Aukey 10400mAh Quick Charge 2.0 Portable Charger Review

Power capacity: 10,400 mAh
Outputs: 1 (2.4A)
Weight: 275g (9.7oz)
Time to charge itself: 4-5 hours (Quick Charge 2.0), 7+ hours (normal wall charger)
Compatible with: Tablet, iPad/iPhone, Android and other smartphones, digital camera etc. (any micro-USB supported device)

Aukey has adapted very well in the industry of power banks and continues to improve their products every year. Today, we’ll be taking a look at a Qualcomm Quick Charge compatible power bank in this Aukey 10400mAh Quick Charge 2.0 Portable Charger review.

Design and portability

Earlier this month we reviewed the Aukey Pocket Portable charger and although it was a great bang for the buck, we weren’t blown away by some of its features. Particularly how cheaply made it felt. This Aukey 10400mAh Quick Charge 2.0 however is on a different level.

The casing is made of dense aluminum that not only makes the power bank strong and sturdy, but also gives it a premium look that has a remarkable resemblance to the Xiaomi Mi Powerbank.
Aukey has definitely made an improvement in the construction department with this model, and I’m almost inclined to put them in the same category as Anker’s and RAVPower’s devices in terms of case quality.

The best way to describe this power bank’s shape is stocky. It’s short, but square and thick. It’s not really suited for your pocket but ideal for a handbag or backpack. It measures at 4.02 x 3.02 inch and is 0.85 inches thick. Which is almost as thick as three stacked smartphones. For a power bank with only one charging port, that’s relatively big. It’s also quite heavy and weighs almost 10 ounces.

For comparison, the Anker PowerCore 10000 has a similar capacity but is almost three times as small. However, Aukey’s power bank compensates its size with the Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 feature, which we’ll be explaining next.

Features

So, what is Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 you say? Simply put, it’s just a feature that allows for up to 75% quicker charging of your devices. Yes, you read that right. Almost twice the charging speed of conventional chargers. The catch is, that your device has to be compatible with Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0. The most notable devices that support it are the Samsung Galaxy Note series, Galaxy S7 series and Sony Xperia Z3 series. Check out this list to see if your smartphone supports Quick Charge 2.0.

Another feature we really like seeing is proper output charging. It’s very important that a power bank matches the proper power output for the device you’re charging. Otherwise, it could harm your battery in the long run. Fortunately, the Aukey 10400mAh Quick Charge 2.0 has this feature. They call it AiPower, and it adjusts the power output to the device you’re charging so you won’t have to worry about your battery’s lifespan. It also has several safety features against excessive heating and overcharging

A great thing about Aukey’s devices is that they really stand by their product, and provide 24 month warranty on power banks. There have been a few instances where people had a problem getting the power bank to work, but immediately got their device replaced for a new one by Aukey.

Refreshingly, there’s no flashlight on this power bank. That has got to be a first timer. Not that I mind at all, cause in all my years of using power banks I can’t remember one instance where I used the flashlight function for something useful. That’s just me though, if you really care about having a flashlight on your power bank take a look at some other options like the Dulla M50000 12000mAh Power Bank or the Jackery Giant+ Premium 12000mAh.

Power

The Aukey boasts a 10,400mAh power capacity. Which will theoretically give you around three charges for your average smartphone. Sadly, power bank brands always exaggerate the numbers a bit and rate it at maximum output. The power bank is only able to charge a Galaxy Note 4 just over two times. A Galaxy Note 4 has a 3220mAh battery, so the actual power capacity of the power bank comes down to about 8000mAh. Still not bad, and keep in mind that almost all power bank brands exaggerate their numbers, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary.

What gives this Aukey power bank the edge over others however is, of course, the Quick Charge 2.0 function. Quick Charge allows for higher voltage output of 9V at 1.8A and 12V at 1.35A, which basically means extremely quick charging times. It’s able to charge a Galaxy S7 Edge in one hour, which is incredibly fast compared to other power banks I’ve used. Even if your device doesn’t support the Qualcomm Quick Charge function, it still charges reasonably quick thanks to the AiPower adjustment function and 2.4A outlet. It charges a regular smartphone with 2500mAh in well under 2 hours.

A weird thing noticed with this power bank, is that it makes a faint buzzing noise when it’s turned on but not charging. I’ve read about some other users online having this same issue. It’s not that big of a problem and can easily be solved by turning off the power bank. But it makes you wonder if it’s cheap electrical components in the device causing this or not.

The power bank itself can also be charged with Quick Charge 2.0 which takes under 5 hours. However, you’ll need a Quick Charge 2.0 supported wall charger to take advantage of this function, like this one on Amazon for example.

Weirdly, this power bank is not compatible with Motorola devices, and also not with the Amazon Kindle Fire. If you own either of these, this power bank is not for you.

Conclusion

Even though it’s rather big for a one-port power bank, it makes up for it with power and insane charging speed. The Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 feature is incredibly useful if you desperately need to quickly charge your phone, tablet or any other micro USB supported device. The power bank is well made, affordable and comes with a fat 24 month warranty by Aukey.