Review: PPC Techs Lil Sync USB Mobile Power Pack

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If you ask most people what the single weakest link is on any mobile device, you are likely to get one of two answers: memory or battery.  Well, I am not here to  solve your memory problems today, however, PPC Techs thinks they may have the solution for your battery problems.  Their latest addition to the Lil Sync line of adaptors is the USB Mobile Power Pack or, as I call it, the battery. 

Looking at the battery, the first thing I notice is the size.  Frequently, the larger capacity batteries will also increase in size, making the portability factor something of a farce.  Typically, a smaller battery will offer under 2000mAh,  or a single charge for the average phone.  The PPC Techs battery is clearly the exception which proves this rule.  Despite its small stature (it is about 2/3 the size of my Mogul), it really packs a punch with a whopping 4400 mAh.  Considering the battery on my Mogul is only 1500 mAh, this means I can charge my phone three times without recharging the battery.  This is not too shabby for someone who wants to take their phone camping or to any other area where there may not be regular access to an AC outlet (or if you just do not want to carry a bulky cable everywhere you go).

The controls on the battery are pretty simple.  On top there is a power switch.  Flick it forward to turn on the battery, and back to turn it off. 

Obviously, you will not be able to charge a device without tuning it on first.  While the use of a power switch really sets this battery apart from other mobile batteries I have used, I was a little disappointed by the design.  Frequently, I found the battery would be jostled inside my bag, causing the switch to be inadvertently activated.  This can be problematic as the battery will bleed power if it is turned on, even if it is not charging anything.  It would have been nice if the switch had been redesigned in order to prevent such accidental bumps.

Next to the power switch, there is a row of three green LED lights.  These lights will tell you how much power is left in the battery.  This worked extremely well, and allowed me to easily monitor when it was time to plug the battery back in for another charge.

On the rear (or at least what I am calling the rear) there is a mini-USB port which is used for “power input.”  This is what you will use to charge the charger.  

Just plug any mini USB cable into this port and plug the other end into your computer’s USB port.  Or, you can plug it into a wall or car outlet by plugging it into an adaptor such as the PPC Techs Lil Sync Penguin or the Power Accessory Bundle.  A mini USB to USB cable is included in the package.

On the other end (what we can call the front) is a standard USB cable, or “power output.”  This is where you will connect a device for charging.  Just find the charging or sync cable from any device.  Instead of plugging it into your computer, just use the cable to attach your device to the PPC Techs battery.  Unfortunately, PPC Techs does not  include a cable for this purpose (some other batteries do include a charge cable with a series of adaptor tips).  Nonetheless, if your device charges witha mini USB connection, then you can use the same cable that you used to charge the battery to connect the battery to your device.  Just flip it to the other side.  If you do not have a mini USB connection on your device (such as may portable media players) then you might want to consider purchasing the PPC Techs Lil’ Sync Retractable Sync-N-Charge Cable for your device.  Since a cable is not included, it would be nice if PPC Techs would offer a bundle deal so that you could purchase the battery and cable at a collected discount when purchased together. 

OK, so this gives you a pretty good idea of how easy this battery was to use.  Now, we can take a look at how well it worked.  Frankly, I was amazed by the amount of power tucked into this tiny body.  Typically, a comparably sized battery would give me just enough juice to get a single extra charge on my device.  While this does double the amount of usable time I have, the reality is that you will still need to have access to a power outlet to charge the battery almost as often as your device.  This would work in an emergency, but for an extended trip, such a battery would not be particularly useful.

Without significantly adding to the size of the battery, PPC Techs has packed an incredible 4400 mAh into this battery.  I tested it out during a recent conference, in which I was pretty much stuck in a room for two days straight, with no real access to power.  I quickly realized that checking my email and other resources was going to leave my device dead before lunch if I did not find a solution.  As such, I made sure the PPC Techs battery (and sync-n-charge cable) was tucked safely in my pocket and ready to go. 

I really expected, based upon my experiences with other batteries, that this one would get me through the first day, but that I would have to charge both my phone and battery overnight.  As if.  The battery lasted for the full two-day conference, and even had some juice left over at the end that I could have used to charge my portable media player (I did not have the right cable with me).  I have to say that I was extremely impressed by how well this battery worked.  I can easily fit this compact battery in my gear bag, so it is readily available anytime I need it on the fly, yet it packs enough power to keep all of my devices ready to go when I need them.  How PPC Techs managed to fit such a large battery in such a small case is beyond me, but I think they have clearly established a new bar that any battery will have to hurdle in order to be considered acceptable.  Once again, a worthy addition to the fantastic Lil’ Sync line of adaptors.

What I Liked:

• 4400 mAh is at least 2-3 times the size of most device batteries
• extremely small size
• easy to use

What Needs Improvement:

• power button is too easy to bump accidentally during transport
• should be bundled with a Lil’ Sync sync-n-charge cable

Specifications (from the PPC Techs website):

• Input (Mini USB) : 5VDC, 500mA Min.
• Output (USB Type A Port) : 5VDC, 1000mA
• Battery Chemistry: Li-ION
• Battery Capacity: 4400mAh
• Net Weight: 4.3 oz
• Dimensions: 2.75″ L x 2.10″ W x .86″ H

Where to Buy: PPC Techs

Price: $59.99

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