Database Info

Alternative to Spare Batteries

I like a lot of people use my phone very heavily yet I don't have an opportunity to plug my phone into an AC charger until I return home. A great remedy to the problem is this handly little AA charger.
http://www.igo.com/accessories/powerxtender-charger/invt/ps002640004/
The reason I like it so much is because cheap portable battery packs usually pack under 1000mah of power. Thats not even enough to give you 1 full charge. And the more expensive 2000mah+ packs are often on the large side and well... expensive lol. On the other hand this little bugger is cheap and small enough to sit in my pocket without being a bother. What I find is the best part of it is the fact that you can choose what kind of AA batteries you put into it. I opted for Energizer rechargeable which are rated at 2450mah EACH for a total of 4900mah of power. Thats the equivalent of 3 G2x batteries. Keep 2 more batteries in your backpack/desk/purse thats an additional 4900mah. If that can't get you through the day you have more than just phone issues
Originally bought it for my Vibrant but quickly found it was awkward because the the product doesnt come with a cable adapter. This meant it was hanging and putting much strain on the usb port of the phone. Out of fear of breaking it I stopped using it. However since the G2x charges from the bottom there is absolutely no problem espcially seeing as I bought a 20cm micro usb extension cable so that the charger can sit in my lap or on a table while using the phone.
Just thought I'd share this since we can't get legit replacement batteries yet and even when they do become available they will cost a pretty penny. Got mine from Staples but they can be had on amazon also along with the usb extension able and rechargeable batteries.

This one works very well, too:
Well I'm a new member, so not allowed to post outside link. Therefore goto
Amazon
Duracell Instant USB Charger with Lithium ion battery
Pick the very first one
You don't need to by batteries or an extra charger. You can recharge it via your G2x power supply or any computer.

This was my favorite (coming from g1)
Too bad theres no new version for the micro usb's now..
http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-9878...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1304363010&sr=1-16
This can be added on, though it wouldn't be very convenient since its a slide in/out connector
http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Mini-USB-Micro-USB-Charger-Adapter/dp/B0018L4GOQ/ref=pd_sim_cps_1

hire4blood said:
This one works very well, too:
Well I'm a new member, so not allowed to post outside link. Therefore goto
Amazon
Duracell Instant USB Charger with Lithium ion battery
Pick the very first one
You don't need to by batteries or an extra charger. You can recharge it via your G2x power supply or any computer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I almost bought one of those until I saw how low the capacity on it is. Looks tiny though which is nice.

J&R has Veho 5Ah external battery for $35 and I have 2 of them.
Just use regular microUSB cable to charge the phone and leave the original cable secure.

I'm thinking about getting the i-up 13,200mAh pack.

regP said:
I almost bought one of those until I saw how low the capacity on it is. Looks tiny though which is nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They have a bigger version for 32$ as well. The 22$ version gives me a full charge from around 30%.

Just received my Pebble XT 5000mah pack. Won't be able to put it through its paces till next tuesday. Upon first impression, i think im in love with this thing already. its small enough to sit in pocket without having much presence. extremely lightweight. and the cord is long enough to be able to have the charger in your pocket and phone in hand (thank you lg for putting the usb port at the bottom). All info I have read indicated that it really does output 5000mAh of power so even a heavy user such as myself will have no problem getting through a full day of use.

Just wondering how everyone's batterys are working out for them?
Also how many full charges did you get?
Also any likes or dislikes of product they decided to buy?
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App

Just wanting a update???
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App

That looks like something that might be good out camping or something where you needed to charge your phone without touching it. But I would figure actually picking it up and putting that much weight on he usb port a very bad idea... This should come with a extension cord to charge while using, even texting or something would be pretty difficult to hold both...

motorola p793

Check this site for power packs, all kinds 5000mah for around $20
http://www.tvc-mall.com/details/660...r-Cell-Phone-Tablet-PC-PSP-etc-IPHONE-4-7095/
Micro usb 1900mah
http://www.tvc-mall.com/details/Por...AZR2-V8-HTC-BlackBerry-and-etc-Black-MCH-615/

ImaxPower IMP500 (5000mAh) External Battery
I've used an IMP500 Rechargeable (5000mAh) external battery pack for a few years with great sucess. They make them as large as 11000mAh (or more?) and even have solar-rechargeable options. Just take a look at New Trent or other similar products on Amazon or eBay.
The best part about the IMP series is that they have multiple adapters for iPhones, mini/micro USB, PSP, DS, and other devices so you can charge your phone and anything else you might be carrying around with you.
Link to NewTrent for info on models
I'd recommend buying elsewhere because you can find them for 30-50%+ off.

