Xiaomi NDY-02-AL 16000mAh Capacity Power Bank Review

Just like most power banks in the market, this one comes in a simple white box in which you’d find the powerbank, a short USB charging/data transfer cable and a chinese user manual. No wall adapter is included.

The design is pretty simple but looks like a high end powerbank due to its anodized water and corrosion resistant aluminum body. The Power button, LED lights, 2.1A output USB charging ports and 2A micro USB input charging port are all located on one end of the powerbank.

See pictures below.

Pros Of The Xiaomi NDY-02-AL 16000mAh Capacity Power Bank

1. 10,850mAh of charge available to end user: Xiaomi promises that the powerbank can be used to charge a 3100mAh cell phone 3.5 times. In testing I was able to charge my Huawei Honor 6 more than 3 times up to 10, 300mAh. As always these stats are valid when charging your devices switched off.
2. Dual 5.1V/3.6A charging: Each single USB charging port supports up to 5.1V/2.1A charging but when both ports are in use you get 1.8A from each port simultaneously which still allows for some quick charging. Do please note though that in this scenario, there will be a considerable amount of heat generated and the 10,300mAh achieved above might reduce unless you’re in a cool environment. The aluminum body allows for fast heat dissipation though.
3. Auto load detection: The powerbank automatically starts charging itself or other devices once plugged in. No need to push the power button. The power button only serves to check the battery level when the powerbank is idle.
4. Pass-through Charging: You can have the powerbank charging a device while charging the powerbank with a wall adapter. This comes in handy when you have to make do with one wall charging outlet.

Cons Of The Xiaomi NDY-02-AL 16000mAh Capacity Power Bank

1. No Flash Charging: The maximum amount of current you can supply to the powerbank is 2.1A thus it can take a while to fully charge. According to Xiaomi, a 5V/2A wall adapter and the standard USB cable will charge the powerbank in no less than  9 hours while a 5V/1A variant will get the job done in 14.5hrs. I tested this with a 2.1A wall adapter and it’s true.
2. No LCD: The device doesn’t come with an LCD for reliable monitoring of remaining charge capacity so you have to rely on the LED lights. When fully charged and still connected to the wall adapter, all LED lights with be lit with none of them blinking. While using the powerbank, if only one LED light is lit and it’s blinking, you have 0 – 25% capacity left and it’s about time you look for a wall adapter to charge the powerbank. As it is with smartphone batteries, it’s not a good idea to wait for your batteries to drain drastically before charging them. Charging at greater than 50 % capacity is best.
3. Scratch Prone Casing: Though beautiful, the aluminum casing is prone to scratches so you might want to handle with care or just buy a small pouch for it.

Given Xiaomi’s popularity, there are quite a ton of fake Xiaomi powerbanks in the market so beware. The 16000mAh Xiaomi Powerbank cost me $26; tracked shipping included.

Questions and comments are welcome in the comment section. Do have a great week ahead guys :-)

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