Questions Regarding Power Bank (Portable Battery Charger)

Dankees

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So, I am in the market for a power bank (portable battery charger), but I am not sure what to get...

I have found this item on eBay and it gives the following specs (for the UltraThin 12000 MAh unit):

· Input: DC 5V / 1A
· Output 1: DC 5V / 2A

Is that good/bad?

The 10000 MAh unit offers the following specs:

· Input: DC 5V / 5A Max
· Output 1: DC 5V / 2.1A , Output 2: DC 5V / 1.0A

And, the 10400 MAh unit offers the following specs:

· Input: DC 5V / 2.0 A Max
· Output: DC 5V / 2.1A Max

So, which one will work best, and not mess up my phone or its battery? I am very confused by all these numbers.

On a side note, my Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 does not have the capability of charging with an adaptive fast charger, so, will any of these mess up my tablet (although, I'm not sure I would ever use it with my tablet).

I would like to get the 12000 MAh unit because it's the thinnest one, and the lightest for its capacity. However, I'm not sure why.

Please offer insight. Thank you.
 

sparksd

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Either of these are fine and would not damage your device. My only concern would be the quality of the device given the very low cost. Power banks advertise a certain power rating (e.g., 12000MAh) but many turn out to performance issues in real world use due to efficiency shortcomings (Google power banks and efficiency). I have a few and have stuck with RAVPower and Anker, good known brands bought on Amazon.
 

Dankees

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Is one better than the other? I also don't want one that will run considerably slower than the other. A little slower is one thing, but 3 times slower is another.

They are cheap because they are straight from China without a retailer involved.

Let's face it - they are all made in China.

If the specs turn out to be inaccurate, I will contact eBay.

What are the differences in these? Are they OK for my tablet?
 

sparksd

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Lower input amperage should mean longer charge times for the power bank.
2.0A or 2.1A (amps) is fine for normal device charging. 1.0A would be a slow charge.
The 12000MAh bank should be fine for the 10.1 tablet as the OEM charger for that is 5V/2A. But the 1A input may mean that charging the bank would take several hours.
 

Rukbat

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They all output a maximum of 2 Amps. (2.1 isn't enough difference to matter.) That will charge almost any phone as fast as the wall charger will. (A Note 3, for example, only draws 1.2 Amps from the wall charger, so it would charge at 1.2 Amps from any of those powerbanks.) It won't give you a Qualcom "fast charge" on any device.

The mAh rating tells you how may phone charges the powerbank will give you between charges of the powerbank. (As far as how long it takes to charge the powerbank, that depends on the charger supplied with it. You can charge any lithium battery in about 75 minutes from 0 to 100% [which is a good way to kill the battery - you should never allow a lithium battery to drop below 40% charge].) The ones you saw at ebay use the charger you have to charge the, - that's probably no more than 2 Amps. Charging 12000 mAh (12 Amp hour) with a 2 Amp charger will take about 7 hours. (And you can't charge at more than 2 Amps with a microUSB charging port.) I haven't seen any powerbanks with high-current charging (which would require a high current connector and a charger that could supply - in the case of a 12000 mAh pack, 9-12 Amps - so whatever you buy, be prepared to have to charge it overnight.

Personally, if I were looking for a powerpack, I'd stick with a known brand, like http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU4246663 The Chinese packs might work for a few months, then start losing capacity. Or they might last 5 years. There's no way to tell. The known makes cost more, but you know what you're getting, and you know that the warranty will be honored. Anker's not going anywhere. (BTW, never let the powerpack get below 40% charge either, if you want it to last.)
 

Dankees

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So, if I have this right, the 12000 mAh power bank with the following specs will need to be charged overnight (to fully charge it), which is fine, and how long do you think it would take to charge my Galaxy Note 4 battery (3220 mAh)?

· Input: DC 5V / 1A
· Output 1: DC 5V / 2A

And, basically, the power bank with a DC 5V / 5A can be charged 5 times faster, correct?

But, if I don't mind charging the power bank overnight, it doesn't matter, right?

Just, how long will it take to charge my Galaxy Note 4 battery? (I guess it doesn't really matter because my alternative is a 2.1A output power bank, right?)

By the way, thank you all so much for your incredible insight!!!!!
 

sparksd

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Theoretically, the charging time for the 5A input bank should be faster (note that you'll have to buy a 5V/5A power supply as power banks are generally delivered without a charger - they expect you to use something you already have for another device). And theoretically, the power bank should charge your phone/tablet at the same rate as a similarly rated charger (usually 2A). I say theoretically because a lot depends upon the quality of the power bank - so your mileage may vary from one to another.
 

