As the popularity of always-on data service increases, more and more users are now realizing that the battery life of their smartphones aren’t exactly as long as what is claimed on the spec sheet. Portable battery packs are now becoming a standard accessory for any smartphone user, and there are a bunch of different brands to choose from.
inboosta, a relatively new player in the market, has come out with a new line of portable chargers that stands out from the pack in more ways than one.
Available in a a bunch of different colors, the inboosta Travel Booster is definitely an eyeful. The selection of colors that the inboosta Travel Booster is available in is indeed quite eye catching. In terms of form factor, the inboosta Travel Booster is short and pudgy, height and width wise, it’s very small but tends to eschew a bit towards the chubby side. The inboosta Travel Booster comes in three capacities; 4,400 mAh, 5,200 mAh and 6,000 mAh. Although of different power capacities, all three models are of the same physical size.
Almost the same size as a 10-stick-pack of Marlboros
For testing purposes, I went with the highest capacity available, the 6,000 mAh inboosta Travel Booster. My power hungry iPhone 5 was assigned to be the Guinea Pig. With the full charge 6,000 mAh inboosta Travel Booster, I was able to charge my iPhone 5 (which has a reported 1,450 mAh battery) twice with a bit of juice left on it to give my iPad 3 around a quarter of its maximum battery capacity.
The inboosta Travel Companion is charged through a mini USB port and it can charge any device through a standard USB port
It’s really getting hard for us reviewers to differentiate and recommend each and every battery pack that we write about. After all, and it’s core, all portable battery packs are the same, form factor and mAh capacity withstanding. But in the case of the inboosta Travel Booster, it had a couple of points in its specification that gave it an edge against the competition.
Comes with an assortment of free plugs
inboosta claims that their Travel Booster has an auto detection system that can make its power output more efficient. Efficiency for portable battery chargers in gauged in how much energy is lost while in use. For example, let’s say an iPhone needs a constant stream of 5 units of energy to charge and the iPad needs a stream of 10 units of energy to charge. Most portable battery chargers in the market would output a stream of 10 units of energy no matter which device is plugged in. So when an iPhone is plugged into a charger that streams 10 units of energy, the excess 5 units of energy has no where else to go and simply heats up the battery for it to dissipate. inboosta’s auto detect system intelligently determines the amount of energy needed and streams on the required amount. This is proven due to the fact that the inboosta doesn’t get as warm as other brands. The auto-detect system of inboosta is also smart enough to shut itself off when charging is done to prevent over charging.
As far as portable batteries goes, the inboosta Travel Booster is as cute and smart as it can be made. The auto detect system makes the Travel Booster an efficient and effective portable charger. The fact that it has a cute design and comes in a variety of colors is icing on the cake. It is reasonably priced and is cheaper than competing brands like Mili and MiPow. My only qualm is that the inboosta Travel Companion can only be charged using a mini USB cable. Most portable chargers nowadays are equipped with the industry standard micro USB port so this omission is a bit baffling. Still, the inboosta Travel Booster is one of the better portable battery chargers in the market and I’m quite happy with it
inboosta Travel Booster 4,400 mAh – Php 1,990
inboosta Travel Booster 5,200 mAh – Php 2,490
inboosta Travel Booster 6,000 mAh – Php 2,990
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