External USB Battery Charger for HTC Desire Battery

Hi All,
Couldn't find this posted before so wondered if anyone could recommend a USB Battery Charger to change the batt from my Desire without the phone. I have a spare and going on travels want to be able to just leave the battery charging on its own and not use the phone all the time.
Ive seen quite a few on ebay and some look really dodgy with adjustable charging pins etc whereas others are ridiculously cheap and i can only imagine will ruin my battery.
Key points are it should be small, light, USB powered and whilst I accept it will not charge as good/full as through the phone - not to knacker my batt completely.
Cheers for any help.
Bridgstfer

I have been looking for the same thing and found a battery pack on Amazon for £25, manufactured by New Trent it has a 5000mAh battery in it and can recharge your phone at least 3 times.
I ordered the dual output version on Sunday, so hope to get it and try it out in a couple of days.

Using a Veho pebble here, works great
would be nice for a faster charge though, it seems a bit slow for 750ma

mps711 said:
I have been looking for the same thing and found a battery pack on Amazon for £25, manufactured by New Trent it has a 5000mAh battery in it and can recharge your phone at least 3 times.
I ordered the dual output version on Sunday, so hope to get it and try it out in a couple of days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got one of those. It's really good, one of the outputs is 1A so charges up really quickly.
My only criticism is the on/off button is easily pressed by accident, but that's really looking for problems. Oh and it would have been nice if the usb socket to charge it was a microusb one so I could use the same lead as the phone.
It's a good battery pack.

It certainly sounds like it is going to be good.
With regards to charging the pack itself, does it come with a USB to mini USB charging lead?

mps711 said:
It certainly sounds like it is going to be good.
With regards to charging the pack itself, does it come with a USB to mini USB charging lead?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine didnt come with any charger or leads but as I have a box full of that stuff it wasn't an issue.
Edit: I'm an idiot. It came with a lead with a selection of interchangable tips to fit most phones.
I forgot as this is now also living at the bottom of my tangled box of leads.

Thanks for the replies guys.
Yeah i actually had one of those external battery packs (5000mah) but found that you could not even get 2 full charges out of it and therefore not worth the extra weight/charge time.
Basically its misleading because the voltage of the battery is different to you phone battery and it need to be upscaled or something - there are quite alot of posts about it. Let us know if you manage to get 3 charges though - that would be good.
But anyone used external chargers for the a spare phone battery?

Portable chargers, external battery cases, extended batteries etc etc

Hi all, so I've got an S4 and the battery just doesn't do it for me as I'm quite a power user. So I've been looking into various methods of keeping my phone's battery topped up, especially on the go, I've had a look at portable chargers, external battery cases (as I had one on my S3 and it worked great, for about a week and then gave up) and extended batteries.
Now what I'm looking for is ideally something that isn't too bulky, has decent quality and provides a good solid charge to my phone. I also have a bunch of other phones that I want to keep charged, so an external battery case or extended batteries are looking a little weak here as a portable charger would do the trick for all of them, but then again they often seem to be quite bulky.
So my question to you is what would you advice? Ideally I'd like a solution that fits in the pocket and still keeps my phone topped, what would you recommend and have you bought something to satisfy this need yourself? I'm not really looking into extended batteries that add a whole lot of bulk, I'm hearing good things about Anker batteries and these 3,000mAh Zerolemon standard size batteries, but there seem to be so many variations of portable chargers I'm not quite sure what to do. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

