SevenTeam X6 Power Bank Review

I still have fond memories of my first BlackBerry phone. While many people would chuckle now at the monochrome screen and ancient interface, I only had to charge the battery twice a week. Smartphones today may have fast quad core processors and giant 4 inch HD colour screens, but by the end of the working day you will probably need to recharge. As technology has advanced, so has the power drain.

Worst case scenario? For people who place a heavy demand on a modern smartphone there is a good possibility the battery will be dead by the afternoon.

Several of our team use Nokia Lumia 920 smartphones and while I can get away with a charge every other day, my colleague says his battery is flat by mid afternoon. If you are in the car traveling at the time, being without a phone can prove very inconvenient.

The new X6 Power Bank from SevenTeam looks to incorporate some great features.

The X6 arrives in a small plastic package with the charger on full view from the front.

The bundle includes a soft storage pouch for the battery, an Apple converter, a USB cable and user manual.

The SevenTeam X6 Power Bank is a smallish device, built around a black chassis with a blue 4 LED light strip, indicating internal battery life.

On the back of the unit is an information sticker which indicates the battery inside is a 5,400mAh unit. There are three different ways to power external devices as we will see shortly.

To charge the X6 bank, you plug the supplied USB cable into the ‘in 5V' socket and connect to a computer. The readout will flash while it charges. Pressing the little black button will highlight battery strength on the X6. In the image above, the 5,400mAh battery is at 50% strength, indicated by 2 blue lights, out of 4.

From flat, the SevenTeam X6 Power Bank takes around 90 minutes to charge. It is important to use a full power USB port on your computer for the quickest internal battery charging.

There is a external device charging cable built into the X6, which means you don't need to lug around (and possibly lose) an additional cable for your smartphone.

SevenTeam include an Apple dock connector adapter which fits onto the standard Micro USB connector – if you need to charge an iPhone, iPad or iPod.

This side of the X6 Power Bank has a Micro USB connector. You use this port to recharge the internal battery, direct to your computer.

As well as the hard wired Micro USB cable, there are two other charging ports, marked 1A and 2.1A. The 2.1A port delivers more power, ideal for charging a higher demand tablet computer. You can use the supplied cable for charging. The other 1A port here means you can charge two smartphones, simultaneously with the other 1A hardwired cable.

Charging multiple devices was straightforward and worked without a hitch.

Our testing highlighted that the X6 Power Bank could charge the Nokia Lumia 920 twice from flat before needing its own recharge. This will effectively triple your ‘on time' before needing to find a power plug socket. The X6 was also able to fully replenish the iPad 3 from flat with enough charge left to restore the Lumia 920 from 30% battery charge to full.

Both iPad 3 and Lumia 920 charged in the same time they would directly from a mains plug, which was an added bonus.

When both mobile devices were charged, the internal X6 battery needed a recharge itself, taking 90 minutes when connected directly to a computer USB port.

Right now the SevenTeam X6 Power Bank is not available in the United Kingdom, although the company are trying to get it in stock at Amazon for £29.99 inc vat. If it reaches these shores then we have no hesitation recommending the device. It is extremely well made and feels like it would last the distance in a demanding environment. Thankfully it is small enough to be carried in a coat pocket and only takes around 90 minutes to charge from flat itself.

The hefty 5,400mAh battery has enough juice to fully charge a demanding smartphone such as the Lumia 920 from flat, twice. We like the X6's additional 2.1A output option as this ensures a more demanding mobile device such as the iPad 3 has enough power for a quick recharge on the move. SevenTeam's inclusion of a hardwired 1A micro USB cable is an inspired idea, as it means you never need to hunt for a cable to recharge your smartphone.

This is easily one of the most versatile chargers on the market, and it has a small physical footprint, meaning it can be carried around in a coat pocket without problem.

Pros:

• Well built.
• strong battery.
• quick recharge from USB port.
• readout of battery charge available.
• hardwired 1A cable is ideal for smartphones.
• optional 2.1A charge option for demanding tablet computers.
• Good price point.
• can charge multiple devices simultaneously.
• Apple compatibility.

Cons:

• Not available yet in the United Kingdom.

Kitguru says: An excellent charger, and one of the best all rounders we have tested.

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