The current rotational blackout has some of us clamoring for working power outlets to charge our smartphones. Does your work and/or life depend too much on your phone? Then it's about time you invest in a power bank.
Image: MiPow
Power banks are the technology god's way of sending us 'extra life' when our smartphone's battery drains. That's why it's imperative that we choose one that is suitable to our phone's power needs. But choosing the right power bank can be daunting especially now that the market's saturated with all sorts of power banks – from cute to massive bricks. To help you make your decision, we've listed down essential tips to help you pick the right one.
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Find out your phone's battery requirement
Before picking out a power bank, make sure that you know your smartphone battery capacity. This information is key in ensuring that you pick out a power bank that meets your smartphone's charging needs. To find out your phone's battery capacity, check the user manual.
Here are the battery capacities for some popular smartphone models:
- iPhone 5 – 1,440 mAh
- iPhone 5s – 1,560 mAh
- iPhone 5c – 1,510 mAh
- Samsung Galaxy S4 – 2,600 mAh
- Samsung Galaxy S5 – 2,800 mAh
- Samsung Galaxy Note 2 – 3,100 mAh
- Samsung Galaxy Note 3 – 3,200 mAh
- HTC One (M7) – 2,300 mAh
- HTC One (M8) – 2,600 mAh
- Sony Xperia Z1 – 3,000 mAh
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Choose a power bank with a higher mAh capacity than your phone's battery
Once you've identified your smartphone's battery capacity, pick out a power bank that has at least double mAh of your smartphone's battery.
What is mAh? To put it simply, mAh (milli Ampere hour) is a measurement of how much energy a battery can store.
So if your smartphone has a 1,560 mAh battery capacity, get a power bank that has at least 3,200 mAh so you can charge it 1.5 times. If you're a heavy smartphone user (meaning your cellular data is always on and you're constantly running power hungry apps), it's best to get a power bank that has triple that battery capacity of your smartphone.
Image: MiLi
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Choose a power bank with LED indicator
There are a multitude of power banks available in the market today, but not all of them are truly reliable. In choosing a power bank, pick a brand or model that has LED indicators that tells you how much charge is left or if it needs to be recharged.
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Find the right weight and design
Another factor to consider when buying a power bank is it's weight and design. Since you'll be bringing your power bank most of the time, it's ideal to choose a model that is slim and lightweight. Of course the bigger its mAh capacity, the heavier it is, but there are brands that offer power banks that are considerably lighter compared to their counterparts.
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Beware of cheap power banks
If you're buying a power bank, expect to shell out more than a thousand pesos. High-quality power banks don't come cheap but you're assured that they're reliable and durable. Cheap power banks, however aren't reliable. If you see a model that promises a high-capacity mAh at a low price (example: 20,000 mAh for just under P3,000), chances are it's a sham. With power banks, you really get what you pay for. So make sure that you're not getting some cheap knock-off.
To ensure that the model or brand you're getting isn't a fake one, check if it has these certifications: FCC (Federal Communications Commission), CE, RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances), among other. Generally, products with these certifications are genuine and safe.
Here's a suggested list of power banks:
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Ozaki O!tool Battery T52
Capacity: 5,200 mAh
Price: P3,995
Where to buy: Email marketing@msi-ecs.com.ph
Image: MiLI
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MiLi Power Nova I
Capacity: 5,000 mAh
Price: P3,500
Where to buy: Beyond The Box
Image: MiPow
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MiPow Power Cube 5200M
Capacity: 5,200 mAh
Price: P3,499
Where to buy: Mobile 1, Beyond The Box, Digital Walker
Image: Digital Walker
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Momax iPower Go
Capacity: 8,800 mAh
Price: P2,950
Where to buy: Digital Walker
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O!tool Battery D26
Capacity: 2,600 mAh
Price: P1,995
Where to buy: Power Mac Center
