Portable battery 10400 mah. External batteries Xiaomi. Components from famous brands Panasonic and LG

Just as a full breakfast allows us to start a new energetic day, the Xiaomi Power Bank will help charge your smartphone with energy. The same 10400 mAh, but the charging speed has noticeably increased. From commuting to work to long trips, the Xiaomi Power Bank external battery can become your constant companion.
The one-piece metal body, made using anodizing technology, not only has a more durable structure, but also becomes more wear-resistant; In addition, it also has anti-corrosion and anti-fog properties. Sandblasting and rounded edges of the case make it more ergonomic and pleasant to the touch than the first generation Xiaomi Mi Power Bank.

The Xiaomi Power Bank uses an original lithium polymer battery from ATL. The advanced chipset not only makes the charger safer, but also, complemented by high-precision RC sensors, significantly improves efficiency and stability.

By double tapping the power button, you can turn on a two-hour charging mode at a minimum current, with which you can charge wireless Bluetooth headphones or a Xiaomi bracelet. You no longer have to worry about how to charge small gadgets with minimal current.

In production, electrical battery charging/discharging microcircuits from Texas Instruments and Zimi are used, which are not only provided with nine types of short circuit protection, but also, in general, significantly increase the performance of the charger.

Specifications

Capacity: 10400mAh/3.6V
Input power: 5.0V/2.0A
Output Power: 5.1V/2.1A
Battery type: Li-ion
Dimensions: 77 x 90.5 x 21.6 mm
Weight: 250 g

This is one of the most popular and in demand portable batteries on the Russian market. And in the world in general. Xiaomi managed to create an incredibly successful model for minimal money. Here's why you might like it too.

History of Xiaomi

Just a couple of years ago, only a few of us had heard of the Chinese company Xiaomi. In this short period of time, a hare in a hat with earflaps with a red star and a tie (the company’s symbol) burst into the mobile electronics market, coming close to such giants as Apple and Samsung.

The dizzying success story of the Asian Cinderella began with the release of MIUI firmware based on Android. The three postulates on which this firmware and its popularity were based were an intuitive interface, stability and visual appeal. During development, the Chinese did not reinvent the wheel, but simply borrowed some of the solutions from iOS. Success came instantly, and the company's management adopted successful tactics. By 2014, Xiaomi had earned the title of “Chinese Apple,” and its CEO Lei Jun was nothing less than the new Jobs.

You can read more about Xiaomi on the website. Currently, the company produces a wide range of devices, from smartphones, tablets, TV set-top boxes to headphones, sports cameras, fitness trackers and external batteries. It is the latter category of gadgets that will be discussed in this review.

Xiaomi offers us to choose one of three external batteries, the main differences of which are in battery capacity and dimensions; there are 3 options in total: 16,000 mAh, 10,400 mAh and 5,000 mAh. Today we will look at the middle version - Mi Power Bank 10 400.

Minimal design and maximum impact

The first thing that catches your eye is the presence protective mark with a unique 20-digit code. Quite a rare feature these days. The only company that comes to mind is SGP, which is also faced with a large number of counterfeits of its products. To verify the authenticity of the device, you must go to the website Chaxun.mi.com and enter the code located under the protective layer on the stamp.

Xiaomi did not become one of the market leaders for good reason. This company really makes very high quality things using in their products first-class components. For example, our “bank” uses battery cells manufactured by Samsung or LG. Both are recognized leaders in this field. Thanks to this choice, the purely theoretical efficiency of these batteries reaches 93%, that is, about 9,500 ampere-hours of actual capacity are available to the user.

Of course, in reality the result is a little more realistic. The indicator may vary slightly, as it also depends on the energy efficiency of the device being charged. Charging an iPhone requires less energy than a Chinese noname smartphone with a battery of similar capacity, since Apple's phone has a more advanced power consumption design. So, in the case of Apple technology, 10400 mAh from Xiaomi is approximately equal:

3.5 iPhone 6 full charges;
2 full charges iPhone 6+;
1.5 iPad mini charges.

The appearance of the device itself deserves special mention, because it is almost Apple style - no joke.

