Saturday, 28 March 2015

Review: Vinsic Bamboo 6000 mAh Powerbank

This product was sent to me for the review. This review represents my personal and unbiased view on Vinsic 6000 mAh  Bamboo Powerbank. In this test I will evaluate everything I think is important for consumer – consumer experience.


QUICK RECAP:

THE GOOD:

bamboo surface
- solid battery performance

THE BAD:

expensive
- slow charging

For further information, continue to read the review.


What's in the box:
-   6000 mAh Powerbank;
-   micro usb cable
-  thank you card




First impressions: Item arrived in nice – eco package. Powerbank is great looking device. The surface of the device is made of bamboo, which is really a neat feature.. It's very compact built and it fits nice in the hand. On the front of the unit, there is small LCD, which displays battery percentage. Powerbank is also equipped with 2.1 A micro USB output port and 1.5A micro USB input port. The dimensions of the powerbank are: 9.9 cm x 4.3 cm x 2.5 cm.


How it works: Powerbank is really easy to use. When you plug device in, powerbank starts charging it automatically. When you want to check the battery level, just shake the powerbank. That's really awesome :). 

Test:

a) Battery Efficiency: I always do the battery efficiency test first. In product description it is said, that this powerbank will charge iphone 6 more than two times. This means at least 3620.
I will check that in my efficiency test.
For that test, I charged ipad mini from 76 - 100% and Note 4 from 8 - 81 % (both devices where on airplane mode).

ipad mini battery size = 6471 mAh; 0.24 x 6471 = 1553 mAh
Note 4 battery size = 3220 mAh; 0.73 x 3220 = 2350 mAh 

2350 + 1553 = 3903 mAh

Powerbank's battery size: 6000 mAh

3903 / 6000 mAh = 65%

The battery efficiency of the powerbank is 65%. So yes, it will charge your iphone 6 more than two times. 

FYI: for some reason the powerbank went from 19% to 0% in a second, during third discharge cycle. However that only happened once. I don't know why that happened, but I just want to let you know that.

b) Charging time: powerbank was fully charged (0-100%) in 2 hours and 40 minutes, using desktop charger with 2.1A of output power. This means approximately 2250 mAh, which is super fast. 

c) Charging speed test: for charging speed test I charged Note 4 from 10 – 100% in 2 hours and 30 minutes. Charging speed is approximately 1160 mAh per hour, which is rather slow charging speed.

d) Compatibility: I haven't had any problems charging any device with this  powerbank. Beside already mentioned devices I also charged bluetooth headset, bluetooth speaker, Samsung Galaxy S4, Nokia Lumia 520 and iPhone 5S.

 e) Overheating: I haven't noticed any overheating problems with this powerbank. 



Conclusion: I am quite satisfied with this powerbank. I haven't seen bamboo powerbank before, so I was really happy to review it. It delivers very solid performance, which in my opinion is the most important thing, when we talk about powerbanks.  Because of its size you can simply put it in your pocket or bag. I recommend it to anyone, who is looking for bamboo covered powerbank, with very solid battery efficiency. However, it is pricey.

SCORE: 4.5/5



link to the product's website: http://www.vinsic.com/Products/sku-VSPB107Z

check their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VinsicFansPage?fref=ts




Sunday, 15 February 2015

Review: Vinsic Lightning Cable

This review represents my personal and unbiased view on Vinsic lightning cable. In this test I will evaluate everything I think is important for consumer – consumer experience.

Lightning cable is very quality build and is MFI certified. In my opinion this cabel is better buy than original lightning cable by Apple.

Here is why:
 -8 pin connectors are the same (both made of single piece of metal, smooth connectors, grey faceplate);
- charging speed between this cable and apple cable is the same;
- a cable is thicker and  more durable. A lot of original lightning  cables break quickly, often the reason is  very tiny hold around the  cable. I have already broken 2 original lightning cables;
- have no problem charging and syncing with this cable. Using ipad mini retina (ios 8.1.3) and iPhone 5S (ios 8.1.3).
- works with the latest iphone 6 and 6 plus and with all ios versions;
- price comparison: £6,99 for this cable vs. £15 for the original cable.


Conclusion: I had no issues with this lightning cable and I totally recommend it to anyone, who are looking for a cheaper, yet better alternative to Apple Lightning cable.

