- Charges 3 devices at once
- 6000mAh battery, +27 hours talk time
- Built-in USB charging cable & USB port
- Built-in Micro-USB and Apple connectors
- Ultra-fast wall recharging
I've seen and used many power banks in the past to charge my electronic devices. This one is given to me by a family member. There are things you should know about power banks before making your purchase; hopefully, this review will help since it's not a free sample review by Amazon vine. My opinion on this unit therefore is different from other reviewers.
Built-in AC Adapter:
-Power banks such as this having the convenience of the AC adapter built into the unit is a plus. This is definitely not the first in the market. There are about a dozen power banks on Amazon with this feature having the brand name Pisen New Battery High Power Box III 7500mah, Revolve Electronics xeMilo Hybrid USB Charger and Battery Backup for ipod, iPhone, Blackberry, iPad and More, All-in-One USB Travel Charger 1500mAh Portable Battery, AC Wall Charger, and 12V DC Car Charger in One with USB Output PortGreat for Charging Cell Phones, iPods, iPhones, and Other Wireless Devices, New! Tenergy Mobile Power Bank w/ Built-In AC Power Plug and USB Port Dark Red Color, NAZtech, McCally, and other non-branded ones.
-Built in usb charging cable is not practical. The description says that your can charge the mycharge peak from your laptop. Who would do this unless they want to completely drain their laptop batteries. Most laptop allows sleep charge on the USB ports.
Built-in Cables:
This is also a great idea to have; however, as one reviewers here mentioned that the cables are too short. His/her suggestion of a retractable cable is a good idea; unfortunately, most retractable cables snap easily. The micro usb and Apple products cable are simply too short. They can only be left for charging because of their length. A person can hold the Mycharge Peak on one hand and an iPhone on the other but definitely not iPad. It would definitely be nice to leave the power bank inside a bag or pocket with a long cable to enable a person to use the iPad/phone or anything else while charging. That's why I rather carry an extra cable in a wallet/messenger bag. Again, there are lots of powerbanks with the built-in cables feature: Anker, Powergen, New Trent, Skiva, Tursion, RAVpower, Targus, Nokia, and etc...
6000mAh Capacity:
The size of 6000mAh is not what you should assume to get out of it. The actual battery inside the power bank is actually rated at 3.7V. To charge your phone/tablet, it needs to convert to a 5V rating. So, you need to convert 3.7 to 5V and in a virtual world if this unit is 100% efficient one would get 74% of 6000mAh = 4400mAh. In Reality, the efficiency is about 60-70%. The actual energy that can be used to power your phone/tablet is about 4000mAh. It charges the iPhones about 300%, ipad 2 55%, ipad 3 33%.
Current Output:
2.1A on the iphone/ipad cable might damage the internal battery or even the phone because they're supposed to be charge at 1.00A or less.
Micro USB 1A is good because most devices such as bluetooth, speakers, and Android phones can be charged correctly.
1A USB output is a bit low IMO. myCharge/Homedics should rate it at 2.0A to also target Android Tablet users to expand their market.
Size:
Bulky! Imagine it's a bit longer than a 3X5, index card and 1 inch thick. 1/2 lbs is the weight of this mycharge Peak. It's not much, but it adds up in a backpack, purchase, bag, with other stuffs already in them.
Finally, Price:
It appears that they're raised the price since the release date. Originally, it was less than $60. That was a great price. At $99, it's expensive. This might be the reason why there so many Amazon Vine reviewers rather than actual purchased (about a hand full) reviewers. For $25 (WOW), one can get an 8000mAh powerbank such as the EZOPower White 2-Port Ultra High-capacity Portable External Rechargable Backup Battey Pack -8000mAh (2A) for IPhone, IPOD, IPad, MP3 Players, Tablet, GPS, Mobile Phone, Android Phone, Cell Phone, Blackberry, HTC, Samsung, Nokia, LG, Sony Ericsson, Pantc... which can charge all types of devices including the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Anker [Upgraded Version] Anker® Astro2 Dual USB Output 8400mAh Backup External Battery Pack Charger with built-in Flashlight for iPhone 5, all iPhone, iPad, iPod models; Android Smartphones: Samsung Galaxy S3 S III I9300, Galaxy S2 S II I9100, Galaxy Nexus, G...] for $40, New Trent New Trent iCurve IMP70D 7000mAh External Battery Pack and Charger for "The new iPad" the 3rd Gen ipad, iPad2, iPhone 5 4S 4 3Gs 3G, iPod Touch (1G to 5G), Android (Samsung Galaxy Note S S2, HTC Sensation EVO Thunderbolt, LG Optimus V), Blackberry (Bold ... for $42, HITOSELLER 8400mAh Mobile Extended Battery Backup Pack Charger Adapter Case Power Bank for Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket SGH-I727, i777, S3 i9300, Galaxy Ace Nexus Note Prevail Precedent, Blaze, Infuse, Epic 4G Touch, Vibrant, Fascinate, Intercept; HTC One X/S, Sens... for $22 (WOW), and many others at better values.
