Tekkeon TekCharge Dual Port Backup Battery Charger Review
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For many of us who use gadgets on a daily basis, the internal battery of a certain device sometimes just doesn't cut it. Portable devices such as the iPhone and iPod often have poor battery life and power users will find that having extra battery power at a moment's notice is extremely essential. Why not use battery cases like the Tekkeon myPower for the iPhone 4? Well battery cases aren't always appealing and some users may even prefer their device naked of any case. This is where Tekkeon's TekCharge comes into play. The Tekkeon TekCharge MP1860A to be exact, is Tekkeon's latest dual port backup battery pack charger that can charge 2 devices simultaneously. Now that's something a battery case won't dream of doing. Will the TekCharge stand up to its dual charging capabilities and be worth your $69.95? Find out after the break!
Tekkeon's TekCharge packs a 4,400mAh battery under its hood. Although it might seems like a massive battery capacity to most, it's only Tekkeon's smallest backup battery charger offering. With such a high capacity battery inside the TekCharge, it manages to remain very portable and can fit in the palm of your hand. I could take it anywhere with my and slip it right into my pocket without it bulging out.
Besides all the dual charging functions, the TekCharge is also equipped with a neat little white LED light that can be switched on and off regardless of whether you're charging a device or two for the matter, or not. An always welcomed feature when it comes to backup battery chargers. The build quality of the unit feels solid yet plasticky. It feels solid due to the heft it carries most of all. There is only one switch located at the top of the TekCharge that will power on the unit and start charging your gadgets. I didn't like the switch as it felt cheap and ratteled around. There's only one switch on the TekCharge and Tekkeon didn't even bother to make is more substantial. It's something I wasn't too happy about. The sides of the TekCharge are meant to provide you with additional grip which isn't anything helpful in a backup battery charger, but nonetheless a welcomed addition.
Out of the box, you will find a mini and micro-USB adapters that you can use to charge various current models of BlackBerry, HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson mobile phones as well as other gadgets like the Nook and Kindle. You get the idea. You will also find a retractable USB cable that the adapters connect to, a wall charger to charge the TekCharge up, a nifty carrying case (not pictured) and last but not least, a dock connector USB cable identical to what you would get from Apple. Alternatively you could use your own devices USB cable to whatever proprietary connect it has to charge up your device using the TekCharge. So there are many possibilities here that enable you to charge your various devices using the TekCharge.
For this review I just so happen to have used an iPhone 4 and an iPad 2. Both of which charged and worked flawlessly with the TekCharge might I add. Charging 2 devices at the same time works just as advertised. For my second device I had to use my own Apple sync USB cable since the TekCharge only comes with one cable. Charging both the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4 was an easy task for the TekCharge, though it couldn't fully charge the iPad 2's massive batteries even half way. The iPhone 4 got its full dosage of extra juice while its buddy didn't make it to the finish line and that's understandable taking the TekCharge's battery capacity into mind.
When I tried to charge one device alone like my iPhone 4, I was able to fully charge it twice from an empty state and then some. So in that regard, the TekCharge has enough power to charge small gadgets more than twice. When I tried recharging my fully drained iPad 2 using the TekCharge, I only got it to charge half way to 50%. It's not a bad outcome at all. The iPad and iPad 2 have an outstanding battery life which will last for a long time. So by adding an extra 50% of power to the iPad, you can easily get thru a long day of Multi-Touch goodness. If you're planning on charging big devices such as the iPad, I don't think the TekCharge alone will be your best choice. Tekkeon's much larger backup batteries have the ability to get that job done.
One thing I have to note is that the TekCharge does not have any battery indicators to show you exactly how much power it has left except for an orange LED light that will light off just about when the TekCharge fully depletes. Compared to most backup batteries out there, this is a letdown.
The front of the Tekkeon TekCharge is where you will find the two USB charging ports and in between is the unit's own mini-USB charging port. The bottom of the TekCharge is neatly covered with rubber feet for traction of hard surfaces.
Tekkeon's TekCharge MP1860A turned out to be one of the better options out there for charging multiple devices. The small and pocketable size of the TekCharge makes it a great gear accessory at an affordable price. The TekCharge's 4,400mAh of battery power crushes the most expensive battery cases out there like the Mophie Juice Pack Plus in performance and price. It's a good choice for those who need a little power buddy to come along for the ride. Price $69.95.
