The guys at the big corporations have come up with very good idea, selling power banks as well as mobile phones. Instead of making the batteries inside mobile phones last longer, they have come up with a very innovative idea of hauling a big pack of batteries everywhere you go. At first I never trusted powerbanks, I thought the big corparoatrions will just be taking money away from me for nothing. I was very wrong.
In the streets of Nairobi, especially Luthuli avenue and Moi avenue, selling power banks is the hot thing when it comes to mobile phone accessories only preceded by earphones and flip covers. Most of the power bank brands are unheard of in Kenya. So the question of counterfeits arises, which one do you buy and is it genuine?
Jua Energy a manufacturer of solar powered systems and technological electronic accessories for consumers without electricity had a soft launch on Jumia in March 2015. As a manufacturer of power banks, they are a brand seen as not fake. So when it comes to buying power banks in Kenya, try and buy from recognized shops or online retailers. So in order to avoid buying a counterfeit or substandard power bank, buy it from a reputable place like Jumia power banks.
Tips to buying the best power bank
There is nothing as non satisfying as forking out a lot of money for a power bank that will not serve you at all. You have to know your phone specifications first before you purchase a power bank. First check your battery capacity either from your manual or the battery itself. The battery capacity is a number like 2,100mAh. mAh stands for milli Ampere hours. What this means is that if your battery voltage is 3.7Volts, it will produce 2,100milliamperes or 2.1 Amperes at a constant voltage of 3.7Volts for a whole hour. Since there is no phone that demands 2.1 Amperes at a go, it usually lasts longer because of the low currents drawn. If the capacity is big then the battery will last longer and if its small then it will run out faster under the same conditions. mAh is a common rating of how long a smartphone battery will last when fully charged.
Notice that the same goes for power banks.
Specifications to check
- Now that we have established what battery capacity is, you should not buy a power bank with less capacity than your battery. For example a 15,000mAh power bank will serve a big smartphone or tablet. Its no use buying a 2000mAh power bank if your phone uses a 2150mAh battery. In simple terms the higher the milliAmp Hours (mAh), the more energy is stored in the power bank battery.
- Always check the charging current, a higher current will fill your phone faster while a lower charging current will do the same job but slower. Big tablets need a higher charging current than average sized smartphone.
- The number of USB ports is also important because you may need to charge more that one device at the same time.
- Are there any extra types of detachable connectors? But you probably do not need those if you only have a mini USB port on your device. The most common power banks come with only one mini USB cable.
- Any finally some extra features like a torch, LCD display and fancy electronic safety features.
Women can have any shape of power bank because they carry around hand bags. As for men, a long slender power bank is more comfortable carrying around in your trousers or jacket pocket.
The last thing is the colour on the list is the physical attributes especially the colour but for most of us its usually the first thing that draws us to a product.