We have all been in situations in which our smartphone battery is nearly dead, but you have nowhere to charge it. If this is the sort of thing that happens to you a lot, then you might consider carrying extra batteries. The only issue with that is those extra batteries don’t work with your next phone. What about the person who only finds themselves in these situations once in a while?
I have the perfect solution for those that need the occasional boost. The PortaCharge from DROIDAX can not only charge your Android phone, but it can also charge your iPhone (I mean your friend’s), Kodak camera, Sony PSP, or other USB devices. What happens if you have two devices nearly dead? The PortaCharge can take care of that too as it can charge two devices at the same time. All of this for $49.95 isn’t bad at all.
The PortaCharge is compact enough as it measures 4.1 x 3.1 x 0.6 inches and weighs 168 grams. It’s a 5400mAh lithium polymer battery in itself. It has one mini USB port for charging the PortaCharge itself and two standard size USB ports for charging other devices. It comes with a 10-in-1 USB cable for connecting it to various devices and a travel pouch. The digital LED display tells you exactly how much power the PortaCharge has left (0-100).
I tested it out by charging a completely dead DROID Charge (no pun intended). It took about 4 1/2 hours to fully charge and I still had 75% power left. This would mean that I should in theory get 4 charges, but it’s not the case. The second charge takes a little more power so it will bring the PortaCharge down to 35% or so. The next attempt only charged it by 50%. So basically that’s 2 1/2 charges, which isn’t bad. I am told that the PortaCharge can charge certain devices up to 4 times on one charge – the iPhone is one of those devices.
I mentioned earlier that there are two USB ports for charging two devices at the same time, but each port is a little different. If you use port 1A, you get a slower charge, but you don’t use as much energy. This is the port I used in my tests. Port 2A gives you a faster charge, but uses more energy. If you know you’re going to be somewhere soon to recharge the PortaCharge, it makes sense to go with this option.
I really recommend the PortaCharge for those that are not hardcore travelers that once in while find themselves needing a boost. Since it will work with any phone (now and in the future) along with other devices it makes sense. If you’re someone who is constantly on the road, you might be better off carrying a spare battery or two.
For more information or to order, hit the source link below and check out my unboxing and quick hands on video.
[via droidax portacharge]