Power banks with single charging ports can be very useful and we’re not too surprised if you think they’re more reliable and usable than power banks (like GOAL ZERO SHERPA 50 POWER PACK )
with lots of charging ports. The usual case with power banks that have a single charging port is that they’re small, which makes them more portable. Best of all, a single charging port means that even though you’re just charging a single device, the power capacity will be focused on the single device that you’re charging.
With that said, there’s a certain range of portable chargers that makes them 1 charging port applicable and not so 1 charging port applicable.
This is the iXCC 8,000mAh power bank and it only has a charging port. There aren’t too many like it so let’s see what it has to offer.
Power
Power Capacity:
One of the main reasons why this power bank is able to be slim is because it uses Lithium Polymer batteries, and even though that’s quite a good thing in a design sense, it’ll make the Output power capacity lower than Ion batteries would. Also, the charging speed that you’re using will also dictate what the Output power capacity will be. Since the iXCC power bank has a Max charging of 2.4A, using the full power will result in the conversion rate during be less stable.
Power Capacity for Smartphones
With that said, the charger actually has quite a poor conversion rate and this makes the power capacity that you’re actually receiving 6,000mAh. It’s with this power capacity that you’ll be able to charge most smartphones 3 times or more. Charging tablets can be done too, but the power capacity won’t be able to accommodate them nearly as well.
Power Capacity for Tablets
Charging tablets will make the power bank use its max charging speed of 5V/2.4A, and that can result in lower Output power. As a result, a Mini tablet might be able to charge near its full power capacity. However, charging Full-Sized tablets will have them charge about halfway through.
We do have more reasons on why the Output power capacity is so low, take a look at Build section for more of an explanation as well.
So there’s only a single charging port, and it actually has enough to offer.
This is because the single charging port is able to Output 5V/2.4A. That’s a Max standard charging speed and it’s going to be able to charge most of the devices that you own, like your smartphone and your tablet at their max charging speeds.
The only devices that it won’t charge at their max charging speed are devices that are compatible with Quick Charge and USB-C; since those devices are able to charge faster when they use compatible tech, and this power bank doesn’t use Quick Charge, nor are the charging port capable of outputting 3 Amps.
Input Charging:
It’s recharged through a Micro-USB Input port and the max recharge rate is 5V/1.5A. Quite an awkward recharge rate since most power banks either stick with a number of either 1 Amp or 2 Amps. However, if you’re using a 2 Amp wall charger or higher to recharge it, then it’ll be fully recharged within 6 hours.
Design
Size and Weight
For its power capacity, the power bank is really small and even slim. This makes it easy to either hold it or you can place it into your pocket because the dimensions allow it.
It has a length of 4.4 inches, a width of 2.8 inches and a thickness of 0.6 inches. The weight of the portable charger is 7.5 ounces. It might be a little on the weighing side, but it’s nothing that’s unmanageable and you’ll have no problems holding it in a single hand.
Functional Components
It’s very easy to use, mainly because all the functional parts of the power bank are on a single side.
On the side panel is where you’ll find the Output USB charging port, the Micro-USB Input port, 4 LED power capacity indicators and the power button. Charging automatically starts when you plug a device into the power bank and it stops when there isn’t a device connected to the charger.
So the power button is mainly used to check the power capacity.
Build
Structure and Material
It has an Aluminum body that is 0.4 inches and overall it does a pretty good job at keeping the portable safe for those times when you’re on-the-go and accidentally, drop, bump or hit your powering buddy power bank.
Tech
This is where the 8,000mAh iXCC power bank falls a little short because it has problems with heating up quite a lot during charging. However, it’s what comes with the heat that’s the main problem because when the batteries heat up that damages them and in the long-term, they’ll lose a lot of their original power capacity.
During charging, the conversion of power will be poorer and as a result, you’ll get less Output power capacity. With that said, the iXCC power bank does make use of Over-Charging, Surge, and Shor-Circuit Protections that are useful when those things arise. Although, it would be helpful if the temperature control, if any, were to work better because that’s useful for when you’re actually using the power bank.
Reliability
It’s a reliable portable charger but you should be prepared for a lower power capacity than what it promises and that can mostly be attributed to its rise in temperature during charging.
All those things aside, for its size being able to be able to go into your pocket or be placed easily into your hand, we really like the design. Also, despite having just a single charging port, the charging speed of 2.4 Amps is very helpful because the power bank is able to charge most devices at their max charging speeds.
