TSST TB050PA Portable Charger Review

The TB050PA is another portable charger from Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology (TSST). It is essentially a lower capacity version of the TB100PA, with a smaller 5,000 mAh capacity. This means it is also cheaper at £24.99 - but is it worth buying ahead of its bigger brother? TSST have a made a device very similar to the TB100PA with its TB050PA portable charger. Despite this, there are some differences other than the respective capacities - the weight and thickness, for instance. We compare the two devices and see which comes up trumps. Features 5,000 mAh battery capacity 1x 1.0A USB port, 1x 2.4A USB port Weighs 160g 132x65.5x9.7mm dimensions Charges via standard microUSB port The packaging of the TB050PA is almost identical to its bigger brother, but that is no bad thing. A clean white box has just a simple photo of the charger on the front. This makes it very uncluttered and easy on the eye. Product information and branding can be found along the sides of the box, with more detailed specifications on the bottom. It is certainly sleek and attractive packaging, which always leaves a good impression. Accompanying the charger itself is a white microUSB cable and product documentation - unfortunately in Korean, though. At first glance, you would be forgiven for thinking the TB050PA itself looks exactly like the TB100PA. However, there are a few differences, some not so subtle. The brushed metal finish on the front, though, remains - and for good reason. It is very attractive and oozes class - something many portable chargers lack. The aluminium construction, too, is the same. However, the charger itself is considerably lighter than the TB100PA model. It weighs 160g, 115g less than the 10,000 mAh variant. This could be useful if you want something lighter - not that the TB100PA was heavy anyway, but shaving off some extra weight just means the TB050PA is extra-portable. The TB050PA is thinner, too. Measuring just 9mm thick, it really does make the 16.4mm-thick TB100PA look very chunky. Again, this helps with portability - we thought it might be a squeeze to get the TB100PA in a jean pocket. For the TB050PA, this poses much less of a problem. Despite being lighter and thinner, the charger still feels sturdy when held. Not once did we worry about possibly damaging the device, as we would with a plastic charger. TSST have taken the strong construction of the TB100PA and made it lighter and thinner, resulting in the TB050PA. It is a tremendous piece of work. To test the TB050PA's charging performance, we charged two phones and an iPad using the portable charger. We charged each device on both USB ports included within the TB050PA (1.0A and 2.4A), as well as a third test using a mains AC adapter to allow a comparison between mains charging and the TB050PA. For each of the three tests per device, we drained the device in question until the battery was completely flat, and then charged it for 30 minutes. Using that information, we could then calculate the approximate time for a full charge (to 100%). This is not an exact figure, as charging is not a linear sequence. However, this methodology does allow a fair comparison between all the devices, as all started with batteries at 0%, and were charged for the same amount of time. The first device we tested the charger with was the HTC Desire 820, which has a 2600 mAh capacity. Theoretically, charging speeds should be the same as the TB100PA - but this is not usually the case with portable chargers, as the higher capacity devices tend to charge slightly faster. So, as expected, the TB050PA did charge the Desire 820 slightly slower. The 2.4A port's time of 187 minutes is still fairly quick though - just 21 minutes slower than the TB100PA, and 39 minutes slower than an AC adapter. After the HTC phone, we tested the Sony Aqua M2 with it's 2300 mAh capacity battery. Again, we found the TB050PA charged slower than the TB100PA. The 1.0A port was particularly slow, charging the M2 Aqua 61 minutes slower than the corresponding port on the TB100PA. Still, it's best time of 184 minutes is 48 minutes slower than our AC adapter, which is not bad. Finally, we used the iPad Mini 2 - which has a battery capacity of 6470 mAh. Surprisingly, the iPad charged faster using the TB050PA than the TB100PA. The 2.4A port charged the tablet in 251 minutes, 32 minutes faster than the same port on the TB100PA. If this is consistent across other tablets, it represents an impressive achievement. TSST'S TB050PA proved a capable device, thought not a perfect one. Its packaging, essentially identical to the TB100PA's, started things very well - simple and sleek, it is everything attractive packaging should be. The charger design improves upon that of the TB100PA, too, but keeps what made it's bigger brother so successful - the sleek brushed metal design, for instance. Given that the TB050PA is also lighter and thinner, it makes for a very attractive little charger. Performance, too, was largely successful. Phones charged about 30 minutes slower than when using mains electricity, which is very good. However, the speeds could not match the standard set by the TB100PA, which remains the faster option. That said, our iPad did charge faster using the TB050PA, which does count in its favour. Despite this, we would still recommend the TB100PA over its smaller sibling, due to the faster charging speeds and higer capacity. If you absolutely need something lighter and thinner, the TB050PA is still a good choice, but it is just not quite at the same level as its bigger brother. The TB050PA is not currently available in the UK, but when it is, it will cost £24.99 and will sold by retailers including Amazon, Ebuyer, Scan and Dabs. Pros: Beautiful, light design. Clean packaging. Mostly quite fast to charge phones. Fast to charge our iPad. Cons: Slower than the TB100PA. Capacity could prove a problem. KitGuru says: The TB050PA is certainly a good charger, but you can pick up the TB100PA for just £10 more - a faster device with a higher capacity.

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TSST TB050PA Portable Charger Review

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