Review of Anker Astro mini 3000 mAh External Battery - Galaxy S 4 Accessories

I was provided with an Anker Astro mini 3000 mAh external battery for evaluation recently. I have used it for trips to Costa Rica and Galveston Texas. It is a compact unit, cylindrical in shape, measuring 3 5/8 inches in length with a diameter slightly less than 1 inch. The one I received is black in color. It came with a nice mesh bag case to protect it while carrying it around and a micro USB - USB connector. It has a USB slot to connect it for charging external devices and a micro USB slot to connect it for charging from a powered USB computer port or a wall charger. It easily fits into a pocket or purse. I have used it to extend my S4 battery life while watching video as well as to charge it from less than 1/3 battery remaining on the S4. It has worked great and has plenty of power to extend operation for a considerable amount of time or to charge the S4 battery when it is low. It has a green LED to show it is charging a device and a yellow LED to show it is being charged. It goes for $19.99 on Amazon and is similarly priced at other sites. For the money, if you are looking for a compact external battery that will keep you going to watch a movie, a game, etc. or you have a need to charge an S4 or similar smart phone while away from outlets, I can highly recommend this great little Anker unit.

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Portable Backup Power / Solar Power

Trying to find gadgets of the type "external portable power".
That is power sources that is light enough to carry in a backpack or pocket, and have a battery (or in my dreams a fuel cell...) that can be plugged into SGS mini usb port for "emergency" power.
Also of interest is solar powered solutions, maybe to charge said portable power device while relaxing at the beach.
I believe this is what you are looking for:
spider-foot. com/1900mah-extended-backup-battery-power-charger-for-cell-phones-with-micro-usb-charging-port-1900mic-p-759.html
Ive seen a solar + wind up one as well, but not sure how good that would work.
There are few micro usb backup battery packs. Some are sealed rechargeable batteries (like the one in above post) while others allows you to use standard AA size ones (these are good in an emergency).
But IMO better to have a spare battery. That way you don’t have to wait for the phone to charge, you get instant power. Since SGS s batteries are very small you can even carry one in your pocket.
Personally I'd prefer something that used AA/AAA batteries. That way I can carry LSD batteries, and I can use a proper conditioner/analyser/charger on them to keep them in decent condition. It also means the phone doesn't need to get turned off at any point - I find mine isn't great after a restart for quite a while. Finally very high quality batteries are not that expensive for AA/AAA and you know what you're getting, aftermarket mobile batteries can be a little bit risky and performance can vary.
I use a solution from Philips, it is called Power2Go. I use the SCE4430. Works great, only thing is that it does not support micro usb out of the box. But a standard micro usb cable does the trick. Used this also on a Nintendo DS.
http://www.philips.co.uk/c/universa...UNIVERSAL_POWER_SOLUTIONS_SU_GB_CONSUMER=true
[Q] Solar Charger
Hey guys,
First post here and it may end up costing me a bit soo..
Would it be possible to harvest one of these solar phone chargers you see on ebay and build it into the backplate of the phone?
I know it may not be powerful enough to charge your phone, but maybe we can extend the life when we just need those few extra hours.
So, really, does anyone know what we would need? I have little to know electronics experience so not sure what i'm looking for but i'm more than willing to actually do it if someone is able to explain what/how its done.
No, it's enough for you to charge a phone, even other more powerful device. But first of all you need a good solar cell.
i got one from DX it works fantastic!
4200mAh Portable Dual-Panel Solar Power Battery Pack for Cell Phones and USB Gadgets
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.40210
just leave it by any window, or light source and it turns it back into energy, then just plug your phone into the pack for recharge
you can easily recharge twice with a full charge
red light = charging
no light = off
green light = in use
comes with all the plugs for our phones
and a build in LED flashlight
it can also be charged via USB if you are in a hurry, and can't take advantage of the free light source recharge
i use it mostly for long outdooring like camping / picnics, and you know that even 3x1500 mAh will not last you for a day/week
you can get a full charge in just 1 day (from sun rise to sun down) even on a cloudy rainy sky
But what about physically attaching a panel to the back so I don't have to carry extra stuff? Is it possible? How would I wire it up?
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
that works, but you wont be able to use the phone for like a whole day meanwhile waiting for it to charge, and be drained almost instantly
Have a look here>>>http://tinyurl.com/y2nrvsv
I have ordered one of these will do a small review when it arrives>>>http://tinyurl.com/2fun3k6
I have this traditional solution for emergency charging: http://www.portablepowersupplies.co.uk/
They have Solar Charger, too.
that solar one from portable uk is okay, i only like the "bag" idea of it, but it's shy in power & recharge rate when competing againts the 4200 mAh beast from DX
mini/micro portable power pack
check this out
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320572770657&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
I have one, it has to be charge via usb, but I do that while I am on my laptop, and the bonus is that it will charge anything that connects via a mini/micro connection,
Applecrusher said:
But what about physically attaching a panel to the back so I don't have to carry extra stuff? Is it possible? How would I wire it up?
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And leave the phone under the sun ?? A very bad idea, the heat will surely damage your phone.
PhoenixFx said:
And leave the phone under the sun ?? A very bad idea, the heat will surely damage your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed
I don't think a little solar panel on the back of the phone will be capable of putting out that much power
I don't know about you but my phone spends most of its time inside my pocket so it is rarely out in the sun for the solar panel to work
Just carry a spare battery or get yourself the Samsung extended battery
mobilefun
.co.uk/genuine-samsung-galaxy-s-extended-battery-case-p25834.htm
It will extend your battery life without having to leave the phone lying in the sun
Solar charger for SGS and other mobiles.
Few days ago I was searching for the Solar charger for my SGS in India.In local stores I brought 2 solar chargers but these are the china made chargers with very low quality internal battery.
Then one of my friend suggest me the Amzer 3500 mAh Battery Backup Solar Charger and Solio Emergency Mono Solar Hybrid Charger.
I ordered the Amzer 3500 mAh Battery Backup Solar Charger and believe me, the charger is one of the essential accessory for every mobile phone.
Also this Charger is available in India, USA and UK regions.
For India, take a look at this, http://www.fommy.co.in/Amzer-3500-mAh-Battery-Backup-Solar-Charger-P83981.htm
For USA and UK, visit http://www.fommy.com/
the one i mentioned back in post #8 is way better and cheaper
and free shipping with tracking number
trusted site
actually i hv read all the backup power all u guys suggest but i found that these all are just rebranding some chinese low quality products and it cant survive for long and there r some potential hazard that may end up damaging our sgs...i hv tried solar charger and some portable backup power before, the solar charger dun hv a high efficiency to exchange solar energy to electrical energy...it takes me too long time to charge it and it can only recharge the battery once. for the backup power, the mAh thing is not accurate, u need to try it yourself n c how many cycles u can charge the stock battery in order to estimate the true backup power battery capacity
I love my PORTAPOW
Received it yesterday.
5000 mAH USB rechargeable battery in a piano black case.
Fantastic.
This means I can go out on an all-day hike with GPS on.(Yep, I'm that sad)
The phone battery would last 2- 2 1/2 hours max with GPS (and MyTracks or similar on) while hiking.
Really good build quality.
Really good price.
(PS I am in no way connected with the company etc...)
HTML:
http://www.portablepowersupplies.co.uk/portapowPremium.htm