Overall, I think that mycharge peak is an OK device. It's definitely not a bag for the buck. Competition is fierce since there are many other battery sellers and new ones with new ideas are coming out such as the one by XTG technology that allows your to charge even in the car. Also, RavPower is about to release one similar to this at a smaller size, better price, without the AC plug, same capacity for $54RAVPower xRobot RP-PB05 Power Bank / External Battery / Juice Pack -6000mAh Capacity / 2.1A Max Output for APPLE: The New iPad, iPad Mini, iPad 2, iPhone 5 4S 4G, iPod Touch, Nano; Smasung: Galaxy Note 2 N7100, Galaxy Note N700, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy .... Another competitor is the Skiva Powervault 5000mAh for $35 Skiva PowerVault 5000mAh Rapid Charging Portable Power Pack for iPhone/iPad/iPod, Kindle Fire, Samsung, HTC and LG Smartphones.
Buy myCharge Peak 6000 Rechargeable Power Bank Now
I've used several rechargeable power packs, most requiring additional cords for different devices but never one that had near all the cords attached like the myCharge Peak 6000 and never one that could recharge every device I connected to it. I was very impressed with charging abilities of this ultra portable power pack. It charged every single device I attached to it.
Highlights:
The power pack has three notification modes: Voice, Tone or Silent. The power pack comes with Voice mode on by default. Additionally the led indicators on the side flash the power levels when a device is connected or when the level check button it pressed. When in voice mode, every time a device is attached a voice notifications tells you that it's charging and what type of device is connected i.e. Apple, USB or Micro.
A level check button on the side when pushed will tell you how much power is left by either voice or tone, depending on mode selected, and the led indicators will flash the corresponding bars: 5 bars = 91% 100%, 4 bars = 71% 90%, 3 bars = 51% 70%, 2 bars = 35% -50%, 1 bar means the power pack needs to be recharged with less than 25% power left.
Recharges fast. It took about one hour and 20 minutes to get the power pack to 51% 70% charged once it reached 1 bar and the power pack's voice prompt indicated that it was time to recharge. The manual says it will take up to 4 hours to charge via wall outlet and 13 hours via standard laptop USB port with onboard USB cable.
Can recharge the power pack via wall outlet or the attached USB cable through your computer.
Compact. This power pack is the size of a portable hard drive.
Has a USB port and three charging cables attached: MicroUSB, standard USB and Apple(not the new iPhone 5 one) connectors.
Can charge up to 3 device at the same time with Apple devices charging first since these devices are high-powered with exception of the Nano then USB connected devices and the microUSB devices.
I was able to charge an iPhone 5 from 82% to 100% in 20 minutes, Logitech K800 Wireless Keyboard from 1 bar to fully charged and iPhone 4 from 51% to 91%, which is when it ran out of charge, right out the box, and this is all after I ran around spot charging the devices listed below.
Items I could charge:
iPhone 4
iPhone 5 via the iPhone 5 cable through the onboard USB port.
iPad 1
iPad 2
Logitech K800 Wireless Keyboard
Kindle Touch
Sony Reader PRST1
Nook Simple Touch
Nook Color
Sony Ericsson Hi-Fi Bluetooth Stereo Headset
Jabra Drive Bluetooth Speaker
Motorola S305 Bluetooth Headset
Motorola S10-HD Bluetooth Stereo Headphones
Sony NEX-F3 Camera
ETA:
Samsung Droid Charge
As you can tell, I went around trying to find anything I could to charge with the power pack. I'm thrilled that I didn't find not one item myCharge couldn't charge.
I'd recommend the myCharge Peak 6000 power bank to anyone who wants to cut down on the cords, power bricks and adapters that have to carried around for most portable devices, especially while traveling, that's truly compatible with nearly all chargeable devices.
Read Best Reviews of myCharge Peak 6000 Rechargeable Power Bank Here
There are cooler looking solutions but this one works perfect and has all the right plugs and cords built in for Micro USB, Ipod/pad/phone. The difference make is that this also has a 110 outlet plug that also is built in to the device. I have used it a few times on work trips to charge my ipad, energy sucking samsung galaxy s3 and bluetooth headset.
In short I love this device and have ordered a second. The current price @ best buy is about $99.00 so this is also a good value.
Want myCharge Peak 6000 Rechargeable Power Bank Discount?
I've had a number of different rechargeable battery packs, and have always enjoyed the extra time they give me to continue to use my devices when I am away from home. The three main devices I take with me everywhere are my iPhone 4s, my Samsung WB150F Digital Camera and my Kindle Fire. The myCharge 6000 battery pack has connections on it to charge all three of my devices.
The features that set this charging pack apart from the rest are:
Voice notifications, which can be set to any one of four languages: English, Spanish, French and Portuguese
Wall prongs that allow you to chose whether you want to recharge it via wall outlet or through the standard USB cable
And my favorite feature, having all the different charging cables built right into the battery pack itself.
The voice notification feature can be turned on and off, in case you would rather not have the audio on. When you plug the unit in, the voice will tell you that the pack is charging, and will also let you know when the charge is complete. When you plug one of the adapter cables into a device, the voice recognizes it and confirms it by stating that the connection has been made. If you decide you want to turn the voice off, you can set it by pressing a settings button located underneath the iPhone/iPod adapter, using a pin or paperclip.