Friday, 13 February 2015

Review: Vinsic 20000 mAh Powerbank

Hey gadgeteers, it's been almost a month since my last review. So, here you have another review for Vinsic 20000 mAh Powerbank.

This review represents my personal and unbiased view on Vinsic 20000 mAh Powerbank. In this test I will evaluate everything I think is important for consumer – consumer experience.
----------
What's in the box:
-          20000 mAh powerbank
-          Micro USB charging cable
-          Thank you card.
-----------


First impressions: powerbank arrived in nice and secure packaging. Right out of the box, the powerbank feels high quality. It's the best looking powerbank I tested to date. It's covered in aluminum alloy which gives powerbank cold, high - end feel. The dimensions of the unit are: 17.4 cm x 12.2 cm x 1.3 cm (L x W x H). Yes it's very slim. Because of aluminum body, the unit is also fingerprint – resistant.
On the side there are 2 USB output port (1x2.1A, 1x 1A), the USB input port, which is 2A and power display. »Power button« here is different that on any other powerbank I tested. Actually there is no physical button, but touch enabled surface which tells the amount of battery capacity left in powerbank (you have to slide over this touch enabled area). What I like is, that power display shows you battery level in percentages. It's the first time I've seen that feature in the powerbank.
Powerbank is FC, CE and ROHS certified.



Test: powerbank is very easy to use. When you plug device in, powerbank starts charging it automatically. If you want to check battery level, just slide over touch enabled area. LED Indicator will go automatically off in few seconds.

Battery efficiency: with first fully charged powerbank I was able to charge: Note 4 from 27 – 100%, Nexus 10 from 0 – 100% and ipad mini retina from 38 – 70 %. The battery sizes of those devices are 3220 mAh, 9000 mAh and 6471 mAh respectively.
2350 mAh + 9000 mAh + 2070 mAh = 13420 mAh.
13420/20000 = 0.67
That means that the battery efficiency was 67%. I found that efficiency ratio solid. It takes few battery cycles, before powerbank reach its full potencial of battery efficiency.

Charging time: because of its size, powerbank was fully charged from 0 – 100% in 12 hours. Charging input speed is around 1650 mAh per hour.

Output charging speed: Note 4 was charged from 27 – 100% in 1 hour and 45 minutes. Charging speed was around 1350 mAh per hour.

Simultaneous charging: I charged Note 4 and iPad mini retina at once. There was no decrease in charging speed.

Compatibility:  it charged all devices I plugged in. Beside devices I mentioned above, I also charged Nokia Lumia 520, iPhone 5s, Bluetooth speaker and Sony Bluetooth headphones.

Overheating issues: during my tests, I didn’t notice any overheating issues.
----------
Conclusion: This is one of the best big powerbanks I tested. The design is great and the performance is solid. This is great choice to anyone who is looking for high capacity powerbank, you won’t be disappointed.



Recommended!

Monday, 19 January 2015

Review: Vinsic 6000 mAh Portable Powerbank

This review represents my personal and unbiased view on Vinsic 6000 mAh Powerbank. In this test I will evaluate everything I think is important for consumer – consumer experience.

What's in the box:
6000 mAh Powerbank;
 micro usb cable.



First impressions: Item arrived in nice – eco package. Powerbank is great looking device. It's made of aluminum alloy, which gives powerbank very high-end feel and protects nicely from fingerprints. It's very compact built and it fits nice in the hand. On the front of the unit, there are power button, 2.1A micro USB output port and 1.5A micro USB input port. On the edge there are four led indicators, that represents battery capacity. Each indicator stands for 25% of the battery power. The dimensions of the powerbank are: 9.3 cm x 5.2 cm x 2.1 cm (L x W x H).
How it works: Powerbank is really easy to use. When you plug device in, powerbank starts charging it automatically. If for some reason doesn't start charging automatically, just press power button once and it will start. When only one indicator is flashing, it means that powerbank has only 5% of battery capacity left and you have to charge it first.

Test:

Battery efficiency: with first fully charged powerbank I charged my Nexus 10 from 54 -100%. Nexus 10 has 9000 mAh battery size. So this means 4140 mAh. Battery efficiency with first full discharge was 69%, which is solid. It takes few battery cycles, before powerbank reach its full potencial of battery efficiency.

Charging time: powerbank was fully charged (0-100%) in 3.5 hours, using desktop charger with 2.1A of output power. This means approximately 1715 mAh per hour.