The body is made of polished aluminum, and the ends are covered with high-quality white plastic. Really solid and pleasant to the touch unibody-a block, absolutely nothing extra. The first associations that appear in your head after meeting it in person are MacBook Pro. Similar tactile sensations and visual associations are complemented by LEDs, which, like in an Apple laptop, show the current battery charge when you press the power button.

Mi Powebank is pleasantly cold and weighs down the palm. The weight of the device is about 250 grams. Dimensions – 77 x 90.5 x 21.6 mm.

In addition to the power button and 4 LEDs, the device has 2 more connectors - a standard USB, through which other devices are charged, and a micro-USB, designed to charge the built-in batteries. The output current is 2.1 amperes. This value is sufficient for fast charging the absolute majority of representatives of the market of modern portable electronics.

Every day we need it more and more

Of all the variety presented on the external battery market, this particular model can be considered optimal choice. When choosing a portable battery, we often look for a leading device based on one of three parameters: price, size or capacity. And here the solution from Xiaomi is one of the best, if not the best.

At a low cost - just over 2,000 rubles - we have a compact device with sufficient capacity for the modern user who constantly carries several gadgets with him. We get a bonus beautiful appearance. Every time I pick up this device, I think that if Jony Ive made an external battery, it would look something like this. Only its capacity would be 10 times smaller for the sake of the thickness of the case;)

Finally coming out soon. With active use, they clearly won’t last even until the evening - and this fact does not seem to bother the target audience. This means that portable batteries are about to become even more in demand. We will charge our watches from them. We made it.

Returning to Mi Power Bank. The only disadvantage of this model is the presence of only one USB port. You won't be able to charge your iPhone and your brand new Apple watch at the same time. And the time to fully charge the battery, which is about 12 hours, could be shorter. And if the second problem is solved by using a more powerful charger, then the first problem can only be solved by purchasing a model with 16,000 ampere-hours. But this is a completely different, not the most compact story.

Xiaomi Power is an external battery that not only has outstanding features, but also an attractive design. The batteries of the Chinese manufacturer are made of high-quality aluminum in a stylish and elegant case. Xiaomi Power Bank is based on components developed by engineers from LG and Samsung. Thanks to the manufacturer’s responsible approach to the development and assembly of its products, the battery is able to serve its owner for a long time, while providing the smartphone, tablet, and smart watch with a long charge, carried out in the shortest possible time.

Features of Xiaomi Mi Power

All models of the battery line are made in the same style. The original devices differ only in color variations and dimensions. Each instance is equipped with LEDs, through which the user can control the charge of the device. In case of malfunctions, there is a button to reboot the power bank.

The advantage of Xiaomi Mi Power Bank batteries is the presence of multiple USB outputs. The body of the gadget is protected from falls, and the battery is also protected from overheating, complete discharge and overcharging, which significantly extends the life of the battery. Xiaomi powerbank is capable of charging any mobile device as quickly as possible; the average charge time is about three hours.

Xiaomi battery performance

Xiaomi batteries are attractive, small and light, so you can carry them in your bag or trouser pocket. The devices show excellent results in operation. In this case, the user can forget about overheating of the smartphone or tablet. The scope of delivery of batteries from the Chinese company is very modest; in the box the user will find only a short USB cable.

Advantages of Xiaomi Power bank:

The device is resistant to external factors. The temperature and humidity control system implemented in the battery allows you to operate the gadget under any conditions;
Xiaomi Power Bank, which you can buy in an online store at an affordable price, has effective surge protection. The device is reliably protected from voltage surges;
The device is short-circuit protected. The system will automatically turn off the motherboard;
The gadget is protected from incorrect installation of the charger. In case of unexpected situations, it will automatically stop charging.

The Xiaomi external battery will become an indispensable assistant during long trips when there is no way to charge your smartphone or tablet from the mains. Also, the gadget will appeal to people leading an active lifestyle. You cannot do without an external battery if, for example, your smartphone is not able to work throughout the entire working day due to the low battery capacity. Built-in protection system, LED indicators, attractive design, fast charging - the best ratio of affordable cost and impeccable quality!