TheKeyboardWarrior said:
Hi all, so I've got an S4 and the battery just doesn't do it for me as I'm quite a power user. So I've been looking into various methods of keeping my phone's battery topped up, especially on the go, I've had a look at portable chargers, external battery cases (as I had one on my S3 and it worked great, for about a week and then gave up) and extended batteries.
Now what I'm looking for is ideally something that isn't too bulky, has decent quality and provides a good solid charge to my phone. I also have a bunch of other phones that I want to keep charged, so an external battery case or extended batteries are looking a little weak here as a portable charger would do the trick for all of them, but then again they often seem to be quite bulky.
So my question to you is what would you advice? Ideally I'd like a solution that fits in the pocket and still keeps my phone topped, what would you recommend and have you bought something to satisfy this need yourself? I'm not really looking into extended batteries that add a whole lot of bulk, I'm hearing good things about Anker batteries and these 3,000mAh Zerolemon standard size batteries, but there seem to be so many variations of portable chargers I'm not quite sure what to do. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the Zerolemon battery, it works well, but really, I couldn't tell much of a difference in battery life, and keep in mind, NFC is not included if you go with the Zerolemon.
Go to amazon and do a search for "android portable battery charger" there are a lot of options from small lipstick sized charges to big bulky ones, read the reviews and pick one that works best for you. Personally I am usually close to a charger so I have not found the need to get one yet, but I can see how it would be necessary for those that are frequently away from a wall outlet or car for extended periods. I might pick one up before my camping/float trip coming up this summer. If I did, it would probably be this one. http://www.amazon.com/KMAX-806-Flas...8-5&keywords=android+portable+battery+charger

I have an old external charger that came with a 3 panel solar folder. I used it a few times when camping and I could charge it all day and then use it to charge the phone twice. That was with an older 1900mah batter in the phone

Just a quick update, I eventually decided to settle with this EasyAcc iChoc 5,000mAh portable charger. I've had it for a few days now and it works fantastic, the build quality feels nice in the hand and the dimensions are the same as my S4 (and just as slim mind) it comes with two outputs, a 1A and a 2.1A one (using your own microUSB cable) and the 1A output has a built in microUSB cable. Very pleased with the purchase, it was around £17 on Amazon Prime:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/EasyAcc®-iC...&qid=1397737540&sr=8-1&keywords=ichoc+easyacc
Bear in mind I don't think the actual capacity is anywhere near 5,000 mAh however.

Charges S4 about 1.3 times.... So it's about a 3000mAh
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

z50king said:
Charges S4 about 1.3 times.... So it's about a 3000mAh
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you referring to the EasyAcc portable battery that I posted?

While I think you have made your choice .... I have used the callpod dou charger.... I had 10 of them until I started giving them away cause they were of no use with the phone I had before I got my S4. I have (5) Isound 16,000's 16,000 mah. That will keep my S4 or my wife's Iphone 5 up for about a day of intermittent use.... she can kill one in about 8hrs if she is on her phone and charging her Ipad at the same time. I also have (3) of the power bank 33,000s . 33,000 mah. I am not sure that I have ever killed this battery with my S4 alone. My wife can kill it with her iphone in 2-3 evenings of fairly constant use.... talking on the phone and playing games and I think charging both her iphone and ipad... (flipping back and forth between the 2. This battery will also charge most laptops. Her Macbook will get one full charge out of it.... if the computer is not on. With the computer on it last about 30-40 mins. My Htc Flyer has been on a 33,000 all week with off and on use and is still half full. Finally , I have a hyperjuice 150wh and a 222wh. The wife has been charging her iphone on the 150 and her ipad on the 222 all week and they are still around half full.

I finally got myself the Anker 5200 mAh battery. Does anyone know an app that shows the correct battery capacity? I got the sneaking suspicion that it isn't detected properly...

[Q] Which do you prefer: spare battery VS external battery pack ?

Can't seem to make up my mind on this!
most of the time i have access to power socket, but after i ran out of battery the other day, leaving me without navigation system and clueless on how to drive back home, i realized i need some sort of back up!
so first thing first, i added Anker 24W Car Charger to my list.
second, I'm trying to decide between a spare battery, like Anker 3220mAh Li-ion Battery , Or a power pack like Anker Astro E3 /// Astro E4.
like i mentioned, most of the time i have access to power socket, as well as car charger (soon).
also, when i wake up in the morning, i plug my phone right away to the charger, so i usually leave the house with 90%+ battery.
which of the two options would you recommend?
no matter which one, most chances it will lay in my bag for a while until i do need it, won't be on regular use.
i nearly ordered the Astro E3, but then i ran some of the comments on amazon, claiming it works fine at the beginning only!

Sounds like all you need is the car charger and a couple of Anker 3220mah spare batteries. The spare batteries are much more convenient to carry that a power pack. Along with the fast charger you should be set, unless you are travelling to the moon without a power source.

Just a matter of what purpose you want it for.
Battery pack pros:
-can charge any device
-can charge itself with usb cord, phone isn't needed
-no phone interruption
-can charge multiple devices at once.
-larger capacity than spare battery
Spare battery pros:
-easier to carry
-phone will be instantly charged to 100%
-not prone to idle drain like some battery packs

Extended battery
BAD ASS NOTE 4 + BAD ASS GEAR S

of course the power bank.
just try replacing the batteries (turning on-off, putting the back cover off/on), etc.
you also have to fully charge the spare battery... need a spare charger for that.
with the good power bank you can just add as much juice as you need and continue to use the phone hassle-free.
i just dont understand those swapping the batteries in a device that charges 50% within 30 minutes...

lisbon2004 said:
i just dont understand those swapping the batteries in a device that charges 50% within 30 minutes...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't always have a 2a output charger sitting around though... If you try charging a note 4 on some PC usb slots and you use the phone a little bit, it basically won't charge faster than it drains.
Also holding the phone and using it with a power bank + usb cable attached is not as convenient as swapping the battery and instantly having 100%.

thanks for your replies .
i just bought a replaceable Anker battery+external charger. the main battery last me the entire day most of the time, so for the occasional battery emergency drain, i prefer to instantly replace with a 100% charged one.
although the power bank seems like a nice idea for any long vacation i go to each year. but they are cheap anyway, so will buy one as well later on.

lisbon2004 said:
of course the power bank.
just try replacing the batteries (turning on-off, putting the back cover off/on), etc.
you also have to fully charge the spare battery... need a spare charger for that.
with the good power bank you can just add as much juice as you need and continue to use the phone hassle-free.
i just dont understand those swapping the batteries in a device that charges 50% within 30 minutes...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Spare batteries are great for when you are out and about without access to a charger. The spare battery route works for me as I did the same with my S3.

I vote for the spare battery which is why I got one. I have used external chargers often in the past and I hate having to walk around with the darn thing and its cable. You cannot beat swapping in a battery which takes less than a minute. It is also more compact as well. Sure, you have to charge it separately, but you will have to do that with an external charger anyway.

bleuiko said:
I vote for the spare battery which is why I got one. I have used external chargers often in the past and I hate having to walk around with the darn thing and its cable. You cannot beat swapping in a battery which takes less than a minute. It is also more compact as well. Sure, you have to charge it separately, but you will have to do that with an external charger anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly this. I have both but the spare battery is my "go to". The official OEM spare battery kit is awesome for our N4 since it charges separately and is super compact. I have an external battery pack that can charge several devices but it'll usually be left behind with a few exceptions. It's mainly to charge devices when away from power but is not a good solution if you want to continue using the device since you have to lug the wire and charger with you if you choose to go that route.
---------- Post added at 10:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 AM ----------
lisbon2004 said:
of course the power bank.
just try replacing the batteries (turning on-off, putting the back cover off/on), etc.
you also have to fully charge the spare battery... need a spare charger for that.
with the good power bank you can just add as much juice as you need and continue to use the phone hassle-free.
i just dont understand those swapping the batteries in a device that charges 50% within 30 minutes...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
0 to 100% in seconds. 'Nuff said.

jlczl said:
Exactly this. I have both but the spare battery is my "go to". The official OEM spare battery kit is awesome for our N4 since it charges separately and is super compact. I have an external battery pack that can charge several devices but it'll usually be left behind with a few exceptions. It's mainly to charge devices when away from power but is not a good solution if you want to continue using the device since you have to lug the wire and charger with you if you choose to go that route.
---------- Post added at 10:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 AM ----------
0 to 100% in seconds. 'Nuff said.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can buy a similar item from a good company half the price:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Q4NQQA0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&m=A294P4X9EWVXLJ&tag=ianker-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B00Q4NQQA0
it's what i ordered.

666pluto said:
you can buy a similar item from a good company half the price:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...17145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B00Q4NQQA0
it's what i ordered.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks but Amazon recently had the OEM version on sale for $29. I had Best Buy price match it since I had a $25 BB gift card laying around I hadn't used so I paid nearly nothing for it. Plus I prefer OEM (nothing against Anker, I actually have a great portable battery charger from them I got on Amazon).
I mention the price because OEM versions of products can frequently be purchased at great discounts if you watch for them. I use the slick deals app to notify me of good deals.

Any Difference in Wireless Chargers?

I have a Samsung wireless fast charging pad I bought for my S7. Is there any difference in the charging speed between it and the latest dock style ones?

Nope
Sent from my Pixel XL using XDA-Developers Legacy app

Maybe you know. I was told that using non-original wireless charging is bad because they spoil the battery. Is it so?

Generic wireless chargers do not fast charge in my experience. I have tried 3 off of Amazon so far.

I have a Seneo Fast Charger stand and its been great .

As long as the wireless dock is Fast Charge capable and your adapter is QuickCharge 2.0 compliant it should work. I have four Seneo Fast Charge docks that I use with both Samsung and RavPower QC 2.0 adapters and they work great with my S7 Edge. I will test when I get it but I'd assume the S8+ will work the same.
You know if it is working because the phone displays two messages when you dock it.
"Charging wirelessly xx%"
and then after a second or two
"Fast charging wirelessly xx%"

jackdforme said:
Nope
Sent from my Pixel XL using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the S8 (like the S7) can accept up to 15w wireless charging (Qi 2.0 spec) but most chargers barely output 10w. Not sure why but I would be looking for a good 15w output charger unless theres a reason not to.

Torry Cox said:
Maybe you know. I was told that using non-original wireless charging is bad because they spoil the battery. Is it so?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What does "spoil the battery" even mean?

sanjsrik said:
What does "spoil the battery" even mean?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the reference is to batteries losing capacity. The older a battery is the less capacity it holds. A battery rated at 3600mAH might only hold 2000mAH after a couple of years of use. High charging current causes a lot of heat buildup in the battery and will shorten (spoil) it's life.
Best way to tell if your battery has lost capacity is to measure charge time. Having it die quickly could mean it's just running too many apps, but charging time (with the phone off) should give an indication of battery capacity. If your battery charges twice as fast as a new one, it's lost half its capacity.

craigdamey said:
I think the reference is to batteries losing capacity. The older a battery is the less capacity it holds. A battery rated at 3600mAH might only hold 2000mAH after a couple of years of use. High charging current causes a lot of heat buildup in the battery and will shorten (spoil) it's life.
Best way to tell if your battery has lost capacity is to measure charge time. Having it die quickly could mean it's just running too many apps, but charging time (with the phone off) should give an indication of battery capacity. If your battery charges twice as fast as a new one, it's lost half its capacity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got it. Sorry, I actually thought they meant that the battery spoils. Like the way some "normal" batteries blow up if left in devices for too long. I was seeing memories of the S7 nightmare.

AFAIK, the only listed change between the Dock style Samsung Fast charger and the Convertible Fast charger is that the new 1 can be changed from dock to pad.
I just picked up 2x Dock styles from amazon for 40 bucks a piece, way better than spending 70 for the convertible style.

Or these?
Zeal415 said:
AFAIK, the only listed change between the Dock style Samsung Fast charger and the Convertible Fast charger is that the new 1 can be changed from dock to pad.
I just picked up 2x Dock styles from amazon for 40 bucks a piece, way better than spending 70 for the convertible style.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could have gotten these as well:
https://electronics.woot.com/offers...reless-stand-2pk-1?ref=w_cnt_lnd_cat_elec_2_5

sanjsrik said:
You could have gotten these as well:
https://electronics.woot.com/offers...reless-stand-2pk-1?ref=w_cnt_lnd_cat_elec_2_5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
QQ I saw those but they were out of stock. figures now I got mine, they are back in stock.

Zeal415 said:
QQ I saw those but they were out of stock. figures now I got mine, they are back in stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was amazed how quickly they showed up too. Took 3 days from order to delivery. I think they purposely put almost 2 weeks delivery time just so that when you get it "early" you're amazed.

sanjsrik said:
What does "spoil the battery" even mean?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Means that the battery holds its charge less. Faster discharges, in general the life of the battery decreases

If you use Qi wireless charger, it has 1.4x faster than traditional wireless charger. Built-in 2 coils offer a wide charging area, which allows you to place your device in either portrait or landscape position. You can also continue using it to read, watch or type while the battery is being replenished.