I really like that you can charge this battery pack using built in wall prongs. I already have a bunch of things plugged into the USB ports on my computers. Having one less thing attached charging is a plus. In addition, there are times when I travel and I only take my Kindle Fire and my iPhone, I have no computer/laptop with me to recharge a battery pack through USB. The wall prongs have proved to be extremely useful.
But my favorite feature of the myCharge 6000 is that all the adapters are attached to the battery pack, and store in it until they are needed. With my other battery packs, I find myself always trying to track down the correct interchangeable tips for the cables. That's never an issues with this one. If I have the battery pack, I have everything I need to charge all of my devices.
The whole unit is just an inch or so larger than an iPhone 4s and maybe about half an inch wider. So there's a lot packed into a very portable package. The pack is white and silver in color, with the main USB adapter being neon green in color. In addition to the micro USB adapter, iPhone adapter and the USB adapter, there is also a USB port on one side. So if you have a device that does not fit one of the main adapters, and you do have a USB charging cable for it, you can plug that into the USB port and still charge your device. All around, it's very well designed unit and is my favorite battery pack, by far. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a great quality rechargeable battery pack, who needs devices charged that take micro USB, USB and iPhone/iPod adapters.
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Pros :
+ Built in AC plug for recharging (4 hours for a full charge). Plug folds out of the way when not in use
+ AC works on 100-240V 50/60Hz, so it's travel friendly (with the right plug converter)
+ Built in connectors Apple 30 pin (note : not the new Lightning connector), micro USB, and normal USB to recharge the myCharge
+ Voice prompts tells you exactly what is happening
+ Solidly built
+ Charges everything I threw at it
+ Apple dock connector can supply max. of 2.1A, other two can supply 1.0A each. Total supply cannot exceed 3.1A (managed by the charger).
+ Charger can manage power draw. Priority is given to the Apple dock connector, followed by USB port, and finally the micro USB.
+ Syncing can be done through Apple Dock connector when unit is also connected to computer. But no syncing through USB port or micro USB cable.
+ Able to recharge the myCharge while having it charge my phone at the same time.
+ Manual is well written. I should not be surprised by this, but I've seen so many manuals that are obviously the result of a translation software without human editing. I've found only 1 omission to change sound mode, the manual says you need to plug it into your PC. You can also plug the unit into a wall outlet.
Cons :
Price! The Anker® Astro 5600mAh Backup External Battery Pack Charger is 1/3 the price.
Size. The Anker is 1/3 the size (but cannot be recharged by plugging into wall socket and does not have attached cables).
Weight. The Anker is 5 oz compared to the 9 oz myCharge
Flap that holds the USB cable secure uses a magnet that's "exposed". Might affect credit cards. I'll post a photo showing what I mean.
Having a voice announcing what's happening in English, French, Portugese or Spanish seems like overkill. A small LCD would probably be more practical.
No syncing through USB port or micro USB cable
2A output only through Apple Dock connector.
Requires Lightning adapter for new Apple products
Takes up to 13 hours to recharge from a 5V 0.5A standard USB port
Other observations (does not affect my rating):
= 1 year limited warranty
= Nice packaging
= Made in China
= Lithium Polymer batteries
I used this extensively over a few days, recharging just about everything I have around the house that can be recharged over USB. The only item that wouldn't recharge properly is my SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip. If the Clip Zip is powered off, it does not recharge it will only recharge if it is powered on. I think this is a problem with the Clip Zip and not the myCharge, as it has issues with the Anker as well.
Other than that, all the cell phones in the house (2 Samsungs and one ZTE feature phone) charges fine. I was also able to use my Garmin Oregon GPS receiver without batteries, connected to just the myCharge. As the Oregon does not draw a lot of power, this is to show that the myCharge can operate even when supplying a small current.
The manual notes that the Samsung Galaxy tablet requires a proprietary USB port and cannot be recharged from the unit. The Asus tablet can be recharged, but only when the screen is off, and even then, it recharges very slowly you need something that outputs 15V for the Asus tablet to charge quickly.
You can change the sound mode between speech (choice of 4 languages), tones, and silence. There is no volume control. If you find the sound too loud (as I do), I suggest placing a piece of electrical tape over the speaker holes.
To test the capacity, I charged the unit to full capacity, and over the next 4 days, I let my Galaxy Nexus drop down to 5% charge before recharging it. After the second full charge, the myCharge reported that it is below 25% capacity (one blinking white light). The phone's battery is a 1750 mAH. I was careful to not use the phone while it is charging. Judging from what I've read, this is about what is to be expected after accounting for losses during the entire charging process.
In conclusion, this is a nice unit, self contained and I will definitely pack it when I'm traveling, since it can double as a portable power supply as well as a USB AC plug. I'd like to have the Apple Dock connector replaced with a USB port capable of supplying up to 2A instead. Other than that, it's a nice but expensive external power pack that has worked reliably with everything I threw at it.
If the price is not so much higher than the alternatives, I'd rate this 5 stars. It deserves 5 stars for functionality, I took 1 star away for it not being a great value for money.
