I used to think external batteries were a luxury I could do without, but now a power bank is a must-have for any long trip or camping adventure. I recently picked up the Xiaomi Power Bank 3, and I'm excited to share my thoughts on this 30,000mAh powerhouse.
Where to buy and price.
You can find this power bank at any electronics store, both online and offline. I picked mine up at a MegaMarket for a great price. The average cost for a 30,000mAh battery like mine is around 3,500 rubles. To be honest, it's a bit pricey, but trust me, after your first long trip, especially when you're heading out into nature, you'll understand that it's worth every penny.
Packaging.
The packaging is your standard issue cardboard box. No fancy cases, no extra padding – just the basics. However, I'll give them credit, everything is securely packed like a fish in a barrel.
The packaging doesn't have any Russian language info, but the technical specs are pretty self-explanatory, so you won't feel like you're buying a cat in a bag.
And, of course, there's the question of authenticity. With so many counterfeit products out there, it's reassuring to see a genuine product with a holographic sticker and a QR code that you can scan to verify its authenticity.
What's in the box.
This power bank is super unassuming, but honestly, there's nothing you can really add to it. I mean, maybe a power bank, but even some phones don't come with those these days. What's really interesting is that there's no manual included. I mean, they'll sometimes even include batteries with tiny toys, but a whole external battery? That's just wild.
The package comes with the battery and a USB-C cable with a USB port on it. So, you'll need to use this cable to charge the device, but it's also great for charging other stuff.
External Battery.
I'm gonna call it a brick, no holds barred. Why? Mainly because of the weight. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. It's just the flip side of having a huge capacity, which does make it a bit of a hassle, but it's not a dealbreaker. First off, 30,000 mAh is not exactly light. It's like buying a boat and expecting it to be as light as a PVC dinghy. Second, a battery this big is meant to be taken on road trips, not lugged around on foot. If you're planning a hike, this thing is a no-go, but if you're driving out to nature, it's perfect.
As for size, I wouldn't say it's huge. It's actually smaller than most smartphones. But it's definitely taller.
The color options are pretty limited – just white and black. I went with the latter because it's less prone to getting dirty. The surface of the device looks textured in the pictures, but in reality, it's just matte. It doesn't slip out of your hands, which is the main thing.
The specs are duplicated on the side of the device.
The ports on the opposite side are all four main USB ports - Type A, Type C, Type-C, and micro USB.
And there's a button on the side panel.
The power cable.
It's pretty straightforward. It comes with the device, so it's used to charge the external unit. I've got two positives to mention. First, the cable is relatively short. This can be a plus in some cases, as it eliminates the need to deal with a long, tangled cable that's always getting in the way.
Second, the cable is flat, which, combined with its short length, makes it almost impossible to get tangled up.
Using it.
This is an important part, as there's no manual, and you have to figure things out through trial and error. Everything below is just my thoughts and assumptions, which might not be entirely accurate.
I started with the side button – what's its purpose? I pressed it, and the indicators flickered and went out. No flashlight mode, whether I pressed it short or long, visually nothing happened, nothing was activated. As far as I understood, this button is just for checking the battery charge of the device. I think this feature is a bit pointless, but it's worth having.
However, according to the worldwide web, this button might actually be useful. After double-clicking it, it activates the low-current charging mode, which is great for topping up small devices like fitness trackers, Bluetooth headphones, smartwatches, and so on.
So, how do you charge an external battery? Logically, you'd use the Type-C port on the device and a USB port on the device that's providing the charge – be it a PC, a wall adapter, or whatever.
When you connect it, the indicator starts flashing. The indicator has 4 segments, and as it charges, each segment lights up steadily without flashing. Each steady segment corresponds to an extra 25% charge. The last segment will keep flashing for a long time, so you might not even bother waiting for it to stabilize.
Let's get real here – the advertised 30,000mAh capacity isn't exactly what you'll get. That's due to a few reasons, but the main thing is that the battery capacity is actually pretty close to the truth, which is a relief. So, a full charge cycle for the battery can take up to 8 hours, depending on how drained it is. That's a long time, but let's be honest, this isn't a toy.
By process of elimination, we can figure out that you can charge external devices from the remaining three ports. I'm talking about two standard USB ports and one micro USB port. But here's the thing – how do you charge your phone from the micro USB port when your phone only has one of those, and the other one's on the external battery? The answer's simple: swap cables or don't use the provided port.
So, I can safely charge two devices at once using the remaining USB Type-A and USB Type-C ports. And that's all well and good, but where's the labeling? That's super important, because one port outputs 2.4A, while the other outputs 3A. So, the higher-amp port will charge your phone faster than the competitor's port with lower output.
It's a bit of a hassle, but both ports charge devices and smartphones super quickly, especially if they support fast charging. I'm talking about charging speeds that are almost as fast as plugging into a wall outlet using a high-powered adapter. The charging division is literally growing before your eyes.
Or, you know, you can just buy a cable with the right connectors on both ends – like a Type-C cable.
In that case, you can charge three devices at once.
I'm stoked to report that I didn't experience any overheating or weird noises, even when charging multiple devices at the same time.
It's clear that this device is built to last, with no pesky connectivity issues or mode-switching problems.
The Xiaomi Power Bank 3 with 30,000mAh is a serious piece of kit. Yeah, it's a bit heavy and bulky, but the 18W charging speed is insane – it's fast and seamless. And with that massive battery capacity, you can charge your phone up to 6 times on a single go, assuming your phone's battery is around 4500-5000mAh. It's perfect for a camping trip or a long hike with 3-4 nights of power!