If you have an old gadget that you love to use, even if it’s difficult to use due to its age, using one of the best power banks might help you extend its lifespan.
Here’s what I found while trying to get the extra mileage out of the iPad Pro 12.9, because while I still like to use it for creative and professional tasks, a few years of intensive use make it difficult to rely on for work.
That is, until I use a portable charger to help me improve how it works.
with battery
What affects a gadget the most over time is its battery life—constant cycling of discharge and charge reduces its power capacity considerably, meaning it lasts less and less without being plugged in.
You probably won’t notice it in day-to-day use, but after a few years of use, the power drain becomes noticeable. If you have an old iPhone that seems to be draining the battery percentage, you’ll know what I mean.
I used to take my iPad to work in a coffee shop for a few days, and between going to different coffee shops and taking breaks to do other things, I would spend 6 to 8 hours on the screen.
(Image credit: Future)
Today, though, I’ll get about half the time. Opening a solid white document on the display drains the battery, even when I’m not connected to Wi-Fi and other features are disabled.
input power bank
I have a few power banks (for testing purposes), but the various ones I’ve been using run at a massive 20,000mAh. This is usually the largest capacity charger you’ll consider buying, because bigger you’ll get an absolutely bulky device, but smaller you won’t get as much.
At that capacity, I can charge the iPad’s 9,720mAh battery twice, and any headphones I’m using (or give my smartphone some extra juice) will have a little left over.
I wouldn’t actually top it up twice — that would give me more screen time than I actually needed — but the versatility of having that much power is really useful.
If I have a smartphone that needs a lot of juice, the extra battery power would be helpful. It’s also useful on the days when I completely forget to power up the portable charger before I carry it around; I know I’ll have enough room to power the iPad at least once.
The power bank is easy to use at the coffee shop because I can plug it into my iPad while I work. Granted, the bank actually charges slower than the iPad drains power, but if I’m using it plugged in all the time, the discharge isn’t fast at all.
(Image credit: Future)
Many of the power banks I’ve started using actually have built-in displays that tell me how much power they have left, which is very useful when I’m wondering which one to get. Most others have LED strips that light up based on the amount of power they have, a basic but still useful way for me to figure out which way to go.
My only concern is that most of the power banks I use are powered via micro USB, so if I find all my portable chargers running low before heading out, they won’t power up too fast. It also means that every now and then I have to dig out my only micro-USB charger, which I otherwise only use for my Kindle and PS4 controller —which turns out to be hidden in the bottom of the drawer.
Keep old gadgets ticking
If it weren’t for my portable power bank, I’d probably stop using the iPad Pro for work on the go, as the power-hungry and sore joints would make it difficult for me to use it outside the home (when I’m always near outlets and chargers).
The same goes for other devices – if you find that your old iPhone runs out of power at lunchtime, or your smartwatch needs constant power to keep running, a portable charger will be great for midday charging.
Of course, in this case you don’t need a 20,000mAh like me — 10,000mAh or even 5,000mAh is enough and easier to boot.
Our list of the best power banks includes a range of different types of power banks, so whether you need a thick charger or a baby power bank, you’ll have one (it also has some interesting power banks like solar or wireless). So if, like me, you have an aging gadget you want to get some extra life out of, you really should check out this list.
