Portable External Hideaway Micro USB Lightning
To begin, Anker gave me this product in exchange for my honest feedback.
I now have several external battery packs from various manufacturers to power my electronics on the go when I do not have the place to charge them with a wall charger. Along with this new Anker 4500 mAh pack, some of the packs I own include another manufacturer's 12000 and 6000 mAh packs. The 12000 mAh was very bulky and heavy, as you can imagine, and I ended up not carrying this around in my backpack at all, and as a result, I usually carry the 6000 mAh pack around. Ever since I received the Anker 4500 mAh pack, I have even replaced the 6000 mAh pack.
The Anker Astro Slim2 battery is packaged attractively in a clear shell that includes an accessories pouch and the pack itself. The pack itself is a matte rubberized black, a nice change to the glossy plastic of my other packs that scratch easily. It is well built and seems rugged enough to take the punishment should you happen to drop the pack.
The Anker Astro Slim2 4500 mAh pack is extremely thin, even thinner than my Galaxy S3! The Anker pack is probably 1/2 the thickness of my 6000 mAh pack and I don't even have to carry it in the backpack anymore. It is really lightweight and I don't even notice if I put both the phone and pack in the same pocket. The tethered microUSB cord is an extremely smart thought, as I also don't have to carry and coil my microUSB cable anymore. The Anker pack has just saved so much space and weight.
Even though it is rated at 4500 mAh, I have been able to fully charge my S3 twice, and almost 80% on a third, and that is plenty enough for me. The pack itself charges quickly from any standard microUSB charger that you should have lying around, showing you the current level of charge on four white LEDs.
All in all, this is a great product and should be an essential addition to any tech-savvy individual!
This is a review of Anker Astro Slim2 4500 mAh dual output External battery (5V 1A Input, 5V 1A dual output with built in hideaway cable for one of the output ports), and tested to be used with my Galaxy Note 2.
BalasHapusEvery time I start to think about extended battery, I run into a big question of what am I going to do with all my cases that no longer going to fit the phone. That is why I decided to explore external battery solution. I don't trust no-name ebay brands because those have overly exaggerated capacity rating. So I turned to a trusted brand, Anker, since I heard/read a lot of positive reviews about their products. In comparison to my stock (Galaxy Note 2) 3100 mAh battery, this Slim2 external battery is not over the top with its 4500 mAh labeled capacity, and it will be even less due to internal conversion losses going from battery through usb port and to the phone. What makes the battery stand out is it's unbelievable slim form factor and all the design details that go with it.
When you first take it in your hand you can't believe how light and slim it is. We are talking about 10mm slim!!! I can see that a lot of thought went into it's design. The case of this external battery is made out of tough plastic with a matte finish and sides have a rubbery finish for a nice grip. The form factor is very slick, something that can go easily into your pocket or purse or even carried in one hand attached externally to your phone. The unit has one micro-usb input port which is cleverly covered by hideaway micro-usb output cable/connector, and another regular usb output port. Pretty much it eliminates a need to carry any external cables since the one you need for your Android device is already built-in. The cable for that external micro-usb connector is flat, flexible, and just long enough to wrap around the end of the battery pack, and it should be sufficient to connect to any phone or tablet. As part of the accessories that come with Slim2, you also get usb-to-micro-usb extension cable with additional mini-usb adapter and Apple 30pin adapter. This second regular usb Output port also comes very handy for another important reason. The hideaway micro-usb connector has trapezoid shape. It should work fine with most of the slim or rugged cases that have silicone or tpu inner shell/bumper surrounding micro-usb port opening. But if you have a case with some narrow shaped micro-usb opening, that's where 2nd usb output port comes in handy to use external usb cable with a slim micro-usb connector (the one included as part of accessories is perfect for that!!!). And of course, you can also use it with other adapters if you need to charge your Apple device, for example.
There is no power button, instead you have auto on/off capability and display of battery capacity using 4 led lights partitioned in 25% increments. Every time you plug/unplug power cable those lights lid up to show you capacity level or charging level. Also, auto shut off reassures that you will not overcharge the battery once it reaches 100%. I charged this battery to 100% (indicated by 4 solid lights), and used with my Note 2 which was down to 55%. To my surprise charging time was very fast considering it has 1A output, and I was able to get my phone back to 100% within 1.5 hour with 2 led lights remaining thus indicating that battery still had 50% of charge left.
Overall, I'm very pleased with Slim2 as an emergency battery pack. It's slim, easy to grip, light weight, small footprint, NO need for external cables, and ability to charge 2 devices simultaneously. Definitely recommend it!
To begin, Anker gave me this product in exchange for my honest feedback.
BalasHapusI now have several external battery packs from various manufacturers to power my electronics on the go when I do not have the place to charge them with a wall charger. Along with this new Anker 4500 mAh pack, some of the packs I own include another manufacturer's 12000 and 6000 mAh packs. The 12000 mAh was very bulky and heavy, as you can imagine, and I ended up not carrying this around in my backpack at all, and as a result, I usually carry the 6000 mAh pack around. Ever since I received the Anker 4500 mAh pack, I have even replaced the 6000 mAh pack.
