Tech Advisor

Omaker Power Bank 5200mAh

- Marie Brewis

Power banks come in all sizes and capacities, and this Omaker Power Bank 5200mAh hits the sweet middle ground, small and light enough to carry in a pocket, with sufficient capacity to offer your phone at least one and possibly two full charges. It’s also the perfect size for your pocket, just 46x25x100m­m and 118g.

A soft carry case is provided, but the soft-touch rubber casing doesn’t feel as though it needs much in the way of protection. We like the design, a smooth almost pebble-like block of grey or yellow coloured plastic with two sheets of black rubber that wrap around the front and back, creating a groove at each side that makes the Omaker power bank easy to grip. We reviewed the yellow version, but suspect the grey may look a little more premium.

There’s just one output on the Omaker Power Bank 5200mAh, but it’s a fast one, rated at 10.5W. This will charge your phone twice as fast as some phone chargers, and it’s powerful enough to charge a tablet, too.

If there’s enough power in the bank, that is – rated at 5200mAh and allowing for around 30 percent loss through voltage conversion and heat generated, you can expect about 3640mAh to be available to your devices. How many times that will charge your phone depends on the capacity of its own battery.

Once the power bank’s charge is depleted, there’s a 5W Micro-USB input for refilling it. As is standard with power banks, no charger is provided in the box, but you can use the one that came with your phone or tablet. It could take up to six hours to completely fill the battery.

Although we can’t expect otherwise at this price, there’s nothing here in the way of fancy high-end features such as auto-on/ off, which does mean you’ll need to keep an eye on the Omaker Power Bank for when it’s finished charging your device to ensure no charge is wasted. (You’ll need to press the button on the Omaker’s side to begin charging, while a double-press will activate the handy built-in torch.)

How much capacity remains is instantly visible by a row of four LEDs that glow blue when the power bank is in use. Each light represents 25 percent of the battery.

Verdict

Omaker’s Power Bank 5200mAh is a no-frills emergency charger that could provide up to two full fast charges for your phone. It’s a nice size to fit in a pocket, and it feels reasonably tough.

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Australia