One Power Bank to Charge Them All
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Written by Young Jeohn
With more devices taking up space in our bags, the bigger the need for portable charging power. It's a crowded space, with even street peddlers selling them for $20 a pop, but how do you know if they're any good? Truth is, most of them aren't very good at all, with the no-name, made-in-China-by-god-knows-who batteries lasting only a few charges til they stop working. But never fear, high quality and industrial level engineering can be found in the powerful Ventev powerCell 10000+
BASICS
Looking over the design, Ventev must've built this as a high end product with all-in-one functionality. I mean, they've thought of everything - built in wall prongs for recharge, micro USB plug for Android gizmos and a lightning plug for all modern Apple'y things. So no need to carry extra cables, it's all there. But JUST in case you have an older iphone or the odd tablet that uses mini instead of micro USB, there's yet *another* USB port that's open for whatever type of cable you could possibly want to plug in. How's that for versatility?
POWER
Smaller power banks carry 1500-2000mAh while some larger ones have 4000-6000mAh. This beast has a whopping 10,000mAh capacity, which is large enough to charge several phones and a tablet ipad all at once. Not that I'm recommending you do that, but you can if you want. I've charged up two Android phones at once, both of which were down to 15% power, and it took about 2 hours to fully charge both. Since both phones use micro usb, I connected one to the built in plug and used a cable I had handy for the other.
The battery will charge devices quickly using its rapid charge capability. While the micro USB is rated at 1.8 amps maximum, lightning is rated at 2.4 amps. Why is this important? Normal phone chargers typically output 1 amp, while tablets need more juice. If you notice how some chargers take forever, it's because either the charger isn't capable of pushing out enough power or the cable is a piece of dog doo. The guys at Ventev did their R&D - you'll always get a good, strong flow with this fab piece of tech (side note: the output of the open USB port is 1 amp.)
SMARTS
I like this powercell's LED display, which shows exactly how much power is available. Press the power button once to see how much remains, or press and hold to initiate/turn off the battery when charging a device. And for it's biggest party trick, there's a smart function called bypass circuitry which automatically detects and prioritizes charging of your device before charging the battery itself when it's plugged into an outlet.
DESIGN AND MATERIALS
It's not your typically bland, cheap plastic housing. The materials feel good in the hand -almost rubbery- which offers good grip, with orange highlight colors that surround the prongs and cables. It's got subtle curves on the side that give you a better grip of the housing for when you pull it out of a socket. Finally, all the technical specs are clearly written so there's no guesswork of its capabilities. The LED is bright and clear, also in orange.
BUT
Because its got everything built in but the kitchen sink, it's large and somewhat heavy. Having said that, batteries of high capacity and caliber usually are large and heavy, and most times, *do not* offer any of the built in conveniences like this model. If I didn't know better, this product is particularly well suited for heavy duty users who are on the road a lot with little access to power outlets.
CONCLUSION
The Ventev powercell 10000+ is a powerful charge bank that offers convenience, good design and enough power to charge up several phones and tablets. It's not for everyone because of its weight and size, so it probably won't suit you if you only need a casual charge here and there. However, if you're a road warrior who needs access to power throughout the day, then this is your answer. The powercell 10000+ retails for $99.99 with more information available at:
