Word spread yesterday that Apple might be looking to radically change the makeup of the batteries they use and, if this rumor bears fruit, have batteries in their devices that last much much longer. Just imagine how great it would be to have an iPhone that gets a few DAYS of runtime!? Unfortunately it is just a rumor. Moreover, while such advances would be great they do nothing for us as we sit her using the current devices available to us. For that we need external batteries and, as the saying goes, bigger is better.
We’ve looked at a few external batteries already and today we’ll be looking at the Mili Power King. The Power King was provided to use by the online device accessory e-tailer Xengadget and we thank them for hooking us up.
The Power King is BIG; in fact it is the biggest external battery I have tried. Is it TOO BIG? Read on to find out.
From Mili-
Talk more, text more, surf more and play more. Never have to worry about battery life ever again with 18000 mAh MiLi Power King. MiLi Power King features 18000 mAh of battery power in fashionable and compact package. It is compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod, MP3, mobile phones, digital camera, even laptops.
MiLi Power King enables you to go days without worrying about recharging – perfect for those who is always on the go. The included power adapters for different digital devices cut down all the different wires you have to carry with you on every trip.
Let’s get this out of the way right up front. The Power King is long, thin and BIG. It measures 8.23 in x 3.54 in x 0.83 in. It offers 18000 mAh of battery power which translates into a huge degree of flexibility on those days when you use a lot of juice and aren’t near an electrical outlet. By comparison, the MyTouch 4G I’m reviewing has a 1400mAh battery and the iPhone 4 has a battery with 1420 mAh. The large battery translates to some huge run-times such as 112 hours of extra talk time, 450 hours of extra music when using an mp3, 7,000 extra photos from your digital camera, and 6 hours of extra power when used to power a laptop or tablet. In other words the Mili Power King is truly king of the hill with regard to battery life.
The battery is made from shiny black plastic with a silver ring of plastic adding interest. It is a fingerprint magnet. Then again, this is about powering your devices not making a fashion statement so who really cares how it looks? Not me!
As you can see, the Power King comes with a huge number of accessories. There are different charging cords along with different charging tips to use with them. (More on that shortly.) There is a pouch for carrying all the tips and a charging brick that is quite similar to those found with laptops with regard to both size and shape.
The Power King has a simple design. There is nothing on top and nothing but the legal spec information seems to be on the bottom. However, you will find a power indicator hidden there such that, “At the push of a button, the integrated LED status indicator on the bottom tells you exactly how much juice is left and also indicates the charging status.”
On the end there are four ports. One port is for connecting the charging brick. Charging takes about 4 hours. The other three are ports for using the Power King to charge your devices.
There are two round ports for connecting the included charging accessories and, on the very left, there is a USB port for charging a device via its own USB charging cord. Personally I would expect to use the USB port the vast majority of the time.
The connections are simple and, even with a few of the cords attached, it doesn’t look cluttered.
To charge and iPad or iPhone you would simply take the included USB cable, plug one end into the Power King, attach the iPhone/iPad tip to it and get charging. It is about as simple a process as you will find.
Have we mentioned that the Power King is big? 🙂 Well let’s take a quick look at just HOW big it is. This is the iPhone 4 sans case on top of it. The Power King is double the length and half again as wide.
It is also much thicker.
Here it is up against the i.Sound Power Max battery we reviewed a few weeks ago. That battery offers 16000 mAh as opposed to the Power King’s 18000 mAh.
That translates to a 2000 mAh difference and the higher capacity Power King is actually thinner.
It may not look like it in the pictures but the Power King looks and feels much sleeker and less brick-like in person.
In all the Power King is impressive. My biggest issue with it is not the battery itself. No, I really like the sleek design, the simple use and the huge charge it offers. My issue with the Power King has to do with the changing process of it. The battery is large. So is the charging brick. If you have to carry both you are adding a great deal of bulk and weight and I find that problematic. For me, at least, that means the Power King is ideal if you are going out for the day or even for an overnight where you need ONLY carry the Power King. If you are traveling extensively it is a tossup for me as to whether or not you would want to take the charger with you or not. If you have a lot of baggage it would not be an issue. If, however, you are traveling light this could become a consideration. Then again, considering you get 112 extra hours of talk time from it the added weight may well be a small price to pay.
The Mili Power King is available directly from the manufacturer and from other online vendors.
MSRP: $199.99, but just $189.95 at Amazon
What I Like: Adds a huge amount of runtime; can charge a wide range of devices including many laptops and tablets; comes with a complete package that even includes a carrying pouch
What Needs Improvement: Black plastic is a fingerprint magnet; requires lots of tips and cables to use effectively; power brick is big and heavy; not inexpensive
Our thanks to Xengadget for providing the Power King to us for Judie to use while at MWC.
