Powerbanks for mobile devices – Part 2 / 4

ASAP Dash – 5000mAh

The ASAP DASH is also a rather spechial battery pack. Designed by ASAP, a company that specializes in modular charge cables (with magnetic tips), it also offers QuickCharge with 19V. One might think, it comes in handy but if you’re on the road, and no wall outlet is nearby then you can’t use that feature. Plus you have to take an additional power supply with you being capable to deliver the 19V/3.0A output, suggesting a 60W power output.

So how does it compare to the other battery packs?

Well at first, there’s nothing special to it. You get a standard micro USB cable along with the usual stuff and a power supply to quickcharge this batterypack

One USB-B connector that delivers up to 2.4A should be sufficient for must USB devices even tablet computers.

Charge:	Discharge:	Dimensions:
USB: Input Voltage: 5.31V Input Power: 0.91A Input Duration: 09:54:00 Input Capacity: 6341mAh   – FastCharge: Input Voltage: 18.91V Input Power: 2.86A Input Duration: 02:04:33 Input Capacity: 7268mAh	Output Voltage: 5.17V Output Power: 0.93A Output Duration: 4:08:03 Output Capacity: 3741mAh IPhone Charged at: 128%	Weight: 173g Height: 118mm Width: 62mm Depth: 14mm
Overall efficiency: 59%
Battery Type: LiPo
Pros: Small and convenient LED status indicator Output power OK Lightweight Quite fast recharge using the Quick Charger Clearly communicated power ratings Solid aluminum case gives good haptics and a worthy touch! Cons: Recharge using standard USB is also extremely slow (9 hours) Poor efficiency Only 1 Output Port supplying 2.4A (however more than 1A wasn’t possible) Led indicator is awfully small and hard to determine!
Price: Roughly 40 CHF / 49 USD

Xtorm AL370 – 7300mAh

Okay, let’s have a peek on our next contestant. The brand Xtorm is well-kown in Europe and their mobile chargers offer good performance for a good price tag. While most other chargers in that price range either suffer from connectivity or from variety, Xtorm offers various types of mobile chargers for almost every occasion. So you can choose from portable/lightweight chargers to ruggedized heavy-duty chargers or even notebook chargers (one will be tested later on!)

The casing mostly gives worthy touch with it’s brushed metal or at least is what you would expect for what you pay for!The backside has good touch with it’s soft touch surface and allows for better grip.

What we like is the fact that it comes with a built-in charge cord (USB-B) that snuggly fits into the case. So you don’t have to worry about an extra charging cable for the battery pack. And the second cable alongside the case is micro-USB to charge all devices that support charging via micro-USB! Clever engineering!

Charge:	Discharge:	Dimensions:
Input Voltage: 5.19V Input Power: 0.86A Input Duration: 12:43:21 Input Capacity: 6243mAh	Output Voltage: 5.19V Output Power: 0.87A Output Duration: 6:01:44 Output Capacity: 4198mAh IPhone Charged at: 153%	Weight: 231g Height: 127mm Width: 79mm Depth: 26mm
Overall efficiency: 67%
Battery type: LiIon (3 18650 cells)
Pros: Acceptable Weight and size LED status indicator Output power OK Quite fast recharge using the Quick Charger Clearly communicated power ratings Built-in charge cords for charging battery pack and micro-USB devices Average efficiency semi-ruggedized yet not safe against splashes Cons: Recharge using standard USB is also extremely slow (12 hours) 1 Output Port supplying 2.1A (however more than 1A wasn’t possible) Built-in charge cord only draws 1A Built-in charge cable only delivers 1A
Price: Roughly 60 CHF / 49 €

FDGAO QI Battery pack – 10’000mAh

Let’s have a peek on a special contestant here. So far, you’ve seen normal battery packs that all require you to have your charge cable with you in order to charge your mobile device. As QI wireless charging gets more popular with more devices supporting it (breakthrough for a standard was given when Apple finally joined the QI standard), the demand for such technology also rises!

So what we’re looking at, is a battery pack that not only offers 2 USB ports for conventional charging but also a QI coil at the top of the housing to drop your QI-capable device on it. Although the charging power is limited to 1A as it is no High.Power coil, the delivered 5W are sufficient to charge also modern smartphones, like the iPhone X or Samsung’s S8 for an example.

