Kinkoo Infinite One 8000mAh portable charger review [Video]
If I could pick only one type of mobile accessory that is trying to over-saturate the market right now, I’d definitely go with the external battery charger. Everywhere I turn, another one pops up – and every time I open my email, it seems another manufacturer wants to send me one so I can publish a review. (It’s actually kind of nice – in the event of a zombie apocalypse, I’ll be able to keep all my mobile devices charged for at least several years.)
Given this market over-saturation, it’s hard for one external battery charger to stand apart from all the others. There are only so many different form factors, only so much milliamps per hour, before they all start to look the same. So when I say that there’s a certain one that I keep coming back to – that I really enjoy using – that means something. And that’s exactly what I say about the Kinkoo Infinite One 8000mAh charger.
While the Kinkoo Infinite One doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, what makes this one stand apart from all the rest is the form factor. It is by far the thinnest and lightest external battery charger that I’ve ever used, and it seems pretty sturdy to boot.
Let’s take a quick look at the specs:
- Capacity: 8000mAh
- Cell: Li-polymer battery
- Input: 5.0V – 2.0A max
- Output: 5.0V – 2.1A max
- Dimensions: 135 x 67 x 11mm (5.3 x 2.64 x 0.43in)
- Weight: 162g (5.71oz)
- Cycle life: 500+ cycles
- Certification: CE/FCC/Rosh
- Working temperature: -25 to 55 degrees Celsius (-13 to 131 F)
In other words, it’s thin and lightweight, can charge rapidly, and can work in some pretty extreme temperatures, too. Additionally, the Kinkoo Infinite One ships with two micro USB cables (one long and one short), along with a nice soft travel bag.
Surprisingly, the relatively simple design is really what sets this apart from the competition. The four blue LED lights on the front that indicate how much power the battery currently holds are as simple and mundane as it gets. The white plastic construction seems sturdy enough, but there’s nothing that makes it overtly special. You might even call it unexciting – but you really need to get beyond appearances. (Believe me, that was hard – its simple appearance is what caused me to wait a few weeks after getting this before I seriously started to use it.)
Performance-wise, this battery pack charges my Nexus 5 several times over before needing to be recharged itself. Its 2.1A output seems accurate, as I didn’t notice much difference between using a standard charger and using this while juicing up my Nexus 7. It seems to replenish itself at an acceptable pace, as well – nothing really negative to report there.
I also appreciate that the ports are at the top of the device. This makes it easy to keep my devices charged in my pocket, for example. And speaking of pockets, this is thin enough to keep right next to my Nexus 5. No complaints there.
My only two wishes for the Kinkoo Infinite One are for a second USB port to charge two devices at once, and pass through charging.
If you can look past those two small gripes, then this very well might be the charger for you.
The Kinkoo Infinite One 8000mAh portable charger is available in white or black from Amazon for $59.97.
