Among consumers, Xiaomi is associated primarily with smartphones, but recently other gadgets have become equally popular - headphones, fitness trackers, portable batteries. One of their important differences is a more affordable price compared to competitors’ products, but the quality of work is always high, which is why buyers very often choose such a manufacturer.
If you can still make some complaints about the functionality of most gadgets, although in most cases they are not very important given the affordable cost, then in the case of the Power Bank there are no complaints - the device does an excellent job of its direct responsibilities - recharging gadgets when lack of access to the electrical network. And in today’s review, we’ll look at the manufacturer’s not new, but still the most powerful model – Xiaomi Power Bank 20000.
Packaging and appearance
Unlike most Xiaomi product models, the power bank is not supplied in a cardboard box, but in a transparent plastic package, through which you can see the device itself. It has all the usual elements of such products - a security hologram confirming the authenticity of the device, a barcode with the production date and basic technical information.
The kit is standard for the manufacturer's products:
- powerbank with a capacity of 20 thousand mAh;
- microUSB charging cable;
- User manual in Chinese.
The length of the cable, like that of other models, is 34 cm, it is flat, there are some changes - there are now no white plastic inserts on the connectors, and the metal of the connectors does not shimmer golden.
At first glance, the design of the device has not changed - it is still the same matte white plastic rectangle. If we look in more detail, there are changes - the Mi branded badge on the front edge is now without a silver color, it was simply squeezed out into the plastic itself, as a result of which it became less noticeable. The surface of the material is matte and smooth; to prevent slipping on the table and other objects, it has a texture with extruded dots.
All interfaces remain in their places - two USB-A ports, a charge indicator light, a charging input - on the top end, and basic technical information on the bottom side. On the right side there is a power button, on the left side there is the same one, but it is not activated in any way.
There are 4 indicator lights to view the remaining charge level, and given the large capacity, this number is not enough.
Equipment
The kit includes the power bank itself, a MicroUSB/USB cord for charging the battery of the bank or one gadget with a MicroUSB socket, packaging and instructions in Chinese.
AC charger is not included. Its role can be played by any five-volt charger with a USB-A socket capable of providing a current of 2 A. If it supports fast charging, then the power bank can be charged almost 2 times faster. If the current supplied by the adapter is lower, the charging time will increase.
Internal elements
If the device is disassembled, under the cover of the external battery there is a set of Li-ion batteries, their standard size is 18650, manufactured by LG. There are 6 of them in total, the capacity of each of them is 3350 mAh, so the total is a little more than 20,000 mAh. There are two USB ports for connecting external devices, both can supply a current of 2.1 A, but if they are used simultaneously, the total figure will not exceed 3.6 A.
There are 6 LG batteries inside, so there is no doubt about their quality
Such models of external batteries from Xiaomi have an intelligent operating mode - the type of device being connected is determined - phone, tablet, fitness tracker, etc., and the parameters of the charging port are automatically adjusted to deliver the required current.
Note! The gadget does not have Apple's 2.4 A charging mode, which is a drawback for such a powerful device.
How to charge Xiaomi Mi Band 3 watch
Like the current, the voltage of the USB ports in the Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 20000mAh is automatically stabilized at different load levels, while it is slightly higher than the standard 5 V. This is a special solution; this solution is standard for high-power external batteries. There is no need to worry about this; no harm will be done to the connected gadget.
This power bank has protection against overvoltage at the output and input, against short circuits, and improper operation of internal batteries, which are standard parameters for a device of this class.
There is an important innovation compared to many other models from the manufacturer - Mi Power Bank 20000mAh supports Quick Charge 2.0 fast charging technology, which significantly reduces this process. However, there are important limitations - accelerated charging is only possible for the battery; the gadget cannot charge connected devices in this way, and this is a drawback, since more and more smartphones with Quick Charge support are appearing.
Another important feature is that the 20000mAh power bank supports transit charging, so that it can transfer the accumulated energy to other devices during its own replenishment.
Xiaomi ZMI Powerbank Aura 20000 mAh: review, disassembly, testing
The ZMI Aura QB822 external battery is designed for users who value mobility and time. Small dimensions are combined with a huge capacity, and the technological “filling” allows you to quickly charge your discharged gadget.
