OnePlus Power Bank

Power banks or emergency chargers are becoming popular companion devices for phones (and tablets) that struggle to make it through the day. OnePlus is the latest company to jump on the portable charger bandwagon, and we’re pleased it did.

The OnePlus Power Bank is very nicely designed. Slim and lightweight, it’ll feel just like a smartphone when slipped into a pocket. OnePlus fans will appreciate the finish – it’s the same material as is found on the rear of the phone itself, rough like a carpet but soft to the touch – and with a matching silver trim these two devices will look great side by side. No carry case is supplied in the box, but it really doesn’t feel as though this power bank would require one.

Not that you have to use the OnePlus Power Bank with a OnePlus One phone. There’s a Micro-USB cable in the box, which should suit most Android- and Windows Phones. If you’re using an iPhone you’ll need to supply your own Lightning cable.

There are no buttons, keeping things simple. A gentle shake activates the four blue LEDs on the right edge, alerting you to how much power remains, while charging is automatic. Attach your phone or tablet, and the OnePlus will instantly begin charging it. Once the device’s battery is full, the OnePlus is supposed to stop pumping out the power, preventing any being wasted. Unfortunately, we found this wasn’t the case with our HTC Desire Eye – it stopped charging, but the OnePlus didn’t switch itself off.

Charging is fast, too. With a 10W input and two 10W outputs, you’ll probably charge your phone faster from the OnePlus than you would the charger it shipped with, and it’ll refill its own battery in around six hours. Do note, though, that 10W is the max power output for the OnePlus Power Bank – if you’re using both ports at once just 5W will be available from each, and some tablets – usually iPads – can

stubbornly refuse to charge under such conditions. OnePlus claims an efficiency of “more than 80 percent” and says that its 10,000mAh Power Bank will recharge a OnePlus One three times. Given that it has a battery capacity of 3100mAh, it’s unlikely that you actually can achieve three full charges, although you will get close.

Verdict

We really like the OnePlus Power Bank. We don’t expect to find high-end features such as an LCD display and passthrough charging at this price, but the shakeactivated LED status lights and auto-on functionality are welcome additions.