By As much as I want to believe that the batteries inside my mobile devices are good enough for my needs, I often find myself in situations where I need to find a wall outlet as soon as possible. This is especially important at events when I need to constantly check my email and calendar to make sure I’m on top of my schedule.
Instead of going the dual battery route, I decided to buy myself a portable charger. Thanks to a tip from a reader in the comments section of this post, I decided on the NewTrent IMP60D. As of the time of this writing, a coupon code offered $14 off of the $42 device.
Charging
The IMP60D is a 6,000mAh capacity portable charger which is enough for a few full phone charges (assuming you’re using a phone with a sub-2,000 mAh battery) and a partial tablet charge. Without any scientific tests I’ve found that the device gives roughly the full amount promised. I was able to get 2 and 3/4s of a charge for my 2,100mAh-equipped Galaxy Nexus on a recent trip to Chicago.
Convenience
One important factor of the device was its flexibility. It’s important that I can charge a wide range of device types as I tend to have many different varieties in my possession at any given time. Whether it’s my Galaxy Nexus, a Transformer Prime, or even my iPad 2 (I know, shame on me) it needed to be compatible. Thanks to a completely USB-based design, the IMP60D met all of my needs.
Not only is it convenient because it can charge any device that uses a standard male-to-whatever USB cable, but it’s convenient because it doesn’t come with a ton of wires and pieces to lose and get confused with. My friend and colleague Joe Tomasane from sister site iSource.com allowed me to use his portable charger once, and while it was as flexible as the IMP60D, it was a lot more complicated. You could call it an eight-legged freak of sorts.
It’s a different story with the IMP60D. Two standard USB ports grace the top of the device — one is 5V/1A while the other is 5V//2A. The two ports give enough juice for charging smartphones and tablets, respectively, at standard rates. I’ve found that it does indeed charge my devices at normal rates, but even more interesting is charging my phone using the 2A port.
While I wouldn’t recommend doing this, I often charge my phone with the 2A port to essentially cut the charge time by almost half. I could have 20% of battery life in just as many minutes doing this, and I can’t seem to pinpoint any short term negative effects on battery life. Despite being charged this fast, the device discharges battery life at normal rates when it’s off the hook. Be careful, though, as the device is rated for 500 charge cycles.
Design and other contents
Other than the two standard-sized USB ports, the device houses five different LED lights, a microUSB port for charging the portable battery itself, and a power button. Four of the five LEDs are used to indicate battery life and charging, while the other is used to alert the user that it’s currently charging a device.
When charging, the device will cycle through the different stages, between low, mid, high, and full, depending on where it’s at in the charging process. It’s a quick and easy way to tell how much juice your charger will have, though it won’t tip you off to any exact capacities unless it’s full. Conversely, a tap of the power button while the device is on let’s you know how much battery life is left while it’s charging another device.
The IMP60D comes with a very minimal setup, including a retractable standard sized USB cable, two attachments for microUSB and miniUSB, and a nice, felt carrying pouch. I didn’t even need to use the extra accessories included as it worked with my tablet and smartphone cables just fine. It’ll be a nice backup if I ever lose those, but you could buy this product without those pieces and still use it to its full capacity. This is especially important for tablets as there are many different multi-pin charging cables depending on which manufacturer you bought it from.
The Verdict
The design of the device itself is very simple and clean. A glossy front-side with NewTrent’s logo gives an elegant feel to it, while a more matte-like back-side will hold up well to rough bumps and wear and tear. I see a lot of devices that make me cringe based on design alone. Even NewTrent has some ugly devices that I wouldn’t want to be caught with. The IMP60D, however, would look just fine alongside whatever device you’re using with it.
While there are higher capacity options available, 6,000mAh will be sufficient for those who just need a couple of smartphone charges throughout their day. The IMP60D offers a nice balance between capacity and physical size, while also maintaning an eye-pleasing exterior and a very minimalistic yet flexible setup. Being able to get standard charge times for both smartphones and tablets from the same device is a premium that is definitely worth paying for.You can find the NewTrent IMP60D on Amazon for $42.