Specifications:
- Battery type : LiPol (Lithium polymer)
- Capacity : 20,000 mAh or 74 Wh
- Input parameters : Micro USB: 5V/2A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A; USB-C: 5V/2.4A, 9V/2.5A, 12V/1.8A, 15V/1.5A
- Output parameters : USB-A: 5V/2.4A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A; USB-C: 5V/ZA, 9V/3A, 12V/2.25A, 15V/1.5A, MAX: 27 W, 5V/4.5A
- Rated power : 12600 mAh 5V (4.5A)
- Housing material : ABS plastic, polycarbonate
- Number of USB-A ports: 2
- Micro USB port : yes
- USB Type-C port : yes
- Charge level display : Yes, there is a LED screen.
- Micro current charging support : yes
- Protection : From overheating, from short circuit, from input overvoltage, from improper use of connectors, from output current overload, from output overvoltage, from overcharging, from overload and short circuit at the hardware level.
- Dimensions : 149 mm x 70 mm x 25 mm
- Weight : 338 g
- Black color
Video version of the review
Appearance and general features
Upon receipt I was a little disappointed; a cheap cardboard box is in no way associated with an expensive technological device.
But in fact it turned out to be rough protective packaging. The main box looks stylish, it shows the battery and indicates the main characteristics.
On the reverse side you can find a brand name with a protective layer, which allows you to check the product for originality.
Contents: Battery, instructions and short USB A to USB C cable.
The PowerBank turned out to be really compact, especially if you take into account the capacity of 20,000 mAh. Externally, it is quite simple and has the shape of a rectangular brick with slightly rounded edges.
The body is made of rough plastic, with a textured pattern on the edges, which provides a more secure grip and prevents the device from slipping out of your hands. On the right side there is a power button, which also activates the screen in order to find out the remaining charge level.
There are no flashy elements, even the logo is painted with barely noticeable gray paint.
The technical specifications were applied to the body using the same paint. It is difficult to disassemble them without bright lighting, but everything is duplicated in the instructions.
The battery is equipped with two USB A outputs, as well as a universal USB C that can work as both output and input. There is also micro USB, which is used as an additional input.
Let's look at the information screen. It shows the current battery charge level, as well as the mode in which it operates (giving or receiving charge).
To better understand the dimensions, ZMI Aura next to the Samsung S8+ smartphone
And also with other external batteries: ADATA 10,000 mAh, Mi 10,000 mAh, Tronsmart Trim 10,000 mAh.
It is as long as Tronsmart Trim with a lithium battery, and as thick as banks from Mi and ADATA with 18650 batteries.
Energy release mode
Let's move on to testing and first of all I checked all the declared modes. First USB A: 5V/2.4A
9V/2A
12V/1.5A
No problem, in fact there is even a small margin, about 10%. But if you turn the load to the maximum, for example, in 5V mode, set the current to 4A, then after a couple of seconds the protection is triggered and the power bank is turned off. To turn it on again you need to press the button.
Next, I checked USB C, which can deliver more current, no surprises here either: at 5V I got the promised 3A, at 9V - 3A, at 12V - 2.25A. I could not check only the 15V mode, because my load and trimer do not support it. But in general, it produces the declared power of 27W in any mode.
The power bank supports QC 3.0 fast charging in both directions and can produce not only flat values, such as 5V or 9V, but also any intermediate ones, depending on the needs of the device. In fact, the corresponding LED on the trigger itself lit up.
When charging 2 devices at once, the Power Bank independently switches to 5V mode and can deliver a total of 4.5A to all ports (divided proportionally).
Capacity testing
The next point is how much energy the battery can deliver. I am sure that most readers understand that the capacity of the batteries installed in the Power Bank and the capacity that it can deliver are two different things. On average, transmission losses are 30% - 35%. For example, Tronsmart Trim with a 10,000 mAh battery can supply 6734 mAh. Usually the manufacturer does not indicate such information, but in ZMI Aura it can be found right on the box. It is stated that in 5V mode with a current of 4.5A, the battery can deliver 12600 mAh. I decided to check it step by step and discharged it with a current of 1A for the first time:
And I received even more than the promised 14260 mAh or 72.74 Wh.
Then I set the maximum current that the USB A connector allows - 2.4A and ran the test again, but the drained capacity remained the same. It amounted to 14330 mAh or 71.89 Wh
I conducted the third experiment with simulating QC 3.0 mode: voltage 9V and current 2A (they usually don’t use smartphones anymore). We managed to drain 67.37 Wh (we no longer look at the capacity in mAh, because the tester does not calculate correctly in this mode). The capacity turned out to be a little smaller, 5 Wh to be precise, but this is how it should be, since some of the energy is also spent on voltage conversion.
