Review for use with Nexus 7 Tab,Nexus Galaxy phone, Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tab, Sandisk Sansa Clip mp3 player, October 8, 2012

By 

Ali Julia (boston, mass) –

  

  

I tested PowerGen Dual Port USB Car Charger with Nexus 7 Tablet, Samsung Galaxy 7.7 Tablet, and Samsung Galaxy Nexus cell phone, and SanDisk Sansa Clip+ player.
I received PowerGen car charger for testing from the manufacturer to write an honest and unbiased review and you will find both pluses and minuses of my experience in this review.

I am attaching a collage of 3 photos labeled with numbers 1 through 3 under customer photos that I will be referencing in this review. Manufacturer told me that black and white plugs are identical other than color, I selected white for testing as it would show up better in photos.

The first thing I noticed that this car charger is fairly short (3 inches in length, 1 inch by 1 2/8 in width). Photos #1 shows this plug plugged in.

The plug has two ports labeled “A” and “NA” which stands for Apple and Non-Apple devices. I own all Android devices but I tested both ports to see their behavior with my devices. The charger comes without a USB cord, so tested it with the USB cords that came with my devices.

I used Battery App to determine how each device recognized the external battery pack. ‘AC’ status means the charging is at full charging rate. ‘USB’ status indicates charging at a lower charging rate. ‘Discharging’ status means that the charging rate is below the power that the device is consuming so it slows down the discharge rate but does not re-charge.

The key findings:
(1) Samsung Galaxy 7.7 cannot be charged with this car charger with either port
(2) “A” port provides reduced power for some non-Apple devices and does not work for others

The table below summarizes my findings:

Nexus 7 Tablet
————–
A port — discharging
NA port — AC

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone
————————–
A port — USB
NA port — AC

Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7.7 (photo #2 and $3 show Galaxy tablet is running battery app and showing “discharging” on both port)
————————–
A port — discharging
NA port — discharging

SanDisk Sansa Clip+ MP3 Player
——————————
A port — charged at USB rate
NA port — charged at AC rate

The behavior with Nexus devices was consistent and good on “NA” port. Samsung Galaxy Nexus Phone was more forgiving and worked even in Apple “A” port at USB rate.

Samsung Galaxy Tablet 7.7 did not work (was discharging) in both ports.

The MP3 player worked in both ports, but as USB rate in “A” port and at “AC” rate in in “NA” port. When I charge Sansa MP3 with a standard AC charger (photo #3), the MP3 player goes into charging mode, displaying the charging animated icon, the MP3 content is not played. When MP3 was plugged into the PowerGen plug (photo #3) it continued to play the content. I listen to books on my MP3 player so this caused me to move forward in my book and I had to manually reset my position by a few chapters to get back to where I was when I started charging. The positive side of this, is that is possible to continue listening while MP3 is recharging.

To summarize:

I liked:
———
1. Good behavior with Nexus devices.
2. Solution for MP3 player with built-in battery
3. Can charge two devices (but one at a reduced rate for non-Apple devices)

I did not like:
————–
1. Did not work with for my Samsung Galaxy tablet
2. For non-Apple devices one port has less power or does not work
3. For non-Apple devices the less useful plug takes up a little extra room

Overall, I recommend this plug for people who own Apple devices more than people who own only Android devices. If you don’t own Apple products than an port with two non Apple ports
would be better as you get reduced usefulness on “A” port.

Ali Julia review

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Yes you can have more! More power, more UBS ports and more use of your charged mobile devices!, August 3, 2012

By 

jjceo (Greenwood, Indiana) –

  

  

We own a ton of electronic devices and since they are all portable they go with us in our vehicles. Toss in a couple of grandkids and add in their equipment and then you have a lot of electronic devices being used on long trips that need to be charged. You might also be limited to the number of car power sockets that are available in your vehicle. Most USB car chargers have one port and they are limited to 1 Amp or 2 Amps output. This big brother of all chargers has two USB ports and can handle 15 watts of DC power or 3.1 Amps of total charging power. That means I can charge my iPad 3 and my iPhone simultaneously without any issues and at full speed.
This is a good car charger that features two USB charging ports that can be used at the same time. One USB port is designed for Apple products and it is labeled with an A. The NA port can charge your iPhone and any other compatible USB device. My iPad 2 and my iPad 3 could only charge in the A port. Both outputs are rated at 3.1 Amps but the total current out of both ports combined while in use at the same time is 3.1 Amps

The unit comes with no cables but since it is touted as a universal charger and there are so many different types of charger cables I cannot fault them for not supplying one. Many chargers with cables are over $20 to $25 and the cables may only fit one family of devices.

Pros
* Dual port
* Charge an iPhone in either port
* Can charge the iPad 2 or 3 in the Apple A port at 2 amps even if you are charging your iPhone at the same time
* Both ports charge up to 3.1 Amps if only one port is being used
* Nice red LED light around USB ports so you can see it in the dark, know it is in a live car charging port and you can see the USB plug location.
* Max 15 watts of charging output which will charge two iPhones at the same time quickly.
* Self-monitoring circuitry protects for over-heating, over-current and over-charging protection.
* Provides fast charging of an iPhone 4 using which is very useful if you are in a hurry.
* Features four spring loaded retention balls to securely hold the charger into the car DC power plug

Cons
* Charger body is longer than many plugs, it can be easy to bump but it is nicely designed and functional.

