This is one of the most popular and in demand portable batteries on the Russian market. And in the world in general. Xiaomi managed to create an incredibly successful model for minimal money. Here's why you might like it too.
Just a couple of years ago, only a few of us had heard of the Chinese company Xiaomi. In this short period of time, a hare in a hat with earflaps with a red star and a tie (the company’s symbol) burst into the mobile electronics market, coming close to such giants as Apple and Samsung.
The dizzying success story of the Asian Cinderella began with the release of MIUI firmware based on Android. The three postulates on which this firmware and its popularity were based were an intuitive interface, stability and visual appeal. During development, the Chinese did not reinvent the wheel, but simply borrowed some of the solutions from iOS. Success came instantly, and the company's management adopted successful tactics. By 2014, Xiaomi had earned the title of “Chinese Apple,” and its CEO Lei Jun was nothing less than the new Jobs.
You can read more about Xiaomi in another article on the site. Currently, the company produces a wide range of devices, from smartphones, tablets, TV set-top boxes to headphones, sports cameras, fitness trackers and external batteries. It is the latter category of gadgets that will be discussed in this review.
Xiaomi offers us to choose one of three external batteries, the main differences of which are in battery capacity and dimensions; there are 3 options in total: 16,000 mAh, 10,400 mAh and 5,000 mAh. Today we will look at the middle version - Mi Power Bank 10 400.
The first thing that catches your eye is the presence of a security stamp with a unique 20-digit code. Quite a rare feature these days. The only company that comes to mind is SGP, which is also faced with a large number of counterfeits of its products. To verify the authenticity of the device, you must go to the website Chaxun.mi.com and enter the code located under the protective layer on the stamp.
Xiaomi did not become one of the market leaders for good reason. This company really makes very high quality things, using first-class components . For example, our “bank” uses battery cells manufactured by Samsung or LG. Both are recognized leaders in this field. Thanks to this choice, the purely theoretical efficiency of these batteries reaches 93%, that is, about 9,500 ampere-hours of actual capacity are available to the user.
Of course, in reality the result is a little more realistic. The indicator may vary slightly, as it also depends on the energy efficiency of the device being charged. Charging an iPhone requires less energy than a Chinese noname smartphone with a battery of similar capacity, since Apple's phone has a more advanced power consumption design. So, in the case of Apple technology, 10400 mAh from Xiaomi is approximately equal:
- 3.5 iPhone 6 full charges;
- 2 full charges iPhone 6+;
- 1.5 iPad mini charges.
The appearance of the device itself deserves special mention, because it is almost Apple style - no joke.
The body is made of polished aluminum, and the ends are covered with high-quality white plastic. A real monolithic and pleasant to the touch unibody block, absolutely nothing superfluous. The first associations that appear in your head after meeting it in person are MacBook Pro. Similar tactile sensations and visual associations are complemented by LEDs, which, like in an Apple laptop, show the current battery charge when you press the power button.
Mi Powebank is pleasantly cold and weighs down the palm. The weight of the device is about 250 grams. Dimensions – 77 x 90.5 x 21.6 mm.
In addition to the power button and 4 LEDs, the device has 2 more connectors - a standard USB, through which other devices are charged, and a micro-USB, designed to charge the built-in batteries. The output current is 2.1 amperes. This value is enough to quickly charge the vast majority of representatives of the modern portable electronics market.
I want to share my impressions from several months of use. I noticed that I leave the house more boldly, without fear of being left without a connection or with a discharged headset at the most inopportune moment. 10,400 amp-hours of charge is enough to fully charge an iPhone 6 Plus, 5-7 charges of a Sony SBH20 Bluetooth headset and two full charges of a 6th generation iPod nano. From time to time I let my colleagues or family members “light” the device. As a result, by Sunday evening I consistently have 1-2 charging indicator diodes on. I charge the Mi Power Bank itself once a week.
Of all the variety presented on the external battery market, this model can be considered the optimal choice . When choosing a portable battery, we often look for a leading device based on one of three parameters: price, size or capacity. And here the solution from Xiaomi is one of the best, if not the best.
At a low cost - just over 2,000 rubles - we have a compact device with sufficient capacity for the modern user who constantly carries several gadgets with him. As a bonus, we get a beautiful appearance . Every time I pick up this device, I think that if Jony Ive made an external battery, it would look something like this. Only its capacity would be 10 times smaller to accommodate the thickness of the case
Finally, the Apple Watch is coming out soon. With active use, they clearly won’t last even until the evening - and this fact does not seem to bother the target audience. This means that portable batteries are about to become even more in demand. We will charge our watches from them. We made it.
Returning to Mi Power Bank. The only disadvantage of this model is the presence of only one USB port. You won't be able to charge your iPhone and your brand new Apple watch at the same time. And the time to fully charge the battery, which is about 12 hours, could be shorter. And if the second problem is solved by using a more powerful charger, then the first problem can only be solved by purchasing a model with 16,000 ampere-hours. But this is a completely different, not the most compact story.
Now I warmly and confidently recommend Mi Power Bank to everyone who is looking for a good, reliable, beautiful and time-tested portable battery.
Text: Igor Levshin as part of a test placement on iPhones.ru.
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1 votes, overall rating: 5.00 out of 5)
