The number of portable, electronic smart devices in our household has more than doubled recently and we are a split family – I am iOS and the wife is Android (operating system). As such, our charging needs have increased, both stationary and portable. Enter the iHome Omni 6000 Portable Battery and Charger with dedicated units for iOS and Android.
iHome Omni 6000 Portable Battery + Charger/Images by David Goodspeed
With the arrival of the latest Android operating system devices in our household I was happy to receive the Android-dedicated battery pack and charger from iHome. This unit supplies 6,000 mAh of battery power and features a built-in household 110V AC charging prong. There is a micro-USB plug on the attached flexible cable and a USB outlet for alternate device charging (such as my Lightning devices).
The manufacturer boasts this battery pack provides 300 percent additional battery power for up to 36 hours web browsing, 72 hours of talk time, or 24 additional hours of video. We found the battery pack/charger makes fairly quick work of recharging the Samsung Galaxy S6 (50 percent recharge in little over an hour) and four bright green power indicator lights on the pack itself keep you notified how much power remains in the unit.
My one concern with the unit is that a full recharge when plugged into an AC outlet takes some 12 hours. This is quite a bit longer than it takes to recharge similarly-powered battery packs I have tested in the past. Also, the packaging for this unit shows it comes precharged for immediate use, and while this was true, when our test unit arrived it showed up here with less than 25 percent charge on it, so we were only able to use it for a short while before downing it for the lengthy recharge time period.
Some good news for Android users is that the dedicated unit with the micro-USB plug is cheaper than the iHome Omni 6000 unit with the Lightning plug, and a recent check on the company website shows the units to feature a price reduction ($44.99 for the unit tested). The pack is available from iHome along with a host of device accessories, as well as full line of audio items for home and portable use.
With summer travel season upon us the iHome Omni 6000 is a good choice for a traveling companion to provide power and recharge capabilities for your devices so that you can continue to capture and post all day (and night) long. For a 6,000 mAh battery pack the iHome Omni unit is average sized and the rugged polycarbonate shell keeps weight to a minimum.
What is it: iHome Omni 6000 3-in-1 Portable Battery + Charger (review sample provided by manufacturer).
What I like: Dedicated, flexible charging plug; auxiliary USB outlet; built-in AC prongs.
What needs improved: Recharge time too lengthy; did not arrive with full charge as indicated on packaging.
Where to buy: http://ihomecases.com/