Products I tested it with:
* Apple iPhone 4 works in both ports
* iPad 2 worked in the Apple port only
* iPad 3 worked in the Apple port only
* Kindle File worked in both ports
* Kindle Keyboard worked in both ports
* HP TouchPad did not work in either port as the specifications state.
* It is also not compatible with the Asus Transformer or the Motorola Xoom

This is a good product and the price is good also. It provides excellent performance and it worked well in all of my testing. I highly recommend it as a good product.

I was provided an evaluation unit for testing and agreed to provide a fair and honest review.

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Full-speed Charging. Good Design. Good Value., August 1, 2012

By 

C. MacPhail (Solana Beach, CA USA) –

  

  

  

.
- – - Summary – - -

Good features and function, full-speed charging for most tablets, phones, etc.

- – - Speed Matters – - -

Sometimes you need to charge in a hurry. Even if a charger “works with your device” it may be painfully slow. Get one that will charge your devices at full speed (like the charger that came with your device). This is not so simple. Product info is often unclear. Reviewers are often unclear.

For starters, the “Amps” need to be high enough. That’s usually 1 Amp for smartphones, about 2 Amps for tablets. (A higher amp charger is always OK.) Some chargers are only 1/2 Amp (500mA).

The messy part is, Apple devices use their own rules to decide charging speed. A designed-for-Apple charger may be slow to charge non-Apple devices, and vice versa, even if its Amp rating is high enough.

PowerGen gets it right by optimizing one port for Apple products (including iPad) and the second port for non-Apple products. The two ports make it versatile, even if you never charge two devices at once. (I only tested with iPhone…I did not test charging speed for non-Apple devices.)

PROs:

* Full speed charging (claimed) for almost any tablet, phone, or USB-charged device
* Two ports separately optimized for Apple and non-Apple devices (see Note 1)
– Status light – not too bright – shows the charger is getting power
– Firm, secure fit in your 12v socket (unlike PowerGen’s 2A version)
– Branded product – Amazon reviews apply to this exact item.
– 1 year warranty

OKs:

- Reasonable price (but prices fluctuate)
- Appearance: Good
- Plastics quality & detail: Reasonably good
- User manual: Complete and clear
- Frustration-Free cardboard packaging
- No cable included

CONs:

– No real CONs, but check competing products. Prices fluctuate.

- – - Dimensions – - -

1″ x 1.25″ x 3″
Protrudes 1.4″ from 12v socket when in use.

- – - Alternatives – - -

This model also comes in white: PowerGen Dual USB 3.1A Car Charger – White

There are dozens of other car chargers on amazon. Most are either lower power (1/2 Amp or 1-Amp – not suitable for tablets) or are designed for Apple products only (may charge non-Apple devices slowly).

These might be worth a look:

Multi- . . . . . . . . . . . Amps
Device . . . Flush . . . per Port
——- . . ——- . . ——–
Yes . . . . . . Yes . . . . 2.1 . . . . Satechi 2412ST 2.1 AMP)
Yes?. . . . . . Yes . . . . 2.1 . . . . USAMS Compact 3.1A Dual USB Car Charger

“Multi-device” = They appear to charge various Apple and non-Apple devices at rated Amperage
“Flush” = Sticks out 3/8″ or less from the 12v socket.

I’ll update this over time. Leave comments.

- – - Disclosure – - -

The manufacturer gave me this product for review. I believe my review is impartial.

- – - Notes – - -

Note 1: The Mediabridge 3.1 Amp Dual USB Car Charger looks exactly like this PowerGen. However, “Mediabridge cannot guarantee that this charger will provide a charge to any other device besides an iPad, iPhone, iPod or iPod Touch.”

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Anker 2200mAh Li-ion Battery for Samsung Galaxy SIII, August 28, 2012

Recently I took delivery from LaptopMate of an Anker 2200mAh Li-ion Battery for the Samsung Galaxy SIII.

Now this may be a small and cheap item of hardware and as such many may not be too bothered in reading a review based purely on a phone’s battery, however in the case of this particular item and the two companies involved (Anker & LaptopMate) I strongly feel this as a whole very much deserves a review.
Therefore without further ado let the ball role……

First up we have the manufacturer:-
Anker produce a number of items for battery care.
I already have and own an Anker Astro3 10000mAh Dual 2A USB Output External Battery Backup of which this item on it’s own has surpassed any of my other portable battery chargers (a separate review on this product is in the making).
So, when I heard Anker had developed a battery specifically for the Samsung Galaxy SIII I was immediately intrigued.
Let me say from the go that contacting Anker is first class.
They clearly take their customer satisfaction into great detail.
I contacted them on several occasions and all were of exceptional delivery, clearly looking at the customer in every detail.
Communication was relaxed and very friendly. I could not have asked for a better service from ‘Rosa’ of Anker. Thank You Rosa.

