Monday, March 10, 2014

How to Choose the Right Power Bank

While there are many Power Banks in the market, not all of them are worthy for consideration. We list down a few of the most important parameters to consider while choosing the right Power bank. Of course with so much development happening in the industry we would be constantly updating the article with latest information

Battery
There are two main battery type Lithium Ion and Lithium Polymer
Lithium Polymer is the new advanced battery is made of aluminium plastic casing and has lighter weight and  better performance  and safety features , though a bit expensive. On the other hand Lithium ion ( 18650 Lithium Battery) which means length is 65 mm and diameter of 18 mm is cylindrical in shape is older generation but still popular due to lower price.
So it’s preferable to go for Lithium Polymer batteries instead of lithium ion as they are safe, more lightweight and better quality . even if it means spending few more rupees

Capacity
The capacity mentioned on the product is in terms of mAH is not a real indication of the actual usage capacity. Generally one has to factor the leakage and voltage conversion. So one can safely assume that the actual available power would be 20-30% of the mentioned mAH. So a 5600 may battery would have a usable capacity of 4400 mAH. This should be the base against which you should calculate your requirements

Your Current Mobile
You current battery capacity is very important factor to consider power bank you require. With the above actual usage understanding from a power bank,  you can decide on the best power bank capacity
Battery capacity:
·         Galaxy S3 – 2100mAh
·         Galaxy S4 – 2600mAh
·         Galaxy Note – 2500mAh
·         IPhone 5 – 1450mAh
·         iPad 4 – 10,000 mAh

Certifications
With lot of fake power banks  flooding the market it is very important to choose a credible option. Generally Power Banks with FCC , CE, ROHS certifications ( and genuine) should be a safe bet

LED Indicator
It is really useful to choose a power bank which has LED indicators so that one can know when it is running out of charger

Connectors
It is really useful if your power bank can provide additional connectors or pins for your mobile phone. This will be a truly additional charging solution then as you do not have to rely on your original charging cable which you can keep at home. Most good power banks come with USB connectors for Samsung, BlackBerry and iPhone brands

Size
Although most of the power banks are portable, the ergonomics and styling do help in making the overall experience better
We hope if you look at the above factors would help you in choosing the right Power Bank for your daily requirement.