Ondrej Holzman Although the battery life of mobile devices is constantly increasing, it is still far from ideal, especially if you use your phone or tablet constantly throughout the day. One possible solution is to use an external battery. We tested two variants from MiPow – Power Tube 5500 and Power Cube 8000A.
MiPow Power Tube 5500
The Chinese manufacturer MiPow has a wide range of external batteries in its portfolio. One of them is the Power Tube 5500, which - contrary to its name - has the shape of an elongated cuboid with two sockets and an LED light on one side. The advantage of an external battery with a capacity of 5500 mAh is that it can power a large number of devices. It comes with 10 connectors for extended compatibility, so that in addition to iPhones and iPads (Lightning connectors are missing), it can also charge various devices with Micro USB, as well as old Sony Ericsson and LG mobile phones or the PSP game console.
However, it is important for users of Apple products that the MiPow Power Tube 5500 can power practically any device with a bitten apple logo, and if you want, it can have two devices connected to it at the same time.
However, for greater efficiency, it is of course ideal to charge only one device at a time. In addition, the MiPow Power Tube 5500 only offers a power of 1 A, so it does not have enough power to fully charge the iPad. If you want to charge the tablet, you will need to carry a backup cable with you and recharge the MiPow Power Tube 5500 when necessary. It is the absence of an integrated cable and the need to carry your own that may bother some about this external battery. MiPow tries to compensate for this at least with an LED flashlight, which is located under both connectors on the front, but I strongly doubt the use of such a function on an external battery.
As for the charging process itself, the MiPow Power Tube 5500 can charge the iPhone roughly 2,5 times (at least twice) in normal condition, which is quite a decent performance. After that, the external battery needs to be recharged, which takes a few hours. The MiPow Power Tube 5500 has a light bar "on it" to indicate its charge status - red indicates 15% remaining, orange 15-40%, green 40-70% and blue more than 70%. The manufacturer claims that the battery life is 500 charging cycles. However, the MiPowe Power Tube 5500 is not a smart battery that would recognize when the connected device is already charged and subsequently stop discharging energy on its own, so if you leave the device connected to the battery even after charging, you will gradually drain it.
However, the lack of 2,1A power is an obstacle for charging the iPad, which is practically worthless charging through the 1A output, so look elsewhere for a solution for your tablet. When deciding to buy a MiPow Power Tube 5500, one more fact can play a role - the price. EasyStore.cz it offers this product for 2 crowns.
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advantages:
[Checklist]
- Processing
- Dimensions
- Number of connectors[/checklist][/one_half]
[one_half last="yes"]
Disadvantages:
[bad list]
- Price
- No integrated cable
- 1A output only[/badlist][/one_half]
MiPow Power Cube 8000A
The second external battery tested was the MiPow Power Cube 8000A, which offers several fundamental changes compared to the aforementioned MiPow Power Tube 5500. On the one hand, we already know from the name that this battery has a much higher capacity, equal to 8000 mAh, which is really a decent portion to charge your devices with the MiPow Power Cube 8000A several times before the battery runs out.
The shape of the MiPow Power Cube 8000A may resemble Apple TV, for example, but the dimensions are significantly smaller for the external battery. The surface is covered with multi-colored adonized aluminum, and on the underside is anti-slip rubber.
The advantage of the Power Cube 8000A over the Power Tube 5500 is that it has an integrated 30-pin connector, so you don't necessarily need to carry a separate charging cable with you. However, the Power Cube 8000A also offers the possibility of connecting two devices, as there is also a USB output for charging other devices, and if that wasn't enough, a USB-microUSB cable is also included. Both outputs have 2,1 A, so they can handle the iPad and other tablets without any problems.
In our experience, an Apple tablet (we tested the iPad mini) can charge the MiPow Power Cube 8000A at least once, so-called "from zero to one hundred". With the iPhone, the results are understandably better - we managed to charge it until the Power Cube 8000A was discharged four times, each such process lasting about three hours. The MiPow Power Cube 8000A, like the Power Tube 5500, signals the state of charge, but here we come across flashing LEDs that we know from MacBooks, for example. The legend is similar: one pulsating diode below 25%, two pulsating diodes 25-50%, three pulsating diodes 50-75%, four pulsating diodes 75-100%, four permanently lit diodes 100%. Recharging the Power Cube 8000A will take at least four hours.
more than the Power Tube 5500, but you can also tell by the price. EasyStore.cz offers this external battery for 2 crowns, so it is again up to everyone to consider whether it is worth investing in such a product.
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advantages:
[Checklist]
- Processing
- Integrated connector
- 2,1A output[/checklist][/one_half]
[one_half last="yes"]
Disadvantages:
[bad list]
- Price[/badlist][/one_half]
I wouldn't see the Tech 700 split as a minus. It can do more and has more capacity. That is, the money is defensible
When comparing the two batteries, definitely yes, but overall I would imagine a lower price.
Only someone who doesn't know what to do with money would buy it for that money.
I have a battery pack that charges my iPhone exactly 2x. Price? 520 CZK. Including transport.
Author? You should be slapped.
"From our experience, an Apple tablet can charge the MiPow Power Cube 8000A at least once, so-called "from zero to a hundred""
Which iPad. Ipad 1-2 (7200mAH), Ipad mini? (4000mAH). iPad 3-4? (11600mAH)?
Well, it goes down here.
Forgetting to mention the iPad model is a really strong indication of decline, we should probably wrap it up right away…
:-) you'll even laugh, don't take it that way
But the quality is somewhere else and there is no guarantee.
I will not claim that the information will be verified but I strongly doubt that the manufacturer of MiPow is any existing factory, corporation... it is almost certain that it is a branded product that will be as good as everything else that Europe is included. 5-6 times the price, half the amperage, 2/3 the capacity. Well, if it were something more complex, I always reach for quality (did anyone know MiPow two months ago?) but here the risk is worth 700,-.
So the risk is maybe 721 CZK; 12000mAh; 2,1A; 227g. I don't give the link on purpose. but I can add if there is interest.
The prices are pretty ridiculous, in two months I will have external batteries with a capacity of 5200mAh for 890-990,- and 10000mAh for a price of around 1600,- in our e-shop (I'm not putting the link here so it doesn't look like an advertisement)
A real fool would buy it for 3000 NOK :-D
I will then try to negotiate with the website operator on a PR article or a test review like this... I think that nowadays, when a smart phone barely lasts until the evening, such an external battery is quite useful.