Next we have the supplier:-
LaptopMate took my details and corresponded with me on numerous occasions.
Again we see a business that thinks of everything that a customer needs.
As I did with Anker I contacted LaptopMate via email on several occasions.
Emails were answered promptly and extremely courteously, always giving a name and a number for further communication.
With my particular order I corresponded with the same person by the name of ‘Sunnie’ every time.
At the foot of each email message they say ~ “Your opinion is invaluable to not only us but to other shoppers and we greatly appreciate your time and input.
Please keep us updated. If there is anything else we may help, please feel free to let us know, we will do our best”.
Normally I take comments from sellers such as the above with a pinch of salt as they usually are only there for the seller to look good.
However, in the case of LaptopMate and Sunnie they are true to their word…. Nice one LaptopMate, nice one indeed Sunnie.
As to placing the order and delivery ~ the item was advertised on the Amazon UK web site. Ordering was simple and straightforward.
Delivery took less than 24hrs and the item was found to be packaged very well.
If Amazon had anything to do with this then credit goes to Amazon UK as well. If not then all credit to Anker for it’s excellent packaging (hard plastic outer protection and easy to open, not like those horrendous one’s where you need a pair of strong sizzors to open the plastic package) and to LaptopMate for it’s excellent outer packaging.
Again, nice one Guys.

Finally we have the item itself:-
As mentioned in my opening comments of this review, you would think there is little to say about a replacement phone battery.
However, in the case of the Anker 2200mAh Li-ion Battery for the Galaxy SIII GT-I9300 it does indeed deserve a good mention.
The battery is of very good construction, looks and feels well made.
Being a 2200mAh it is slightly larger in capacity to the standard battery 2100mAh as found with the Galaxy SIII.
Now you may think that an additional 100mAh would not make much difference but I was very pleasantly surprised to find it gave on average an additional 15% of battery time.
Now I do not know the finer mechanics of this battery but I put this down to two reasons:-
1. Obviously it is 100mAh larger in capacity so the law of averages dictate it should give a slightly longer discharge pattern.
2. Of importance is the very fact this battery when being charged and in use runs considerably cooler than the standard Galaxy SIII battery.
When using the standard battery, during charging it always makes the phone feel warm to hot, indicative of the cells not being allowed flow and charge correctly.
Also when in use the default battery again runs quite warm.
However in both charging and running the Anker 2200mAh Li-ion Battery is by touch alone obviously cooler as there is no heat emanating from the SIII.
Therefore in my opinion this is a far better battery to use in your Galaxy SIII and is thoroughly recommended.

Final verdict ~ Well done to both Anker and LaptopMate.
The Anker 2200mAh Battery is a worthwhile product to purchase. Every SIII owner should have one of these.

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Excellent value, makes a great spare, July 11, 2012

I’ve used several Anker batteries in the past for other devices and I’ve always been impressed. These are no different. I’ve gone through several full cycles now and they last just as long/perform just as well as the stock Samsung OEM battery. You really can’t beat these for the price……they make perfect spare batteries.

Be aware that they do NOT have the NFC chip built into them, if you need that than buy a Samsung battery. Hopefully Anker will release an NFC version in the near future.

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Tested both the Anker and Samsung OEM battery – results here, August 25, 2012

I tested the Anker battery using the AnTuTu tester on my Samsung Galaxy S3. The application powers up the S3 to 100% CPU and screen to 100% brightness. After running down the battery, it comes up with a score. The Samsung OEM battery scored a 538 whereas the Anker 2200 mah scored a 519. Therefore, the Anker battery in terms of performance when new is almost the same as the Samsung battery.

I noticed the Anker battery seems a touch lighter in weight than the Samsung although I did not weigh the two on a scale.

I came to the conclusion the Anker makes a worthwhile backup battery especially for $9. Something to have in an emergency when the OEM battery winds down, however, I prefer the stock battery as my primary. In one year, I will re-test both my Samsung OEM and the Anker battery on the AnTuTu tester.

Update: 9/8/2012

Let me clarify my review. First, let me say that I have owned the Samsung Galaxy S 4G, the Galaxy S2 and now the Galaxy S3 and have tried different batteries. I use my phone for both business and personal use. The Anker battery is not a bad battery, but a good backup to the OEM battery. I do own an Anker battery and use it a few times a week when the Samsung battery runs down and there is no other solution. The Anker battery is easily carried in a coat or pants pocket.

So I do recommend getting this battery because for the Amazon price of $9 you cannot go wrong. I think you can even buy two of these on here for an even better discount. However, I personally would not use the Anker battery as a primary battery because it simply did not test as well as the Samsung OEM battery. They did come close though…

I would be willing to re-test both batteries again using different testing programs. I will admit that one test using one benchmark program is not really a fair test. 3 tests using at least 2 different programs and averaging the results would probably be fairer.

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