As a general rule, when purchasing a portable battery for your mobile device, experts advise avoiding cheap models, especially those whose specifications seem too good to match the price they sell for. But from time to time, products appear that disprove this rule. An example of this is the 10400 Power Bank.

Inexpensive and powerful

Like smartphones from Xiaomi (and not only), the price of the device is much cheaper than similar offerings from competitors. In comparison, a branded 10,000mAh battery typically costs around $100. How much will a Xiaomi Power Bank with 10400 mAh cost? Only $13.99.

Of course, there are other available and powerful energy banks. Taobao regulars will confirm that inexpensive external batteries abound in the Chinese online market (for example, Romoss), but their delivery and warranty can be problematic.

So, is the Xiaomi Mi 10400 Power Bank worth the money?

Design overview

The following can be said about the design of the energy bank, in addition to the fact that the $14 product looks and is put together very well. The main body is CNC-cut from a single piece of aluminum and anodized to give it a slightly textured surface for added grip. Xiaomi claims that the coating is not damaged by water, does not corrode, and can withstand a load weighing 50 kg (although users are not advised to check this). The surface has also passed the 300-time abrasion test. The metal case allows you to quickly get rid of excess heat, which extends the battery life.

The only plastic parts of the Xiaomi Mi 10400 Power Bank are the top and bottom ends of the device. At one end there is a standard USB port for output, a Micro-USB connector for input, 4 LEDs and a round capacitance test button. Specifications and regulatory symbols are printed on the other end. Xiaomi representatives are confident that the buttons and ports are self-explanatory, so they didn’t even bother to label them.

There is no need for a power switch as the battery activates automatically and charges the device when it is connected using a USB cable. The purpose of the capacity check button is to turn on LED indicators that will tell you how much charge is left. In short, each indicator corresponds to 25% charge. When the battery is fully charged, all LEDs light up and do not blink. The brightness of the indicators is sufficient - not too bright to be blinding at night, and not too dark to be invisible in bright light.

Contents of delivery

Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 10400 Silver is sold together with a white Micro-USB flat cable 16 cm long and a user manual. Considering that the device being charged shouldn't be too far away, this is one of the few cases where such a short length makes sense. Users like the flat cable because the shape prevents it from getting tangled easily. not included.

Reliability and durability

Some more technical data. According to Xiaomi, the device's Micro-USB port can withstand 5,000 cycles of use, and the larger USB connector is designed for 1,500. Xiaomi even presented electrostatic discharge test results: 8 kV for contact and 12 kV for air. It is obvious that the manufacturer is trying to do everything possible to assure potential buyers that the Xiaomi Mi 10400 Power Bank is a quality product, despite its low cost. In fact, the above data is not all. The device has been tested in conditions of low and high temperatures, high humidity, temperature fluctuations and in a salt chamber.

The company claims that the portable battery comes with 9 levels of protection. These include a mechanism for controlling heating temperature, input and output voltage and current, preventing short circuits, overcharging or discharging, and the ability to reboot in unstable external conditions.

Performance

The model comes with a lithium-ion battery manufactured by LG or Samsung with a capacity of 10.4 Ah, which at a voltage of 3.6 V corresponds to 37.44 Wh. As follows from the experts' explanations, due to the loss of power during voltage conversion and circuit resistance, the number of recharges that the energy bank provides is not determined by simply dividing 10,400 mAh by the battery capacity of the device being charged. According to Xiaomi, the Mi Power Bank 10400 mAh allows you to charge the iPhone 5s 4.5 times, Mi 3 2.5 times, and the iPad Mini tablet 1.5 times. According to user reviews, these numbers seem to be quite accurate, as they were able to charge the iPhone 5s, which has a 1560 mAh battery, four times and still had some charge left.

Thus, the efficiency of the device is about 93%, which gives a net 7000 mAh. This is much more than most power banks sold in the market offer.

Charging speed

In addition, owners are very satisfied with the power bank's input and output current strength. To be precise, the device is capable of outputting up to 2.1A, which is great for tablets and smartphones that can take more than the standard 1A. Even the charging input port is rated for currents up to 2A. This is surprising for such a cheap power bank. because there are many expensive batteries on the market that are not capable of taking more than one and a half amperes. In other words, Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 10400 mAh charges quite quickly. According to the manufacturer, this takes about 5.5 hours using a two-amp adapter or about 10 hours with a 1 A adapter.

