Comparison Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 3 2xUSB A + USB C 10000 vs Xiaomi Solove W5

Battery capacity in watt-hour. These units of measurement are less popular than MilliAmp hour, but are more physically correct: they accurately describe the amount of energy accumulated by the battery. Thanks to this, in terms of capacity in Wh, it is possible to compare batteries with different rated voltages (while for mAh this is not allowed — additional calculations must be carried out using special formulas). At the same time, Wh can be converted to mAh without much difficulty if the battery voltage is known (for power banks this is in most cases 3.7 V): to do this, the capacity in Wh must be divided by the voltage and multiplied by 1000.

The maximum power that the power bank, theoretically, is capable of delivering to one rechargeable device. Usually, this power is achieved under the condition that no other device is connected to the battery (although exceptions to this rule are possible). And if you have ports with different charging currents or support multiple fast charging technologies, this information is given for the most powerful output or technology.

For modern power banks, a power of 10 watts or less is considered quite low; among other things, it usually means that the device does not support fast charging. Nevertheless, such devices are inexpensive and often turn out to be quite sufficient for simple tasks; Therefore, there are many models with similar specs on the market. The power of 12 – 15 W is also relatively small, 18 W can be called the average level, 20 – 25 W and 30 – 50 W is already considered an advanced level and in some solutions this parameter may exceed 60 W.

In general, higher power output has a positive effect on charging speed, but in fact there are a number of nuances associated with this parameter. Firstly, not only the power bank, but also the gadget being charged should support the appropriate power — otherwise the speed of the process will be limited...by the specs of the gadget. Secondly, in order to use the full capabilities of the power bank, it may be necessary for it to be compatible with certain fast charging technologies (see "Fast Charging").

A standard USB A port is characterized by the rated power supplied by the power bank when a load is connected to the first or only USB A output and the current strength. If there are several connectors of this type, the first one is considered to be capable of delivering more power.

The speed of the charging process directly depends on this indicator. Power is traditionally calculated by multiplying current by voltage; However, the standard voltage for USB power is 5 V, so current is considered to be the main indicator of power.

The charging power and, accordingly, the speed of the process depend on the current strength. Nowadays, on USB ports, a current of 2 A or 2.1 A is considered basic and quite modest, 2.4 A and 2.5 A are average, 3 A and more are noticeably above average, and certain fast charging technologies allow you to achieve values of 4 A. 4.5 A and 5 A. However, it is worth considering that to operate at high current, such an opportunity must be provided not only in the power bank, but also in the gadget being charged. So when purchasing a model, it doesn’t hurt to check whether the devices being charged suppo...rt high charge currents.

It is also worth noting two nuances associated with the presence of multiple USB charging ports. Firstly, they may differ in the current they produce. This allows you to select the optimal connector for each device: for example, to quickly charge a tablet with a capacious battery, it is desirable to have a higher current, and a device with a low charging current can be connected to a “weaker” port, so as not to create unnecessary load on the battery and controller. The second caveat is that if all USB connectors are used simultaneously, the current supplied by each of these connectors may be lower than the maximum; in other words, not all power banks allow you to simultaneously use USB ports at the maximum possible power. You can understand whether such a possibility exists by looking at the charge power (see below); if the charge power is not indicated, you should refer to detailed documentation from the manufacturer.

Characteristics of the second USB A port. Read more in the paragraph above.

The type of input used to charge the power bank's own battery. Simply put, this paragraph indicates which connector on the cable you need to charge the power bank. At the same time, some models provide several inputs for charging at once, which simplifies the search for a cable. Also note that for models with a built-in power bank charging connector (see below), the type of this connector is specified separately.

Most often in modern power banks there are standard connectors microUSB, USB type C and/or Apple Lightning. A lot of accessories are produced for such connectors — cables, network and car chargers, adapters, etc.; so there is usually no difficulty in finding a source of energy. Less common are models with DC input, they are usually equipped with their own power supply (or at least a cable under such a connector). Here is a more detailed description of the different types of inputs:

— microUSB. A smaller version of the USB connector, still very popular in portable tech, despite the active spread of the more advanced USB type C. It has relatively modest capabilities — in particular, it does not allow the implementation of some advanced fast charging technologies. On the other hand, it is very easy to find a source of energy for such a connector: both modern and many of the frankly outdated cables and chargers are...suitable for it.

— USB type C. A miniature type of USB connector, positioned, among other things, as the successor to microUSB. The most noticeable improvement is the reversible design, which allows you not to worry about which side of the plug is inserted into the connector. However, in the case of power banks, this is not the only or even the main advantage: USB type C has more extensive capabilities, allows more powerful currents and use a wider range of fast charging technologies (and Power Delivery was originally created specifically for this connector). Note that in some models the same connector of this type can be used both as an input for charging the battery and as an output for charging external devices — moreover, with automatic switching between these modes.

— Apple Lightning. Initially, this connector is designed for portable gadgets made by Apple. However, in the case of power banks, it can also be found in third-party devices: the idea is that the presence of Lightning allows you to charge an external battery using a cable from an iPhone or iPad and eliminates the need to look for a separate wire. For a number of reasons, this charging input is rarely used as the only one, more often it is provided in addition to microUSB or USB type C (see above).

— DC input. DC is a standard covering several types of connectors at once. Their common feature is a signature round shape, but the diameter, rated voltage and power can be different. In this sense, such connectors are not as convenient as USB type C, Lightning and other generally accepted standards — with a DC socket, it is best to use a native power supply (usually it comes bundled right away), and finding a third-party power source can be a problem. On the other hand, inputs of this type have practically no power limitations, it is easier to achieve high power supply with them than with the connectors described above. Therefore, DC inputs are used mainly in high-capacity power banks, where charging through a "weaker" interface would take an unreasonably long time. However, such models can also be equipped with standard microUSB or USB type C connectors "just in case".