Charging speed: for charging speed test I charged Note 4 from 37 – 100% in 1h and 20 minutes. Charging speed is approximately 1520 mAh per hour, which is very good charging speed.  

Compatibility: I haven't had any problems charging any device with this  powerbank. Beside already mentioned devices I also charged bluetooth headset, bluetooth speaker, Samsung Galaxy S4, Nokia Lumia 520 and iPhone 5S.

Overheating: I haven't noticed any overheating problems with this powerbank.



Conclusion: I am really satisfied with this powerbank. Powerbank is great designed,great performance and very affordable.  Because of its size you can simply put it in your pocket or bag. I can definetly recommend this powerbank to anyone, who looks for high quality powerbank.


This product was sent to me from Vinsic for the review. 
Check out their facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/VinsicFansPage?fref=ts

Monday, 5 January 2015

Review: Vinsic Tulip 3200 mAh Powerbank

This review represents my personal and unbiased view on Vinsic Tulip 3200 mAh Powerbank. In this review I will evaluate everything I believe is important for the consumer consumer experience.

What's in the box:
-          3200 mAh powerbank;
-          Micro USB charging cable;
-          User manual (read it!)



First impressions: Powerbank arrived in nice eco friendly package. Powerbank itself is high quality made and its design looks really premium (the surface of the powerbank is covered in aluminium). The dimensions of the powerbank  are 9.4 cm x 2.2 cm x 2.2 cm. On the top there is a power button and four indicators. Each indicator represents 25 % of the power capacity (1 indicator flash = 0-25%; 2 indicators flash = 26-50%; 3 indicators flash = 51-75%; 4 indicators flash = 76-100% of the power capacity). On the front side there is one Micro USB input (1A) and one Micro USB output, which power is  also 1A.


How it works: Powerbank is very simple to use. It will start charging automatically, when the device  is connected. If for some reason doesn't start charging automatically, just press power button once. When one led light is flashing it means that battey needs to be recharged.  When powerbanks is fully charged, the led indicators will become solid on.



Test: 
  • Battery Efficiency Test : the first thing I always do is to measure battery efficiency ratio. I was able to charge my ipad mini retina from 2 - 35 % (ipad was on airplane mode). After that powerbank ran out of power. Ipad mini retina battery size is 6471 mAh. 33% of 6471 mAh =  2135 mAh. Battey efficiency of this powerbank is 2135/3200mAh = 67%.  
  • Charging time: powerbank was fully charged from 0 - 100% in less than 3 hours. 
  • Charging speed test: Note 4 was charged from 33 84% in 1.5 hours. This means approximately 1100 mAh/ per hour. That is solid charging speed. 
  • Compatibility:  Beside ipad mini, I had no problem charging iPhone 5s, Note 4, Nokia Lumia 520, bluetooth Sony headset and HTC Desire X. 
  • Overheating YES/NO: I haven't noticed any overheating issues whatsoever. Powerbank gets a little warm when charging, but this is normal.



Conclusion: Overall I am very satisfied with the design and performance of this Vinsic Tulip 3200 mAH powerbank and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for pocketable powerbank. It will fully charge your iPhone (except iPhone 6 plus). 

This powerbank was sent to me for the review. Opinions are my own and unbiased.

https://www.facebook.com/VinsicFansPage?fref=ts

Saturday, 27 December 2014

Review: EasyAcc 10400 mAh Powerbank

This review represents my personal and unbiased view on EasyAcc Powerbank 10400 mAh. In this test I  evaluated everything I think is important for consumer – consumer experience.

What's in the box:
-          10400 mAh Powerbank
-          2x micro usb cable
-          User manual (read it!)

First impressions: Item was delivered in secure package. Powerbank itself is great looking device. It's made of aluminum body, which gives powerbank very high-end feel. It's very compact built and it fits nice in the hand. The dimensions of the powerbank are: 90x77x21.5 mm. The unit is also fingerprint –resistant. On the front of the unit, there are power button, 2 USB output ports (1x1A, 1x2.1A) and micro USB input port. There are also four indicators, that represents battery capacity. Each indicator stands for 25% of the battery power.