In general, everything is very cool, I can fully charge my Samsung S8+ smartphone with a 3500 mAh battery 4 times, using fast charging (full charge in 1 hour 40 minutes).
Charging mode
The next point, no less important, is the charging speed of the battery itself. Given the huge battery capacity, it is better to use fast charging. I used a Samsung S8 Plus charger, which allowed me to get 17W of power.
The charging process itself looks quite strange: the charge current rises to 1.86A, then after 20 - 30 seconds it momentarily drops to 0.5A - 1A and rises again to 1.8A. Perhaps this was done to reduce heating, I don’t know.
Full charging from 0% to 100% took 6 hours 25 minutes, 93 Wh was filled.
And believe me, this will not last long, because if you want to use regular 5V charging, the time will double and be about 14 hours (according to the test, it was even 17 hours, but the last few hours the current was almost 0). Filled with 92 Wh.
Disassembly
The lid is held very tightly with latches and some strong double-sided tape. This kind of tape is everywhere here and without first warming it up with a hairdryer it is impossible to tear something off of it.
Control board. On the right side we see a cable from the screen, just below the contacts of the temperature sensor.
Unscrew the screws and unsolder the power contacts.
We remove the train.
Close-up of some elements on the board.
On the back side.
Below is the “screen” board.
Why is the screen in quotes? Because they are just small LEDs.
Total 5 rows of 7 pieces = 35 LEDs.
Well, and most importantly: battery 10,000 mAh, 3.7V/4.35V, 37Wh.
As you can see, there are two batteries connected in parallel.
A thermal sensor was embedded between them.
The batteries were glued together with tape. The total weight of the batteries is 305 grams.
Results
The Power Bank is really cool and is suitable for any modern gadgets with charging power up to 27W. These can be smartphones, tablets and even netbooks. My Teclast X4 with Power Delivery support charges perfectly via a type C connector and does it no longer than from the mains. ZMI Aura also supports low-current charging to safely replenish the energy of devices such as fitness bracelets and Bluetooth headphones. Another advantage is the ability to simultaneously charge several devices at once.
Currently, the Power Bank is sold in two versions: QB822 - black and QB821 - white. The Q821 doesn't support Power Delivery, but it costs $6 less.
You can buy Xiaomi ZMI Powerbank Aura 20000 mAh in the ZMI Flafship store on aliexpress
Test results
The device supports low-current charging mode, it works normally, to enter you need to press the power button twice. As a result of this, the Power Bank will not turn off for 2 hours, and it will be possible to charge any devices with any current strength, even very low - fitness bracelets, smart watches, headphones. After 2 hours, this mode turns off automatically, or you can force it by pressing the power button.
Although there is a mode for simultaneous charging of the battery and external devices, it does not work well enough - when the input power is turned on, the output ports do not turn off, but the voltage on them significantly decreases - to 4.6 V, if with such indicators some gadget will receive a charge , the process will become too long. Some models, for example, PLM06ZM or V2, also have this operating mode, but it works without any restrictions.
The declared Quick Charge 2.0 fast charging mode is present and generally works fine. Both ports can be included in it separately. But, as in V2, there are some restrictions: you cannot charge one device in accelerated mode and another in normal mode, or simultaneously charge two devices in fast mode. Therefore, if you need to quickly charge your smartphone, it is better not to use the second port at this time.
The power bank itself is charged in normal mode with a voltage of 5 V and fast mode at 9 V. In the first case, the charging time is 9 hours 46 minutes; in accelerated mode it takes 6 hours 35 minutes to charge.
The power bank capacity is even enough to charge a MacBook
It is important to remember that you cannot directly compare the mAh output capacity at the output with the declared capacity, since this does not take into account voltage: with the same current strength, but with a different voltage per unit time, the amount of energy transferred will be different. Therefore, although, taking into account the name of the device, its capacity is 20,000 mAh, in fact the supplied charge is smaller - about 12,700 mAh, which is what is stated as the capacity at the USB output.
Taking this into account, the manufacturer claims that a fully charged Xiaomi Power Bank 20000 is enough to fully recharge an Apple MacBook - 1.2 times, iPhone 6 - 7 times.
Taking into account the self-check, you can charge a Sony Xperia Z5 Premium with a completely dead battery twice, a Samsung Galaxy Note 5, and still have 63% of the charge left for a Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. Summing up the battery capacities, the result is approximately 12400 mAh, which is almost the same as stated manufacturer's indicators.