Nominal charge current supported by the power bank when charging its own battery via microUSB, USB type C, or Lightning (see "Battery charging inputs").

This is the maximum and, in fact, the recommended power bank charge current. If the amperes supplied by the power source exceed this value, the charge current will still be limited by the built-in controller to avoid overloading. And using a charger with a lower output current, in turn, will lead to an increase in charging time.

Data on the charge current via USB (Lightning) is especially important due to the fact that modern power banks are usually not equipped with their own chargers for these inputs, and energy sources must be separate. On the other hand, if a high charging speed is not critical for you, you can ignore this parameter: any USB connector is suitable as a power source for the corresponding power bank inputs.

The power in watts at which the power bank is charged under normal conditions.

The higher the charging power, the less time it takes to charge (given the same battery capacity). For example, fast charging of a power bank typically means a charging power of 30W or more. However, this parameter does not directly affect compatibility with charging devices: modern portable batteries can work with chargers of both higher and lower power. In the first case, the battery controller will automatically limit the charging current, while in the second case, charging will simply take more time.

The power supplied by the power bank in wireless charging mode.

In accordance with the name, with such charging, energy is transferred to the device being charged literally via the air. However the range of such a transmission is only a few centimeters, so the gadget usually has to be placed directly on the power bank. However, it's still much easier and more convenient than fussing with wires, and the connectors don't wear out.

As for the power, the higher it is, the faster the external device can be charged. Initially, wireless technologies did not differ in power, but nowadays, even for power banks, the minimum is actually 5 W — this is comparable to the power of a modest, but far from the weakest USB port. There are also models with 10 W — this is comparable to the highest power that can be achieved at the USB output in a standard format, without the use of special fast charging technologies.

Of course, in order to use all the possibilities of wireless charging, the charging gadget must also support the appropriate power.

Fast charging technologies supported by the power bank. This is primarily about charging external gadgets, but the same technology can also be used when replenishing the power bank itself.

The fast charging feature, hence the name, can significantly reduce the time spent on the procedure. This is achieved through increased current and/or voltage, as well as smart process control (at each stage, the current and voltage correspond to the optimal parameters).

Fast charging is especially important for devices with high-capacity batteries that take a long time to charge normally. However, to fully use this feature, the power source and the gadget being charged must support the same charging technology; at the same time, different technologies are not compatible with each other, although occasionally there are exceptions. The most popular fast charging formats these days are QuickCharge (versions 3.0, 4.0 and 4.0+), Power Delivery (Power Delivery 3.0 and Power Delivery 3.1), Pump Express, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging, Huawei Fast Charge Protocol, Huawei SuperCharge Protocol..., OPPO VOOC, OnePlus Dash Charge ; Here are the specific features of these, as well as some other options:

— Quick Charge (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0). Technology created by Qualcomm and used in gadgets with Qualcomm CPUs. The later the version, the more advanced the technology: for example, Quick Charge 2.0 has 3 fixed voltage options, and version 3.0 has a smooth adjustment in the range from 3.6 to 20 V. Most often, gadgets with a newer version of Quick Charge are also compatible with older devices for charging, but for full use, an exact match in versions is desirable.
Also note that certain versions of Quick Charge have become the basis for some other technologies. However, again, the mutual compatibility of chargers/power banks and gadgets supporting these technologies needs to be clarified separately.

— Pump Express. Own development of MediaTek, used in portable devices with CPUs of this brand. Also available in several versions, with improvements and additions as it develops.

— Power delivery. Native fast charging technology for the USB type C connector. Used by many brands, found mainly in chargers (including power banks) and gadgets using this type of connector. Presented in several versions.

— Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging. Samsung's proprietary fast charging technology. It has been used without any changes since 2015, in light of which it looks quite modest compared to newer standards. Nevertheless, it is able to provide good speed, especially in the first 50% of the charge.

— Huawei FastCharge Protocol. One of Huawei's proprietary technologies. Formally similar to Quick Charge 2.0, but used with both Qualcomm and other brands of mobile processors, so compatibility is not guaranteed. In general, it is considered obsolete, gradually being replaced by more advanced standards like the SuperCharge Protocol.

— Huawei SuperCharge Protocol. Another proprietary technology from Huawei introduced in 2016; for 2021 is available in several versions. In some devices, the power of such charging exceeds 60 V — not a record, but quite an indicator.

— Oppo VOOC. OPPO technology, used both in branded smartphones and in equipment from other brands. Available in several versions; The latest (for 2021) version of SuperVOOC is for 2-cell batteries and is sometimes listed as a separate technology called Oppo SuperVOOC Flash Charge.

— OnePlus Dash Charge. A relatively old proprietary standard from OnePlus. An interesting feature is that in some gadgets, the effectiveness of Dash Charge is practically independent of the use of the screen: when the display is on, the battery charges at almost the same rate as when it is off. Technically a licensed version of OPPO's VOOC, however, these technologies are not compatible. Since 2018, Dash Charge has been phased out by Warp Charge, but this newer technology is still rare in separately sold chargers and power banks.

— PowerIQ. Technology developed by the Anker brand. The key feature of PowerIQ is that it is not a standalone standard, but a combined format of operation that combines a wide range of popular fast charging formats. In particular, version 3.0 claims the ability to work with Quick Charge, Power Delivery, Apple Fast Charging, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging and others.