The device is capable of charging and charging at the same time. Few power banks offer this feature, and it is necessary when the number of available outlets is limited - for example, when traveling.

What is inside?

Users who could not come to terms with the fact that a high-quality external battery could cost so little were able to verify this by looking at what was inside it. The device consists of four batteries manufactured by LG, each of which has a capacity of 2600 mAh, for a total of 10400 mAh. According to the manufacturing company, the energy bank uses Texas Instruments controllers. Indeed, the external battery is controlled by a TI BQ24195 chip. The circuit also uses an 8-bit microcontroller from South Korea, ABOV.

Advantages and disadvantages

So is it possible to recommend the Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 10400 external battery? Absolutely yes. And not just because it's cheap - the energy bank is inexpensive and does its job well. For a battery with a capacity of 10.4 Ah, it is compact, provides an output current of 2.1 A, can be quickly charged at two amps, and the components used look convincing.

Does the device have any disadvantages? If we nitpick the little things, we can say that for an external battery of such a high capacity it is strange to have only one output. This means that it is not possible to charge more than one device at the same time. Again, you can always buy another portable power bank and connect it with a rubber band - you get two ports and a 20,800 mAh bank for only $28! Secondly, the package does not include a power adapter, which can be a problem if you don't have extra. Lastly, iOS users will have to find their own Lightning cable.

Finally, if for some reason 10400 mAh seems too much, then you can purchase an external battery from the same manufacturer with a capacity of 5200 mAh. It's smaller and appears to have similar components, except the number of batteries is reduced to two and the output can only be 1.5A.

My husband and I already once bought a cheap external battery on Aliexpress for 50,000 microamps, with a solar battery, which didn’t really charge anything. Naive! By the way, it was not charged from the sun either.
Therefore, I decided not to save money and buy a good one, Chinese and definitely branded. Because in China there are not only cheap disposable things, but also quite high-quality ones.
I was already familiar with the Xiaomi brand from their wonderful fitness tracker and that’s why I chose it.

I placed an order at the Great Chinese Sale on November 11, 2015 using a coupon and it cost me about 1,300 rubles. Now the price is slightly lower even without sales and coupons. Oh, this unpredictable dollar exchange rate! I bought it. I recommend the seller

For those who don’t want or can’t wait, there is an opportunity to buy this miracle in Russia, look on Yandex.market, but, of course, it’s a little more expensive.

I chose the capacity like this: 5000 microamps seemed not enough to me, and I was toad strangled to buy a battery for 20,000 microamps, so 10,400))) And there was also one for 10,000, and I still didn’t understand which one was more modern.

In total, this is just my phone (3000 microamps) and tablet (7000 microamps), of course, minus losses, I don’t particularly understand this, but I know that all batteries, when charging devices, lose a certain % of charge and this is normal.

Now I absolutely do not regret that I did not take a 20,000 battery, since charging it takes a very long time and it must be quite heavy. Although it will be indispensable for hiking.

My silver friend came to me for about less than a month; he came just before the New Year. And here he is with me.

Packed conscientiously, in a white cardboard box, inside of which there is another one, this time in a light yellow-brown color, so natural, hinting at environmental friendliness. Unfortunately, I threw away the boxes. It seems there were also instructions in Chinese.

The box contains a short cord and the battery itself. It looks very nice: the aluminum body, with the brand name, is quite weighty. On the white side edges on one side there is a power button, diodes showing the battery charge level and micro USB and USB connectors, on the other there is information about the device.

The case, although durable, is susceptible to scratches, so I ordered a case for it.

It charges from zero in 7-8 hours, it’s enough for me to fully charge my tablet and phone by 70%, so I consider the declared capacity to be fair. A 10" tablet (Samsung note n8000) charges slightly faster from a battery than from a wall outlet; a phone (Lg g3) does not have much difference in charging speed.
In operation for more than six months (we use it almost every day), no jambs have been noticed, there has been no drop in capacity yet.

The only thing I need is another micro USB output to charge another device at the same time. And this is a more than worthy product!