How to properly charge the power bank itself
There is no USB cable included with the power bank, but you can charge it with a charger from any Android smartphone.
The input supports Qualcomm QC2.0 fast charging technology. In this mode, the Redmi 20000 power bank will be fully charged in 6.5 hours. If you use a regular 5 V adapter, the charging time will increase to 9.5 hours. This is normal for a portable battery of this size. It’s most convenient to just leave it charging overnight – thanks to the protection system, it’s safe.
The indicators located on the end next to the charging connectors will help you determine the charge level of the power bank. These are four lights that turn on or off depending on how charged the battery is. For example, if it is 100% charged, all indicators will light up, but if it is 25% charged, then only one light will light up. More details about this in the table:
When a device is being charged from a battery, the indicators work slightly differently. They flash to indicate that the smartphone is connected and charging. The number of lights on depends on the level of charge remaining in the power bank and gradually decreases. More details about this in the table:
Some important tips on how to charge your power bank so that it lasts longer and works smoothly:
- Fully charge the battery after purchase, or better yet, perform several full charge-discharge cycles;
- try to always charge the power bank to 100%;
- If you do not use the device for a long time, make sure that its charge level is at least 25%;
- do not allow the battery to be deeply discharged;
- Do not use the power bank in environments where the external temperature is too high or too low.
You can charge the power bank from a computer or an outlet. However, in the first case, you need to be prepared for the fact that the process will be delayed and will take much longer than stated by the manufacturer.
For charging from an outlet, you can use it as a regular 5 V adapter. It is also possible to use more powerful options, for example, 9 or 12 V.
Comparison with Power Bank 2c
In addition to the standard external battery model, the manufacturer has released another one - Xiaomi Power Bank 2c, and the Pro version of the 3rd generation also has this capacity.
List of differences between versions:
- Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 2c 20000 mah uses built-in Li-Pol batteries, while the standard version uses Li-Ion.
- To fully charge the basic modification it takes approximately 7 hours, in the case of the updated version – about 6.7 hours.
- The 2c modification has two fast charging modes - Quick Charge 2.0 and Quick Charge 3.0, so in this mode you can charge both the external battery itself and connected gadgets.
- The weight of this version is 358 g, the basic version is 338 g.
- Dimensions – in the regular model 141.9x73x21.8 mm, in the additional one – 150x70x24 mm.
Comparison of sizes of the basic version with the updated ones
Important! The manufacturer has developed an updated version of such an external battery - its modification - PLM06ZM. The most important and very pleasant difference for users from the basic one is support for Quick Charge 3.0, so charging will take even less time.
Usage
As stated above, with such an impressive capacity, the Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 20000mAh can fully recharge even the most powerful mobile devices several times on one charge; it will also ensure that the tablet is fully charged even with the most powerful battery.
In addition, this portable battery model can even be used to charge some modern laptops that support the use of this USB port. So, according to the manufacturer, with the Mi Power Bank 20000mAh you can fully charge a new MacBook, and after that there will still be some accumulated energy left.
Mi Power Bank 20000 automatically detects the device and configures optimal settings for charging it
Therefore, for use on hiking trips, fishing, long trips, and the like, this power bank with its light weight and compact size is an excellent solution. If you just need to use the device as a safety net at work or school, you can use more modest gadgets, although the 20000mAh model is a very good solution.
Differs in the following features:
- the device starts automatically when you connect some external gadget;
- Automatically switches off in 30 seconds when there is no load;
- There is an operating mode with low output current for charging devices with low power consumption.
How to distinguish an original from a fake?
Xoaomi Redmi power bank 2000 mAh has become a very popular model, so it is often counterfeited.
To get a stable working bank with a full set of all functions, it is important to buy original products. There are a couple of quick ways to distinguish an original from a fake.
Verification by unique code
On the back of the box there is a sticker with the Xiaomi Mi company logo. If you erase the protective coating from it, a 20-digit code will open.
You need to enter it on the page of a special service for checking original Xiaomi products.
If, after entering and checking, the system displays the message “This is an authentic product. This is the first time this security code has been queried", then you have an original power bank.
Check by logo inside the USB port
Look inside either of the bank's two USB ports using a flashlight. The logo must be clearly and accurately stamped on the plastic part inside the connector.
Give preference only to reliable stores and check the device before purchasing so as not to encounter a fake.