With a whopping 10’000mAh capacity at a rather small size, the question is: “May it deliver what it promises?” – That’s what we’re going to find out now. Especially the price tag of only 12 to 16 CHF might let you raise your eyebrows.

Okay, the haptics may feel cheap as the leather imitation is actually moded plastic but hey, you can’t ask for a gold bar and only pay the price of a pebble. The design however looks nice and gives it a modern look.

The downside is that the input port seems not to take more than 1A charging power, making recharging of this battery pack a patience challenge. So better plug that buddy in before you go to bed and let it charge overnight.

The mobile battery pack can be ordered either via Wish but if you search for the brand (FDGAO) you will be able to find it in Stores selling on Amazon Marketplace and other distribution channels, at higher prices, naturally! So if you’re willing to take the risk, go for it via Wish and order it directly from the supplier (which is located, surprise! surprise!, in Shenzhen, China). Wish has however a good customer protection service so it is no total risk but as you know customs might hold back deliveries if they obviously violate local safety regulations.

We personally like the bright LED percentage display and the “breathing” QI symbol when charging wirelessly. It’s quite an eyecatcher!

Charge:	Discharge:	Dimensions:
Input Voltage: 4.93V Input Power: 0.62A Input Duration: 17:00:24 Input Capacity: 9824mAh	USB-B: Output Voltage: 5.19V Output Power: 0.93A Output Duration: 4:08:03 Output Capacity: 8341mAh IPhone Charged at: 197% – QI Wireless: Output Voltage: 4.83V* Output power: 0.83A* Output Duration: 8:43:26 Output capacity 8129mAh* iPhoneX Charged at: 186%	Weight: 162g Height: 151mm Width: 73mm Depth: 21mm
Overall efficiency: 85% / QI: 83%*
Battery type: LiPo
Pros: Acceptable Weight and size LED display status indicator with Percentage and Output interface indicator! Output power OK Quite fast recharge using the Quick Charger Clearly communicated power ratings 2 USB B ports delivering 1.0A and 2.1A (totalling 3.1A output power) Built-in QI charge coil delivering 5W(1A) Built-in LED light torch (2LED and very bright! Good efficiency (QI seems to consume power by itself) Cons: Recharge using standard USB is also extremely slow (17 hours) 1 Output Port supplying 2.4A (however more than 1A wasn’t possible) Input port seems not be able to take more than 1A charging power LED indicators are really bright which makes it a no-go for nightstand chargings The 2.1A port generates a lot of heat (50°C) when in operation at full load. * As there’s no way measuring Voltage or power when using QI, there’s esitmated values here.
Price: Roughly 16 CHF / 19 USD / 15€

Xtorm PowerBank AL011 – 11’000mAh

Welcome to the next contestant that enters the heavyweight class. Okay, as you might have noticed, this review follows a simple line: From lightweight to heavyweight (from smallest capacity to biggest capacity).

So what we look at here is a true power monster when it comes to charging multiple devices at a time. Not only are there 2 USB ports which sum up to 3.1A combined output power but it also comes in a sort of iMac style. However don’t let spashes hit the case as it is for sure not water resistant. And as we all know, LiIon batteries don’t like short-circuitry at all!

The high-gloss cover is nice to look at but attracts fingrprints as hell and also dust will be visible soon.

Charge:	Discharge:	Dimensions:
Input Voltage: 5.15V Input Power: 1.00A Input Duration: 11:05:17 Input Capacity: 9738mAh	Output Voltage: 5.19V Output Power: 0.94A Output Duration: 12:23:14 Output Capacity: 8722mAh IPhone Charged at: 273%	Weight: 340g Height: 123mm Width: 91mm Depth: 24mm
Overall efficiency: 90%
Battery type: LiIon (4 18650 cells)
Pros: Acceptable Weight and size LED display status indicator Output power OK Excellent efficiency Clearly communicated power ratings 2 USB B ports delivering 1.0A and 2.1A (totalling 3.1A output power) Cons: Recharge using standard USB is also extremely slow (12 hours) Input port seems not be able to take more than 1A charging power Capacity less than announced
Price: Roughly 69 CHF / 59 USD / 59€

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