IrekJanek

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Good choice as far as total capacity is concerned because you plan to use it with 2 devices, although you might want to look at some that are 14000 +. Damaging your devices or batteries should not be a problem, they all comply to 5V specs of the USB standard, you might want to use 1A port for phone & 2A for tablet. What I would recommend though is to look for a brand chargers (Anker, Jackery, RAVPower, ibattz) they use better quality internal batteries, are closer to the published specs and last longer. If you are still concerned about safety of your devices get one with "smart circuitry" (Power IQ), those chargers have smarts to talk to your device and optimize the charging profile.
 

Pancho Maran

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Buying and carrying spare batteries of every device is not a practical option either. (Not to mention the extra expense over time.) So you need to have a portable power bank of your own from which you can charge the batteries of gadgets properly, or break down on you. i recommend not going for the cheapest option. This is one of times where you do indeed get what you pay for.

There are 3 ways they make fake capacity powerbanks. One, is the picture with the high end sandbag. Two, they actually put batteries with cement inside. And the third one, They label or advertise or sell the charger at a much higher capacity than it actually has.

About F-a-k-e-b-a-y POWERBANKS
Fake 50,000mAh ~= 25x AA size rechargeable battery (assuming 2,000mAh - 2200mAh each per battery).Now, picture the size of a single AA battery and multiply by 25. Then picture how the size of the chassis should be.If they use li-polymer and if it is even close to being a real capacity, several manufacturers we have spoken to believe that this 50000mah capacity is way too high and your phone could explode. So, Many of them are also fake.Stay away from these.I have seen 150000mah as well. Ridiclous!
 

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bawss1

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So i got this power bank case on am amazon , i put my note 4 in the case and press the button on the side but it doesn't charge , it has 4 led lights on , when i charge the case in the wall it charges my phone but when i take the wall charger out it doesn't charge ??? Helppppp
 

sparksd

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So i got this power bank case on am amazon , i put my note 4 in the case and press the button on the side but it doesn't charge , it has 4 led lights on , when i charge the case in the wall it charges my phone but when i take the wall charger out it doesn't charge ??? Helppppp

Case? Can you post a link to what you purchased to give us a better idea of the issue?
 

Brandon Xylia

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Buying and carrying spare batteries of every device is not a practical option either. (Not to mention the extra expense over time.) So you need to have a portable power bank of your own from which you can charge the batteries of gadgets properly, or break down on you. i recommend not going for the cheapest option. This is one of times where you do indeed get what you pay for.

There are 3 ways they make fake capacity powerbanks. One, is the picture with the high end sandbag. Two, they actually put batteries with cement inside. And the third one, They label or advertise or sell the charger at a much higher capacity than it actually has.

About F-a-k-e-b-a-y POWERBANKS
Fake 50,000mAh ~= 25x AA size rechargeable battery (assuming 2,000mAh - 2200mAh each per battery).Now, picture the size of a single AA battery and multiply by 25. Then picture how the size of the chassis should be.If they use li-polymer and if it is even close to being a real capacity, several manufacturers we have spoken to believe that this 50000mah capacity is way too high and your phone could explode. So, Many of them are also fake.Stay away from these.I have seen 150000mah as well. Ridiclous!
 

yaziku

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the bigger battery capacity the more power can be stored at power bank inside, selecting bigger battery capacity is better. they can store and carry more power and provide longer lasting and enough battery capacity for your mobile devices, the most important is that it allow you to recharge your devices several times for one time full charging. but some tips are still need your attention:

1. most of bigger capacity marked on sale on eBay is fake and unreal, for example, 12000mAh capacity battery, actual capacity may be only 8000mAh.

2. please check what's kind of cell used at this power bank? it's li-polymer or other cell? bescause polymer cell is better than others, it's more durable and safe.

3. is it built in circuit safe protection?
 

harishvudayagiri

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hi,
i am using itek powerbank and it has 3 outputs 2.1A ,1A ,1A with capacity12000mAh.will u pls tell me which one is to be used so that it will not damage note3 neo .
 

Uimi Technologies

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May 20, 2016
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hi am using UIMI Power banks with extra ultimate battery support of 6000 mAh to 13000 mAh for your Smart phones, Smart watches, Bluetooth’s etc.
face it and enjoy with your long bettery......