[Q] External Battery

http://tinyurl.com/2wmzn39
I would like to find out how long would this pack last with eneloop battery's.
anyone have any idea?
also if it would be possible to build or find a external battery that can take 8AA battery's.
Eneloop AAs are rated 2,000 mAh?
my rough guesstimate, you'll get about 4x your normal stock battery life from the pack, after you factor in losses from heat and from converting the pack's juice into your cell battery.
maybe a little more?
whats the total mah for the pack if i put in 2000mah batteries? 10 000mAh?
RAVPower rp-pb03 external battery
I own one before, it is really charge my HTC EVO 4G with bad result. I only use the device once before it basically melted. For reference, I used Sanyo Eneloop batteries in the charger and I used the retractable cable provided with the mini usb adapter. The charger did recharge my batteries, but it got so hot when charging my phone that the outer case warped from overheating. So I ask to replacement, however, the second one I received got the same problem. Also the charging speed is very slow.
I bought another RAVPower rp-pb03 external battery on Amazon one month ago. Since now the battery works very great. I love this device! Not only does it have a very handy flashlight, but it never leaves you guessing how much power is left. It works with my phone, my wife's phone and both of our tablets (all different brands!) The size is nice and compact, and I like the robust weight. It's easy to use, and compatible with everything I've tried! This is by far the BEST accessory I've bought for my electronics by far!

[Q] good external portable charger

Is there any good external portable battery or charger?
Ive got one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Trent-Dual-port-IMP50D-Blackberry/dp/B004AM1OK4/ref=pd_cp_ce_1
5000mah: does what it's meant to do, you can charge any electronic device with it (that you already charge from a USB port).
It comes with a nice coiled cable which has a USB connector on one end, and 2 adaptors: mini- and micro-usb.
So you can use it for charging the external battery itself, and for charging the HD from the external battery. You can also use your own USB cables if you want.
Amazon also have an 11,000mah model!
They're much cheaper on Amazon than with the manufacturers, though you may find them even cheaper o ebay or similar. This brand had a lot of positive reviews on Amazon, and it seemed discounted, so I bought it from there.
I use Zagg Sparq
Specs:
6,000 mAh Lithium Polymer
Has the power to charge most smart phones four times
4 yellow lights indicate power level, 25%-50%-75%-100%
Has the ability to charge multiple USB devices simultaneously
I paid GBP21.95 for the New Trent 5000mah pack I mentioned in post #2.
It is now being sold on Amazon at GBP29.99
still a good price though, if you compare it to an OEM battery
just got this one today:
http://www.igo.com/accessories/powerxtender-charger/invt/ps002640004/
Seems to be working great. When it's connected to my phone it says that it's charging via ac

