Anker%C2%AE Astro 2600mAh External Battery
The price, size and excellent Anker brand are elements of success. It suffers from slow transfer rates compared to other chargers with a 1.0 and not 0.8 charge speed. The 1.0 transfer rate chargers such as the RavPower 2600 or Photive iPhone 5 charger transfer at the same speed as a wall charger (even while in use). I own all of these. They are not as small which is a trade-off. When using the iPhone 5 over LTE and actively using this charger--the speed of charge is slow--you may remain at the same charge level without increasing percentage (or very slowly). When the LTE signal is pulling heavily (and the screen is in use) you can go down a percentage before you slowly go up or stay the same. It's akin to charging a 9.7 inch iPad--while in use--with the brightness up mid-way via a USB port on your computer. You must have your phone screen powered off for a quicker charge.
A timed test revealed that this fully-charged unit charged the iPhone 5 in 2h and 44m. The phone was initially dead, screen remained off (expect for notifications) and it was on Wi-Fi. The charger elicited an additional fifteen percent (on the same phone at another time) before dying. It takes 5h and 55m to charge the unit after full use. The 1.0 transfer rate chargers under the same test conditions took just two hours to charge the phone. Hopefully a charger this small with a 1.0 wall-like speed transfer rate is in the works because it makes a significant charging-speed-during-active-use difference. This unit will not work with any 9.7 inch iPad. My similar capacity 1.0 transfer rate units work with the large iPad and add up to twenty percent each (at a slow rate). Despite owning the two aforementioned faster chargers I carry this one in my pocket because it's the lightest and smallest.
Anybody that is considering a phone with a removable battery--just for that reason over an iPhone--should note that this charger is about the same size as a spare battery. For people that only use their pockets and want to minimize their items I found a terrific solution. I use the thinnest six-inch micro USB cable and purchased an iPhone 5 lightning-to-micro-USB tip attachment. I turned it into an iphone 5 compatible six-inch cord that slips into my wallet. This minimizes items in my pockets and secures the cord. Another concern people may have is the metal unit scratching their naked phone, screen or case. A simple taught rubber band applied to both ends provides a buffer. You can also wrap it with a thin layer of mailing tape or saran wrap with a bit of tape to hold it fast. Rubber bands provide enough traction to use the unit--lying down horizontally when facing you--as a stand while charging (or not) to view content (with the help of the lip of a bumper or non-slippery case). This provides an iPad smart-cover-like incline.
Love this charger. So small and easy to stick in my purse. Use it on long plane trips to recharge phone.
BalasHapusReally nice product. I have bought 3 (2 for gifts) and they are all great. Great company to deal with.
BalasHapus
BalasHapusI bought this because George Takei shared it on his Facebook page. You can thank him for making it go out of stock. Oh the influence of celebrities. :)
BalasHapusThis product is fabulous. It is just what I needed for my upcoming trip to New York City. I will be ordering another for my daughter.
BalasHapusThis is a good product. It is small and light. I used it to keep my iphone charged while a did a 9.5 hr bike ride using a GPS app. The phone finished with 91% battery due to the charger. I estimate that the charger is enough to charge my iphone5 about twice. That makes sense because the iphone5 battery is 1434 mAh. It is about the size of a roll of quarters but lighter. I am glad I got this over bigger chargers with more mAh that are more than I need.
BalasHapusIt works well! It fits fairly comfortably in my pocket and charges my iPhone within a couple hours. It is somewhat shiny in appearance and is made of durable metal. It's also much more affordable than other portable chargers on the market and is a must have for the avid smartphone user. You may also want to know that the manual says to charge it only every 3 months. Get it!
BalasHapusThe price, size and excellent Anker brand are elements of success. It suffers from slow transfer rates compared to other chargers with a 1.0 and not 0.8 charge speed. The 1.0 transfer rate chargers such as the RavPower 2600 or Photive iPhone 5 charger transfer at the same speed as a wall charger (even while in use). I own all of these. They are not as small which is a trade-off. When using the iPhone 5 over LTE and actively using this charger--the speed of charge is slow--you may remain at the same charge level without increasing percentage (or very slowly). When the LTE signal is pulling heavily (and the screen is in use) you can go down a percentage before you slowly go up or stay the same. It's akin to charging a 9.7 inch iPad--while in use--with the brightness up mid-way via a USB port on your computer. You must have your phone screen powered off for a quicker charge.
BalasHapusA timed test revealed that this fully-charged unit charged the iPhone 5 in 2h and 44m. The phone was initially dead, screen remained off (expect for notifications) and it was on Wi-Fi. The charger elicited an additional fifteen percent (on the same phone at another time) before dying. It takes 5h and 55m to charge the unit after full use. The 1.0 transfer rate chargers under the same test conditions took just two hours to charge the phone. Hopefully a charger this small with a 1.0 wall-like speed transfer rate is in the works because it makes a significant charging-speed-during-active-use difference. This unit will not work with any 9.7 inch iPad. My similar capacity 1.0 transfer rate units work with the large iPad and add up to twenty percent each (at a slow rate). Despite owning the two aforementioned faster chargers I carry this one in my pocket because it's the lightest and smallest.
Anybody that is considering a phone with a removable battery--just for that reason over an iPhone--should note that this charger is about the same size as a spare battery. For people that only use their pockets and want to minimize their items I found a terrific solution. I use the thinnest six-inch micro USB cable and purchased an iPhone 5 lightning-to-micro-USB tip attachment. I turned it into an iphone 5 compatible six-inch cord that slips into my wallet. This minimizes items in my pockets and secures the cord. Another concern people may have is the metal unit scratching their naked phone, screen or case. A simple taught rubber band applied to both ends provides a buffer. You can also wrap it with a thin layer of mailing tape or saran wrap with a bit of tape to hold it fast. Rubber bands provide enough traction to use the unit--lying down horizontally when facing you--as a stand while charging (or not) to view content (with the help of the lip of a bumper or non-slippery case). This provides an iPad smart-cover-like incline.