has a nice blue color and it feels great! You can really get a good grip on the battery with its smooth, plastic texture. Don’t get me wrong, it may be plastic, but it still feels high quality.
After using the battery for some time, I figured out that you can turn on the flashlight by holding down the button for two seconds. Holding it for two seconds again will turn on the flashlight. If you just press the button, the LED lights will light up, indicating the amount of juice the battery has left. There are two ports, one with one lightning symbol and another with two lightning symbols. The port with two lightning symbols outputs at 2.1A. The port with one lightning symbol outputs at 1A. If you plug your device into the port with two lightning symbols, you don’t have to worry about slow charging speeds. If you have to share with your friend, you can let them use the less superior one-symbol port and they won’t even know the difference. In the end, both devices will get charged up.
I throw this into my backpack and into my car wherever I go. It has become an item required for survival (like my phone). I honestly can’t see myself going on a long trip without this. This will be great for students, people that work, people that are traveling, and people that can’t find at outlet in time. I have had this for about a week and I still have three LED’s light up when I push the button.
This battery is nothing short from great. I just don’t know how else I can say it really is amazing. The only complaint I have is that it does not have a carrying pouch like some competitors have with certain batteries of theirs, but that is not a huge issue. Other than that, this product is truly incredible! I highly recommend this! For the price you’re paying and for the size of a battery you’re getting, Poweradd is beating all of its competitors!
I was provided a unit for testing purposes and I promised to provide a completely honest and fair review.
Unfortunately, I cannot post the link to this product on Amazon because posting commercial links is forbidden, but you can find it on Amazon by searching for the product's name that is in the title of this thread. Thanks!
how long does it take to charge the pack with a 2.1A charger? received mine with 3 light charge and after 12 hours it still shows 2 steady lights and one blinking!
This is a remarkable battery and has to easily be one of RAVPower’s best products!
When you open the fancy packaging, you find the battery lying in a trey-type box that lifts out of the whole thing. Looking at the pictures I have posted will help you see what I am talking about. There is a thin sheet of plastic on glossy finish of the battery which is on its back. When you lift out the trey, you find an AC Adapter with the plug for your country that hooks onto it. You also find these things:
-Two USB charging cables (you plug in the tip you desire to charge the certain device)
-Four USB charging tips (Samsung Tablet, micro-USB, etc.)
-One DC Charging Cable
-Ten laptop tips for various types of laptops (Dell, HP, etc.)
-A Grey Carrying Pouch
-An Instruction Manual
First Impressions: The packaging blew me away! They’ve packaged it as if it is a phone or tablet. This is truly high-end. The battery itself has a really nice aluminum-type finish on the front and a smooth, glossy finish on the back. The back has a thin sheet of plastic covering it that you peel off. The LCD screen also has a thin sheet of plastic. The black colors along with the brilliant RAVPower logo compliment the battery quite nicely. Pressing the power button illuminates the brilliant LCD screen which has a battery icon, capacity (exact), USB output indicator, Power Icon, and Output Voltage. The battery feels really nice and already feels like it is worth what it is sold for. The battery does feel heavy, but be realistic. This can charge your laptop and cellular devices simultaneously! Also, it’s 23000mAh!! Of course it’ll have some weight. The battery comes partially charged.
After charging the battery up to 100%, I decided to run a test. I was watching a show on Hulu and my laptop’s battery was at 48%. I plugged in the external battery and started charging my HP Pavilion dv6-3257cl Entertainment Notebook. I also plugged in my Samsung Galaxy S3 while it was at 8%. I left these devices plugged in for fifty minutes and I continued watching the show on Hulu the whole time. The laptop went from 48% all the way to 84%. My phone went from 8% to 67%. The external battery went from 100% to 45%. Keep in mind that I was heavily using my laptop while it was being charged, so that is why the battery went down fairly quickly. From these results, you can see that the battery did pretty good! If you were to charge your laptop with the external battery when you weren’t using it, you would have more juice left in the external battery when you finish. I HIGHLY recommend using the cables that came with the product to charge your cellular devices for best results in both efficiency and charge time. Having the external battery charge only my phone makes it charge it really fast! This is a really well-built and high-quality battery!
This would be great for students, people that work on laptops, and people that travel. Just about anyone who owns a laptop needs to have this battery. It can truly be a life-saver while you are on a plane, or a train, or even in the car. Let’s say you have to type an essay or type up something for your boss and your laptop dies. This battery will save you and your device’s life.
Overall, this battery is amazing! I will definitely be using this frequently. I can’t imagine how I have survived without this. I would have to carry my long charger for my laptop with its power brick and everything. Comparing this to other batteries, RAVPower has them beat in both quality and price. Having the nice carrying pouch is also a huge bonus. I can’t think of anything I didn’t like except for having to use the cables that came with the battery to charge my phone. This isn’t a huge deal. Other, than that, this battery is pretty nice and I highly recommend it!
I was supplied a unit for testing purposes and I promised to provide a completely honest and fair review.
Unfortunately, I cannot post the link to this product on Amazon because posting commercial links is forbidden, but you can find it on Amazon by searching for the product's name that is in the title of this thread. Thanks!
jlczl already has a youtube review up but here's my take on it. With no pictures. Lol
There is no getting around the size and weight of the case but make no mistake, this phone should last you at least 2-3 days of HEAVY usage. This is not a case for most to carry in their pants/jeans pockets. I'm usually carrying two phones with me in the same pocket (one from work, one personal) and even then, it's still thinner than this case with the phone on it. It also weighs less. While some people like my brother actually carries and uses ZeroLemon battery cases on a daily basis, most of us would only use it for specific scenarios, probably mostly during travel. Some would say, "well you can do the same with a battery pack". Of course you can but it's definitely not as convenient and you'll have to contend with a wire between the phone and battery. Speaking of battery packs, this case has a USB output so you can actually use it as a battery pack to charge other devices.
A few things that I don't like about the case is that when you're charging devices, the LED lights are lit up the entire time it's charging which, depending on the situation can be distracting. Not sure if it's just the one I have but that's my main gripe about this case. The specs list QC 2.0 for charging the S7A but I didn't notice it charging any faster than usual. Regardless of that, it would've been nice if the USB output for other devices was at QC 2.0 as well. Last but not least and should go without saying, you lose the waterproofing for the phone. Well, technically the phone is still waterproof but the case obviously is not. You still wouldn't want water to get between any charging devices whether they're waterproof or not.
All in all, ZeroLemon battery cases may not appeal to most but they definitely serve a niche group of consumers like my brother. Lol
One final thing that will probably please original Gameboy fans. The heft and size of it reminds me of the original Gameboy. It's almost as if I'm using a modern version of the Gameboy. If you've never played hours upon hours of the original Gameboy, you won't know I'm saying but if you did then you'll instantly be reminded of it. Lol
Another thing is I haven't seen a holster for this version. My bro's S4 or S5 (forgot which Galaxy he has) battery case came with a holster.
no pics! all good mate, nice review.
how much was the case?
would be good if you could test capacity more accurately, maybe turn on airplane mode, then turn on wifi and have youtube play continuous hd documentaries (auto play enabled) with screen brightness 100% and see how many hours it last?... no pressure, just curious
No time for that but it's fine to charge almost 2x from a dead battery. The efficiency rating isn't the best but it's not advertised as such either. I'd say,
anecdotally, it's about 70-75% efficiency which is about average.