Obsessed with Battery Banks
Honestly, these days smartphones make life so much better that i can’t honestly remember how we survived without them. Certainly the benefits of smartphones like my HTC One (M8) give me so so much mobility or productivity on the go, AND, i’m an avid amateur photographer. All this seems lovely until you hear that warning beep and you realize that your phone is running out of juice. Now, don’t get me wrong, my #HTCOneM8 is great and the battery does last rather well. But not when i’m going on a rampage taking every shot in sight while trying to catch up on my 1,001 emails, and chatting on Whatsapp. And i do. On the daily.
Especially so when you’re traveling to a different country, trying to capture the beauty and essence of everything. I’ve almost given up on my Canon 60D DSLR camera because it’s just way too heavy. Weight. We always convince ourselves that it’s not important to get the shot, yet, the daunting feeling of carrying it and sometimes not even using it is annoying. The best camera as they say is the one you got with you at all times and that’s my HTC One (M8) camera.
I need to have juice all the time so i don’t miss precious moments. I learnt this the hard way when i was on the iPhone. They simply don’t last, even today. I developed this need for battery banks from long time ago. So there, obsessed with battery banks. I have bought so many over the years. Just so i can have the freedom to be trigger happy, snapping everything in sight, even my meals so i can remember where to find the same lovely dish again (滷肉飯 / Lu Rou Fan: Location in Taipei).
Recently, I’ve been buying out Xiaomi battery banks. They have a whole family of them. 16,000mAh, 10,400mAh, 5,200mAh and the newer 5,000mAh. And what do i have? All of them, multiple units of each. Sadly, the obsession doesn’t stop there. I get excited every time i see a battery bank or hear of a new one. I get mad when they don’t support my HTC One (M8) / Android with microUSB.
I’ve tried many brands of battery banks. Some brands that solely focus on making them and other brands as well. I’ve bought more practical ones that were lower in cost but greater in value in terms of output or capacity — either from Japan or China, but their quality was usually crap. I’ve even gone a bit fancy with an Aape battery bank, still like it. But overall, it is Xiaomi who has really changed the game. But focusing less on price, they make amazing ones. They have the variety of sizes, the build quality is not bad, what with it’s metal body finishing and all. Xiaomi battery banks range from SGD$13.99 to SGD$29.99. The only beef is the microUSB cable that comes with. It’s a slower charger. But if you get the travel cables that they have, man do they charge fast and furiously. they also make great handy gifts. I love them and won’t ever turn them down.
So, yes, i’m obsessed with battery banks. I say this when i’m checking out the new Devotec Fuel Micro Charger (microUSB too — sweet!) which is the smallest in the world and great for emergencies giving you another 20 minute talk time (never miss that opportunity because of low/no battery again). Battery banks in any size are perfect for traveling and even on the daily and in case you really need them. I hope they can continue making them smaller, more powerful and charge faster (one can dream).
What battery banks do you use? What’s your story? Share with me, i’m obsessed enough to want to know!
