Sharing is Caring - Technology: Anker® 2nd Gen Astro Mini 3200mAh Ultra-Compact Portable Charger by Anker®

Anker® 2nd Gen Astro Mini Portable Charger ($19.99 on Amazon at time of review)

The Anker® Gen Astro Mini is easily one of the most powerful portable USB chargers I have ever owned, as well as compact and easy to fit in any travel accessory - whether you keep it locked away in your laptop bag, purse, or even your back pocket, it's ease of transportation makes it one of the first items I grab when on the go. Testing with the following devices: iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Mini w/Retina, Barnes & Noble Nook HD - I discovered the following results with charging each device.

Starting with a 1% charge on the iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, and iPad Mini w/Retina, the following average results came from charging these devices with the Anker® Gen Astro Mini. All were tested under NO usage (aside from keeping screen on in the first 10 minutes to track percentage increases) and NOT in airplane mode:

First 5 Percent Increase:

- 35 seconds to 2%

- 30 seconds to 3%

- 50 seconds to 4%

- 1:16 minutes to 5%

- 1:16 minutes to 6%

5 Minute Increase:

7% to 12%

Time to Complete Charge:

72:34 minutes to full charge

(unit lasted full charge time)

On average, the unit returns about 1% increase in battery life per 1 minute of charging. Reducing usage of the device while charging helped increase the charge time, as well as putting certain devices in "airplane mode" while charging.

The only con I have discovered with the Anker® Gen Astro Mini is the time it takes to charge the actual charging unit. I tested the charge time on another Anker® product (the Anker® 40W 5-Port High Speed Desktop USB Charger), on an original iPad Apple charger, and on a USB 3.0 input connected to a HP laptop computer. Via the Anker® Desktop USB Charger, the unit took close to 7 full hours to charge on the initial charge (out of the box), and then 4.5 hours after it's first full usage charging the iPhone 6 device. Via the original iPad Apple charger, the unit took close to 5 hours to fully charge. Via the USB 3.0 input connected to a HP laptop computer, the unit took just under 4 hours to fully charge. Partial charges were not tested during this testing period.

Overall, this is a quality product. The charger lasts longer than any of the other portable devices I have used and tested within the last 6 months, capable of providing a full recharge to many of my devices, especially to Apple products. Despite the slow charging time for the device itself, I highly recommend this product, another winning device from Anker®.

Rating: ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Buy now from Amazon!