[VIDEO] RavPower 2 in 1 Power Bank with Wireless QI Charging - Samsung Galaxy S5

This is the device that I used to do some underwater charging with the Samsung Galaxy S5. If you want to see that, please go here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2741481
Moving right along. I've used a lot of RavPower usb power banks. When I used to go out to the field a lot or traveled overseas, these things were super handy. Some of them have ridiculous capacities. I setup a hotspot for a group of 5 people in London for an entire day with a portable charger and HTC One X back in the day.
The RavPower 2 in 1 offers much less capacity than some of their other products, however the 4800mAh capacity will give you at least 1.5 full charges. This should get most power users through the day.
The QI charger has a little cool factor, but it is really useful. Say you go to lunch and want to put it on the table and charger it while you eat. There you go. Now you can. Plus you can check notifications, e-mails, etc without having any cords. Charge rates are reduced, but even at around half the charge rate vs the OEM cord it does an adequate job.
It can also be used as a replacement for a normal bed side QI charger. Just plug it in and it basically acts like a normal QI charging pad.
There's still a standard USB port present. Output for that is 1 full amp.
Not all of their power banks come with a charger since they have a common MicroUSB input, however this one does.
Most of their products are available on Amazon. This one is $56.99 shipped currently on Amazon.
Link: http://bit.ly/PyBmoF
chrisngrod said:
This is the device that I used to do some underwater charging with the Samsung Galaxy S5. If you want to see that, please go here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2741481
Moving right along. I've used a lot of RavPower usb power banks. When I used to go out to the field a lot or traveled overseas, these things were super handy. Some of them have ridiculous capacities. I setup a hotspot for a group of 5 people in London for an entire day with a portable charger and HTC One X back in the day.
The RavPower 2 in 1 offers much less capacity than some of their other products, however the 4800mAh capacity will give you at least 1.5 full charges. This should get most power users through the day.
The QI charger has a little cool factor, but it is really useful. Say you go to lunch and want to put it on the table and charger it while you eat. There you go. Now you can. Plus you can check notifications, e-mails, etc without having any cords. Charge rates are reduced, but even at around half the charge rate vs the OEM cord it does an adequate job.
It can also be used as a replacement for a normal bed side QI charger. Just plug it in and it basically acts like a normal QI charging pad.
There's still a standard USB port present. Output for that is 1 full amp.
Not all of their power banks come with a charger since they have a common MicroUSB input, however this one does.
Most of their products are available on Amazon. This one is $56.99 shipped currently on Amazon.
Link: http://bit.ly/PyBmoF
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it heat up really badly?
Not really bad, but just like all QI charging solutions, heat is a byproduct.
Sent from my HTC6600LVW using Tapatalk
Thumb up for RAVPower. Got several of their portable battery chargers. Works great! And my favorite is the ravpower luster 3,000mAh that comes with a flashlight. Very handy. It worths more than it costs.

Intocircuit® 2nd Gen Power Castle 13000mAh with SmartID™ Technology Review

Well I was looking for good battery pack and I have spent around 5 hours researching nearly 30 USB battery packs, eliminating models that were too expensive, too bulky, or too short on storage and I found the $35 IntoCircuit Power Castle 13,000 mAh is the USB power bank that most travelers should carry in their bags or briefcases. Some of pictures:
The IntoCircuit Power Castle is an amazing option for you as you can keep a smartphone running for a few days away from an outlet, and it can add hours to the life of a big tablet when you’re stuck on a long flight. Portable USB battery packs are a dime a dozen, but this one saves space, weight, time, and money—even if just a little bit of each.
It charges an iPhone5S almost 6 times, a Galaxy S5 over 3 times or an iPad Air once that’s much better if you compare with other alternative ones. One of key things for me about the product is stylish aluminum alloy shell with blue LCD display. The intelligent LED status bar indicates the current battery status and the current charging status will be on the LCD display as well which a great feature is for me and I am sure many other people also.
It this rate, with a staggering capacity of 13000 mAh, it is capable of delivering 3~8 full charges to most smart phones (Depending on your phone's battery capacity you will get best product at affordable price and you can forgot about charging as you don’t need to worry about your devices running out of power as you can run it with couple of days.
They build it with SmartID technology which not all chargers charge a device equally fast. Enhanced by the SmartID technology, the 2.1A smart USB port is capable of identifying a specific device, and thus ensuring maximum charging efficiency and speed. With SmartID, your charger "knows" your device and charges at full throttle.
Product link: .hisgadget.com/product/intocircuit-power-castle-11200mah/

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