How it works: Powerbank is really easy to use. When you plug device in, powerbank starts charging it automatically. If you want to check battery level, just press power button. Indicator will go automatically off in few seconds. Powerbank must have above 5% of power capacity to charge your device. The powerbank has under 5% of the power capacity when one indicator is flashing. Because there are 2 output ports (1A and 2.1A), you can charge 2 devices simultaneously. I recommend charging tablets with 2.1A USB output port. It will charge them more quickly.

Test:   
  • Battery efficiency: with first fully charged powerbank I charged 50% of Nexus 10, 30% of ipad mini retina and 36 % of nexus 7 (2012). All of them were charged separately.  Battery efficiency with first full discharge was 72%, which is great. It takes few battery cycles, before powerbank reach its full potencial of battery efficiency.
  •  Charging time: powerbank was fully charged (0-100%) in 6 hours, using desktop charger with 2.1A of output power. This means approximately 1730 mAh in one hour.     
  • Charging speed: In one hour, powerbank  was able to charge Note 4 from 13-63%. This is approximately 1610% mAh in one hour.
  • Compatibility: I haven't had any problems charging any device I put in the powerbank. Beside already mentioned devices I also charged bluetooth headset, bluetooth speaker, Samsung Galaxy S4, Nokia Lumia 520, iPhone 5S, ipod nano and garmin gps watch.     
  • Simultaneous charging: it is working properly, I had no problems charging two tablets simultaneously (ipad mini 1gen, ipad mini 2gen).    
  • Overheating: no overheating problems, even when charging two devices simultaneously. When charging battery itself, I also haven't noticed any change in temperature.



Conclusion: I am really satisfied with this powerbank. It's the best powerbank I used to date. Powerbank is great designed and with great performance. I am especially satisfied with charging speed of the powerbank, which is really fast. I most definetly recommend this powerbank to anyone, who looks for beautiful and powerful powerbank. 

Sunday, 14 December 2014

Review: Levin 12000 mAh Solar Charger

This review represents my personal and unbiased view on Levin 12000 mAh solar charger. In this test I will evaluate everything I think is important for consumer – consumer experience.

What's in the box:

  •  12000 mAh solar charger
  •  Carabiner
  •  Micro USB cable
  •  30 pin Samsung adapter
  •  User manual (read it!)

First impressions:
Solar charger is very nice looking device, with rubberized edges which protects charger from accidental drops. Solar charger is also water – resistant. On the front there is 1.7W monocrystalline solar panel, power button and four led battery indicators. Every indicator represents 25% of power capacity. On the side there are 2 micro usb output (1A) and one input (1A), which are sealed with cap, to ensure water – resistant structure. Powerbank has also built in led torch. Led torch has two different modes: normal and flashing light.




How it works:
 There are two ways to charge this powerbank, via built-in solar panel or via external power source, using micro usb cable. Powerbank is really simple to use. Plug in device you want to charge and click on power button. If you want to use led torch, press power button twice, and if you want flashing light, press power button one more time. To turn it off, double press power button again. When battery level on solar charger is low, one blue indicator starts to flash. If you charge it via solar energy, one indicator turns green.

Test:
  •  Solar charging: I placed solar charger under sunlight for 5,5 hours. It is December, so the sun isn't as powerful as it is in the summer. From 5,5 hours I was able to get 510 mAh  of power. That means it would charge iPhone 5S around 25%.
  • Charging time from 0 -100% via 2.4 A external power source was around 7.5 hours.   
  • Battery efficiency: From one full charge, I was able to charge my ipad mini retina from 38 to 100%, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 from 0-100%. Battery efficiency with first full charge was 61%. Here is important to mention, that solar charger automatically shut off, although there is still some battery juice, in order to protect its battery from deep discharge.
  •  I have no problems charging two tablets at the same time (ipad mini retina and nexus 7).
  • Overheating: There were no overheating problems, even when charging two devices simultaneously.

     Compatibility: I have no problem charging: nexus 7, nexus 10, ipad mini retina,  Samsung Galaxy Note 4, bluetooth speaker, sony headset and Garmin GPS watch.



Conclusion: Very satisfied with the product and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for dust and shock proof, water resistant powerbank. But if you want to use it just as solar charger I don't recommend it, because solar panel will charge powerbank slowly.  You have to look at this solar charging as an extra feature, which provides you with some battery juice for those emergency situations. For people who want to charge their devices via sunlight only, I recommend looking for  higher efficiency solar panels (10W or more). Also I would like to see, that micro usb would be built in powerbank as an extra feature.