If you are a smartphone user, chances are you’ve encountered situations of your phone running out of battery when you are out and about. While our smartphones become the essential thing we cannot leave home without, it appears that we also have to bring along with us another essential smartphone companion – the power bank.
Portable USB power banks are dime a dozen, so how should you choose one? I would say it largely depends on your lifestyle. For me, I am out covering events on most weekdays, and when I am out, I would be away from my desk for almost the entire day. During the day, I would be constantly using my phone to check emails, take down notes during interviews, and do social media uploads at events. Unavoidably, my phone would cry of thirst by late afternoon.
My job also requires me to do a fair bit of overseas travelling. And I would usually take two phones along with me – one for my regular Singapore line and one for an overseas line.
With my job requirements, I find that the GP FP10M PowerBank (retail price S$59) suits my needs. For one, this multi-purpose 10000mAh power bank is able to charge two devices concurrently; this is brilliant when I travel, given that I would carry two smartphones with me.
When I am on a long-haul flight, I would have my iPad with me too for watching movies. Some airlines do not provide a USB charging port for passengers and the GP FP10M Power Bank is useful when my iPad’s battery runs low. Besides smartphones and tablets, this power bank can also be used to charge most USB-enabled devices such as digital cameras, gaming devices, camcorders and MP3 players.
The charging is speedy too. The GP FP10M PowerBank comes with a 2.1A and a 1A charging ports. The 2.1A port will charge your device twice as fast.
You might have heard of horror stories of power banks bursting into flames. Such incidents are usually due to faults with safety protection including overcharging, over discharge, short-circuits and high temperature. With the GP FP10M PowerBank, I have greater peace of mind as it is equipped with the most advance protection technology to avoid overheating or short circuit. It is made in compliance with UN38.3 air transport standards and features a high temperature sensor.
At 285g, the GP FP10M PowerBank can be considered a bit heavy. However, that is something I can overlook (I’ll just put it in my bag anyway) for the extra USB output, smart power management and larger capacity. It’s a brilliant travel companion for those who take long journeys.
The GP FP10M PowerBank retails at S$59 and is available at selected Best Denki, Challenger, Courts, Newstead and Popular outlets.
Want to win a GP F Series PowerBank? GP is running a giveaway contest on the GP Batteries Facebook Page from 6 Nov to 30 Nov 2015. For contest details, click here.
