Because there's more to a power bank than its capacity
Device and platform makers have taken turns to come up with ways to prolong battery life, be it at the OS level or at the hardware level. To shorten charging wait times, we also have things like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge and Oppo’s VOOC.
Still, battery life is never enough. The improvement gained from OS and SoC-level optimizations are inevitably negated as we do more on our devices. Which is why many of us who need more battery life in our super-thin smartphones turn to add-ons like power banks and battery cases.
In this article, I’m going to walk you through some considerations when buying a power bank. Some areas, like determining capacity, apply to battery cases, too. Between a power bank and a battery case, my advice is pretty straightforward: the former is great if you don’t want to bulk up your device all the time and you don’t mind carrying a small brick with you; the latter is better if you’re looking for an integrated protective case plus extra battery solution.
So here goes.
1. Know your device’s battery capacity first
“How big a power bank do I need?” is probably the most common question I got. To answer that, you first need to know your device’s battery capacity.
Take the iPhone 6S, for example; it has a 1,715mAh battery. In a perfect world, a 1,715mAh power bank will be able to recharge the 6S fully, but we don’t live in a perfect world. Due to voltage boosting/current conversion during the charging process, some energy is lost. In my experience, real-world conversion rate of power banks can vary widely, anywhere between 60 and 75%.
So my personal rule of thumb is to get a power bank with at least 25% more capacity than my device’s battery. In the 6S’ case, at least 2,200mAh to ensure a full recharge.
2. Factor in usage patterns when deciding capacity and number of ports
To follow up on the first point, I’m not saying that a small power bank or battery case is useless. It really depends on your goal.
For example, if you always end the day with 15% left on your 6S and that’s too close for comfort, Apple’s new Smart Battery Case may be all you need. Even if it can’t charge the 6S from empty to 100%, you’ll end the day comfortably with, say, 50% left.
Of course, getting a high-capacity power bank has its advantages. For one, it enables you to charge your device multiple times over. If you always forget to charge your device overnight or are always on the road and a power outlet is hard to come by, then it makes sense to get a bigger power bank. Also, bigger power banks tend to come with more than one output port, so that you can charge more than one device at the same time.
3. Lithium-ion or lithium polymer?
I've had readers asking if they should buy power banks with lithium-ion batteries or lithium polymer ones. The short answer: It doesn't matter.
While there are charging/discharging characteristic differences between both types, for day to day use, they are for the most part indistinguishable to end users. If anything, you may notice some power banks are much flatter than others. In such cases, they're most likely using lithium polymer (or rather, lithium-ion polymer) batteries, because the softer packaging allows for more flexibility in shape and size. Chunky power banks with rounded sides usually use 18650-type lithium-ion cells with a cylindrical casing.
And while some may argue that thin, lithium polymer batteries in a softer case are more dangerous than lithium-ion batteries encased in a harder shell, manufacturers do have enough means to reduce safety risks and hazards, be it through improving the electrolyte used (for lithium polymer), or through better safety mechanisms and power bank case designs.
Put another way, it's not so much what type of battery is used, but who makes it.
To follow up on the first point, I’m not saying that a small power bank or battery case is useless. It really depends on your goal.
For example, if you always end the day with 15% left on your 6S and that’s too close for comfort, Apple’s new Smart Battery Case may be all you need. Even if it can’t charge the 6S from empty to 100%, you’ll end the day comfortably with, say, 50% left.
Of course, getting a high-capacity power bank has its advantages. For one, it enables you to charge your device multiple times over. If you always forget to charge your device overnight or are always on the road and a power outlet is hard to come by, then it makes sense to get a bigger power bank. Also, bigger power banks tend to come with more than one output port, so that you can charge more than one device at the same time.
3. Lithium-ion or lithium polymer?
I've had readers asking if they should buy power banks with lithium-ion batteries or lithium polymer ones. The short answer: It doesn't matter.
While there are charging/discharging characteristic differences between both types, for day to day use, they are for the most part indistinguishable to end users. If anything, you may notice some power banks are much flatter than others. In such cases, they're most likely using lithium polymer (or rather, lithium-ion polymer) batteries, because the softer packaging allows for more flexibility in shape and size. Chunky power banks with rounded sides usually use 18650-type lithium-ion cells with a cylindrical casing.
And while some may argue that thin, lithium polymer batteries in a softer case are more dangerous than lithium-ion batteries encased in a harder shell, manufacturers do have enough means to reduce safety risks and hazards, be it through improving the electrolyte used (for lithium polymer), or through better safety mechanisms and power bank case designs.
Put another way, it's not so much what type of battery is used, but who makes it.
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