The Anker Astro Slim2 battery is packaged attractively in a clear shell that includes an accessories pouch and the pack itself. The pack itself is a matte rubberized black, a nice change to the glossy plastic of my other packs that scratch easily. It is well built and seems rugged enough to take the punishment should you happen to drop the pack.
The Anker Astro Slim2 4500 mAh pack is extremely thin, even thinner than my Galaxy S3! The Anker pack is probably 1/2 the thickness of my 6000 mAh pack and I don't even have to carry it in the backpack anymore. It is really lightweight and I don't even notice if I put both the phone and pack in the same pocket. The tethered microUSB cord is an extremely smart thought, as I also don't have to carry and coil my microUSB cable anymore. The Anker pack has just saved so much space and weight.
Even though it is rated at 4500 mAh, I have been able to fully charge my S3 twice, and almost 80% on a third, and that is plenty enough for me. The pack itself charges quickly from any standard microUSB charger that you should have lying around, showing you the current level of charge on four white LEDs.
All in all, this is a great product and should be an essential addition to any tech-savvy individual!
This is the best battery charger I have owned. I have three. Its compact and has a great feel. The built in cord comes in handy. Overall excellent product!!!!!
BalasHapus
BalasHapusTo begin, Anker gave me this product in exchange for my honest feedback.
BalasHapusI have been mainly using a different brand, Trent, for an battery backup. They are very good as well but their units are monsters in size.
This slim design is ideal to carry in your pocket, purse, etc. It is like a slick phone.
I love the fact it comes with various usb plugs for different devices along with a Apple iPhone plug (pre-iphone5).
The packaging is good, but who really pays attention to packaging right, lets get to the product.
The product works as advertised, i left it to charge overnight, and used it to charge my Android and Apple phone several times. There is no physical on/off switch, it auto disconnects when not plugged in. I know in one of their pictures they show a person talking with the device plugged in, i mean that's possible but not idea.
The device holds the charge very well and does charge devices pretty quickly.
The best selling point of the device is it's very slim and light, the four leds indicate the charge, leave it charged overnight through any micro usb charger, then take it or place it anywhere where you may need the device.
Also, to add I did not notice any heating issue, with certain battery packs i've noticed a problem where they over heat.
Anker gave me this product in exchange for my honest feedback.
BalasHapusI must say, I was doubtful that this product would live up to it's name. Shame on me! I own many iAnker devices, and all of them have far exceeded my expectations, including the Astro Slim2. I am a power user of my Samsung Galaxy S3, as well as my Nexxus 7, and my Kindle Paperwhite E-Reader. I actually have used this product to keep all three of them charged to their peak, at the same time! I use a USB male cable that terminates into a micro usb y-cable to keep both the Nexxus and Kindle charged, while I use the attached micro usb cable to charge my GS3.
I travel frequently for work, and I find that the Astro Slim2 keeps my GS3 charged far beyond it's regular capacity. I use my GS3 as an MP3 player, as well as an e-book reader while I travel. I also use it for some gaming for entertainment while stuck on an airplane.
I sincerely wish I had known about this device, or it's predecessors, long ago! I am now an even more dedicated fan of iAnkers products!
Thank you iAnker for providing this device to me in exchange for my opinion! And cudos to you! You have put out another fabulous product!
A nicely designed, compact battery pack that can charge my Galaxy Nexus about 1.5 times. In my first test, it took a bit more than 50% of the Astro Slim2's capacity to recharge my phone from 44% to 100% (with the phone powered on, but not in use).
BalasHapusThis handy device fills the "in transit" gap for me, when I'm traveling and haven't gotten to the rental car or hotel yet, but really need my quickly-draining phone battery to be working-- charge it up on the go. It could be just useful during commutes, especially on mass-transit. And after 2012's "Derecho" storm that left vast areas of my home-state of Maryland without power for days, I also appreciate having additional ways to keep my portable devices charged.
The AstroSlim feels solid. The LED charge indicators are a nice touch. They show current capacity and turn off when the unit is done charging. The captive (microUSB) cable is convenient (if a bit short), and Anker even unexpectedly includes an additional USB cable with Apple and MiniUSB converters.
The battery pack is about the size of a slim smartphone (just a little smaller than my Galaxy Nexus), with a non-slip exterior. It has a synthetic smell to it at first, like most new devices of this sort do, that fades after a couple of days. On charging/discharging, the unit gets a barely warm to the touch.
The major caveat to this unit is size limits its capacity; I'd like to be able to get 2-3 charges for my phone before needing to recharge the battery. Also note the max output power is 1A per port, sufficient for most phones, but not adequate for tablets (eg, ipad needs 2.1A).
[ Anker gave me this product for the purposes of review. I received no other compensation, and my review is my honest opinion of the product. ]
Recommended.