This is just a band-aid to the real problem. Its a cool one, but who wants to carry around a 2nd device especially of that size? Why not carry a 2nd battery? If you cant get thru the day on 2 full batteries than you are doing something wrong. Need to figure out a way to make a battery last atleast a full day with heavy use. It will happen, matter of time. For now I will stick with a 2nd battery.
2nd battery for your phone maybe but how about your tablet? You’re going to carry a second battery for that as well? Ever been on a 12-16 hour plane ride? I do one every year. If I’m in business or first class its almost always not an issue since they have outlets. But every so often you get a plane with no usb and no outlets.
What did you do before tablets to entertain yourself? Is it the end of the world if you can’t go 8 hours without playing with something?
Whether it’s a 2nd battery or a charger you’re still carrying something extra. The charger, however, gives you 2.5 to 3 charges where an extra battery will only give you one. In addition, you can’t charge the phone and a 2nd battery overnight while sleeping but you can charge both the phone and the charger at the same time.
I find it easier to just a couple of spare batteries. Less bulky as they fit in my pocket. A separate charger at home can then recharge them when I get home.
Where did you find a coupon? Just curious.
If Quentyn is referring to my comment on the “daily steals” post from April 19 (and I’m pretty sure he is), the coupon code was 14IMP50D and I’d found it on the http://slickdeals.net site. Seems like there have been several coupons recently, some a couple bucks more. In fact, if you head over there now and search for the brand Newtrent, there’s an $18 coupon that might still work, though it’s on the single port version.
Anyway, glad someone found the post useful! I picked two up myself. Might be overkill, but if I decide to switch to a phone that has a non-user replaceable battery, like the Evo LTE, I think it’ll come in handy.
Thank you. I’ll go take a look. It’s very difficult to meet with clients in NYC on a laptop because wifi sucks everywhere. Even Starbucks, Barnes and Nobles, etc are usually down or super slow.
I’m planning on getting an incredible 4g and hotspotting A LOT, so I think one of these is good to have around. Thanks again.
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I like using portable batteries. Always have. I find them valuable especially since I travel a lot and often overseas.
The benefit of a portable battery is the ability to charge multiple devices, not just your phone. Phone and tablet, individually or simultaneously. While you can carry that second battery for your phone its useless for your tablet unless you plan to carry a second battery for your tablet as well. This is important when you are on a 12 hour plane ride and the crappy plane doesn’t have an outlet.
The other benefit for me is that when overseas I don’t like to pray and hope the hotel’s outlet won’t explode on me (have happened more than once and in modern cities in the best hotels). I prefer to charge my phone/tablet via the portable battery. Then charge the battery to the outlet later. If the outlet blows up, I don’t care so much about the battery.
Q,
Article does not open on 2.3 device. FYI
Still no article on 2.3.
What up Q?
its cool idea. We just need real batteries. Thing is huge. I am minimalistic. No case on my phone, no huge laptop bag, just bare essentials.
The problem with these chargers is the barrel plug used to charge them. I got in on one of the dailysteals 5000mah new trent units for $25, and it seems to work well. I would much prefer if the battery could be charged via USB micro or USB mini, as opposed to the barrel plug. Now if I lose the retractable cable, it’ll be a hassle to locate a replacement.
@renGek
How about your phone ? Tablet ? Shaver ? Vibrator ? Trip to Vegas ? We get the point. If you are carrying more than just a phone this would be a great idea, seeing how it can charge many things. But for just a phone, a spare battery can fit in your pocket and is less clump than that huge thing. + the fact that you don’t need to go around with a wire hanging out of your phone for 2 hours (or more).
have you actually used it with your transformer prime? I have an older New Trent and it doesn’t output at a high enough voltage to charge my prime. I would love to find one that would.
I use this external battery, because it is smaller, and can fit in my pocket with no issues. It will recharge my phone at least 2 times, and it is charged by micro usb just like my phone. It also is a flash light. I love it, and it isn’t as bulky as the one in this article. It also comes with connectors for all manner of devices, or you can use the cable that came with your device, and plug it into the standard usb outlet.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005K7192G/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00
I just contacted New Trent customer support and was told that none of their products will charge the Transformer Prime……..just FYI….