Pocket Insider Latest Technology Review
Design & Build Quality
Features
The design of the TYLT PowerPlant is good, especially having the built-in microUSB “flex arm” cable for added convenience. It is definitely on the thicker side so it may not be as pocket-friendly as some of its slimmer competitors. While it may not have the biggest battery capacity of other models, at $69.99, it definitely packs quite the punch.
TYLT, a company which was established back in 2011, has only one goal in mind; to connect to users and their devices. Since then, their focus is innovation in the mobile world and simply to provide high-quality design, with exceptional value to their customers. And with that, we introduce to you the TYLT PowerPlant. It is a small and portable back-up charger. It’s high capacity battery will fully charge your smartphone twice. And it is designed to hold a charge for over a year.
Features:-
- 5,200 mAh for plenty of charging power
- Built-in Flex Arm for charging on the go
- Micro USB and Apple 30-Pin versions available
- Universal USB Socket for charging any USB device
- Rapid charge or charging 2 devices simultaneously
- LED Battery level Indicator lights
- Automatic shut-off
- Will retain a single charge for up to one year
Review
Design & Build Quality
The PowerPlant itself is a small, rectangular in shape portable charger which can easily fit in the palm of your hand.
At 5.4 oz, the PowerPlant is relatively light, and is great for storage in a bag or backpack. Size wise, it’s a bit wide, so it may not be the best fit for your pocket. However, we are still impressed that TYLT managed to fit a great amount of battery capacity into that small, rectangular case.
For dimension comparison purposes, let’s compare it to a ZAGGsparq 2.0, which features a 6000 mAh battery.
We really love the build quality of the TYLT PowerPlant. Though the PowerPlant is built out of plastic, it can take a couple of drops (personal experience throughout the review). The glossy finish around the unit gives it a great look as well, though that would only mean one thing – fingerprints and smudges.
Features
The PowerPlant has a 5,200 mAh battery with a built-in “Flex Charging Arm” – a connector that extends from the side of the battery with a flexible, rubbery cord that locks back into place when not in use. It comes equipped with either a micro USB (smartphones), 30-pin (for most of Apple devices) or lightning (iPhone 5/iPad Mini/iPad 4) connector.
Located on one end of the PowerPlant is the “Flex Port” cover which house a micro USB port for charging (cable included) the portable charger and a universal USB port to ensure universal compatibility with all 5V devices and giving the PowerPlant the ability to charge two devices simultaneously. The high-powered 2.1A output also ensures you can use the PowerPlant to charge tablets.
We found it interesting that it did not include an AC adapter to recharge the battery itself. Of course, with the added USB cable, you could plug it into a nearby computer.
On the other end of the PowerPlant is the status button. Simply press it and green LEDs will light up next to it (up to 4) indicating how much juice you have left before needing a recharge.
Real-world Test
TYLT claims that the PowerPlant will retain a single charge up to a year. To do a short-term test, we left the portable charger untouched for a week. At the end of the week, we tested it with 2 dead smartphones (Samsung Galaxy Nexus and HTC Nexus One). The result? The PowerPlant still have enough juice to top up another phone to 78%! Very impressive.
Final Thoughts
The price is pretty reasonable considering its portability, battery capacity, and not to mention, its heavy duty-ness.
