Anyone that owns a battery powered mobile device knows that the product is only useful when it has power. I try to keep my iPhone and iPad charged all the time, but with winter around the corner, there is always an opportunity for power blackouts that can leave you with inoperable devices without any battery power available. As a result, I have been in the market for a battery pack charger. The answer was the Intocircuit® Power Castle 11200mAh Heavy Duty 5V 2A/1A Dual USB Ports External Battery Pack Charger.
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When I opened the box, I was impressed by the quality of the aluminum alloy shell and the included carrying pouch. It looks stylish and handsome. The ends are made of a soft rubbery material, so you can sit it on any surface without worrying about scratches. It also comes with one ~20 inch micro USB to USB cable for plugging into a computer for charging. Personally, I would have preferred a longer cable and a USB wall charger, but I have plenty of them around and a USB cable extender, so I was in good shape already.
The Intocircuit has 5V 2A and a 1A Dual USB Ports. This means that you can charge a variety of mobile devices and charge more than one device at a time. You could also plug it into a USB wall charger and use it to split the signal.
Note: I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.
When I opened the box, I was impressed by the quality of the aluminum alloy shell and the included carrying pouch. It looks stylish and handsome. The ends are made of a soft rubbery material, so you can sit it on any surface without worrying about scratches. It also comes with one ~20 inch micro USB to USB cable for plugging into a computer for charging. Personally, I would have preferred a longer cable and a USB wall charger, but I have plenty of them around and a USB cable extender, so I was in good shape already.
The Intocircuit has 5V 2A and a 1A Dual USB Ports. This means that you can charge a variety of mobile devices and charge more than one device at a time. You could also plug it into a USB wall charger and use it to split the signal.
Once you plug in your device, you can take advantage of the 11200mAh power reserves. For testing, I ran down the battery of an iPhone 6 Plus to 20 percent of power and plugged the iPhone into the Intociruit that had a full charge. I used my own lightning cable. When I checked it, which was several hours later, it charged the phone to 100 percent and still had over 65 percent of the battery left. I then plugged it into the iPad Air 2 that was at a 50 percent battery power before heading to bed. When I woke up, the iPad was at 100 percent and the Intocircuit was at 0 percent battery. I was a little worried that it continued to lose battery power even after the iPad was fully charged, but I ran another test and and it appeared to be just a coincidence. It seems to stop using power after it has fully charged the attached device.
Obviously, the iPhone 6 Plus has a smaller battery than an iPad, so if I did have to use this during a power outage, I would mainly use it for the iPhone (which I would prefer having available under the circumstances anyway). It could charge it a couple times without a problem, and the iPhone 6 Plus, which has the biggest battery in the iPhone line up, can last a very long time on a charge.
The other features that are notable are the blue LED backlighting that makes it easy to read the battery status, especially if you have a power outage. The flashlight was another nice, unexpected addition, and it works fine in a pinch.
All in all, I am very impressed with the design and I am also happy with functionality of this device. In other words, it will be with me anytime we travel and it has earned a place on my nightstand.
Obviously, the iPhone 6 Plus has a smaller battery than an iPad, so if I did have to use this during a power outage, I would mainly use it for the iPhone (which I would prefer having available under the circumstances anyway). It could charge it a couple times without a problem, and the iPhone 6 Plus, which has the biggest battery in the iPhone line up, can last a very long time on a charge.
The other features that are notable are the blue LED backlighting that makes it easy to read the battery status, especially if you have a power outage. The flashlight was another nice, unexpected addition, and it works fine in a pinch.
All in all, I am very impressed with the design and I am also happy with functionality of this device. In other words, it will be with me anytime we travel and it has earned a place on my nightstand.
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