Typically, when purchasing a portable battery for mobile device Experts advise avoiding cheap models, especially those whose specifications seem too good to match the price they sell for. But from time to time, products appear that disprove this rule. An example of this would be 10400 Power Bank.

Inexpensive and powerful

Similar to smartphones Xiaomi company(and not only), the price of the device is much cheaper than similar offers from competitors. In comparison, a branded 10,000mAh battery typically costs around $100. How much will a Xiaomi Power Bank with 10400 mAh cost? Only $13.99.

Of course, there are other available and powerful energy banks. Taobao regulars will confirm that inexpensive external batteries abound in the Chinese online market (for example, Romoss), but their delivery and warranty can be problematic.

So, is the Xiaomi Mi 10400 Power Bank worth the money?

Design overview

The following can be said about the design of the energy bank, in addition to the fact that the $14 product looks and is put together very well. The main body is CNC-cut from a single piece of aluminum and anodized to give it a slightly textured surface for added grip. Xiaomi claims that the coating is not damaged by water, does not corrode, and can withstand a load weighing 50 kg (although users are not advised to check this). The surface has also passed the 300-time abrasion test. Metal body allows you to quickly get rid of excess heat, which extends the battery life.

The only ones plastic parts Xiaomi Mi 10400 Power Bank are the top and bottom ends of the device. At one end there is a standard USB port for output, a Micro-USB connector for input, 4 LEDs and a round capacitance test button. Specifications and regulatory symbols are printed on the other end. Xiaomi representatives are confident that the buttons and ports are self-explanatory, so they didn’t even bother to label them.

There is no need for a power switch as the battery activates automatically and charges the device when it is connected using a USB cable. The purpose of the capacity check button is to turn on LED indicators that will tell you how much charge is left. In short, each indicator corresponds to 25% charge. When the battery is fully charged, all LEDs light up and do not blink. The brightness of the indicators is sufficient - not too bright to be blinding at night, and not too dark to be invisible in bright light.

Contents of delivery

Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 10400 Silver is sold with a Micro-USB flat cable white 16 cm long and user manual. Considering that the device being charged shouldn't be too far away, this is one of the few cases where such a short length makes sense. Users like the flat cable because the shape prevents it from getting tangled easily. not included.

Reliability and durability

Some more technical data. According to Xiaomi, the device's Micro-USB port can withstand 5,000 cycles of use, and the larger USB connector is designed for 1,500. Xiaomi even presented electrostatic discharge test results: 8 kV for contact and 12 kV for air. It is obvious that the manufacturer is trying to do everything possible to assure potential buyers that the Xiaomi Mi 10400 Power Bank is a quality product, despite its low cost. In fact, the above data is not all. The device has been tested in low and high temperatures, high humidity, temperature fluctuations and in the salt chamber.

The company claims that the portable battery comes with 9 levels of protection. These include a mechanism for controlling heating temperature, input and output voltage and current, preventing short circuits, overcharging or discharging, and the ability to reboot in unstable external conditions.

Performance

Model comes with lithium-ion battery, manufactured by LG or Samsung, with a capacity of 10.4 A∙h, which at a voltage of 3.6 V corresponds to 37.44 Wh. As follows from the experts' explanations, due to the loss of power during voltage conversion and circuit resistance, the number of recharges that the energy bank provides is not determined by simply dividing 10,400 mAh by the battery capacity of the device being charged. According to Xiaomi, the Mi Power Bank 10400 mAh allows you to charge the iPhone 5s 4.5 times, 2.5 times the Mi 3, and one and a half times the tablet. iPad Mini. According to user reviews, these numbers seem to be quite accurate, as they were able to charge the iPhone 5s, which has a 1560 mAh battery, four times and still had some charge left.

Thus, the efficiency of the device is about 93%, which gives a net 7000 mAh. This is much more than what most power banks sold in the market offer.

Charging speed

In addition, owners are very satisfied with the power bank's input and output current strength. To be precise, the device is capable of outputting up to 2.1A, which is great for tablets and smartphones that can take more than the standard 1A. Even the charging input port is rated for currents up to 2A. This is surprising for such a cheap power bank. because there are many expensive batteries on the market that are not capable of taking more than one and a half amperes. In other words, Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 10400 mAh charges quite quickly. According to the manufacturer, this takes about 5.5 hours using a two-amp adapter or about 10 hours with a 1 A adapter.

The device is capable of charging and charging at the same time. Few power banks offer this feature, and it is necessary when the number of available outlets is limited - for example, when traveling.

What is inside?

Users who could not come to terms with the fact that a high-quality external battery could cost so little were able to verify this by looking at what was inside it. The device consists of four batteries manufactured by LG, each of which has a capacity of 2600 mAh, for a total of 10400 mAh. According to the manufacturing company, the energy bank uses Texas Instruments controllers. Indeed, the external battery is controlled by a TI BQ24195 chip. The circuit also uses an 8-bit microcontroller from South Korea, ABOV.

Advantages and disadvantages

So is it possible to recommend the Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 10400 external battery? Absolutely yes. And not just because it's cheap - the energy bank is inexpensive and does its job well. For a battery with a capacity of 10.4 Ah, it is compact, provides an output current of 2.1 A, can be quickly charged at two amps, and the components used look convincing.

Does the device have any disadvantages? If we nitpick the little things, we can say that for an external battery of such a high capacity it is strange to have only one output. This means that it is not possible to charge more than one device at the same time. Again, you can always buy another portable power bank and connect it with a rubber band - you get two ports and a 20,800 mAh bank for only $28! Secondly, the package does not include a power adapter, which can be a problem if you don't have extra. Lastly, iOS users will have to find their own Lightning cable.

Finally, if for some reason 10400 mAh seems too much, then you can purchase an external battery from the same manufacturer with a capacity of 5200 mAh. It's smaller and appears to have similar components, except the number of batteries is reduced to two and the output can only be 1.5A.

How many nerves do we lose when our phone dies? We are constantly afraid that when the battery runs out, a small apocalypse will come for us. And it will last until we find an outlet. But what should people do who don’t have an outlet at hand, but need to stay connected? One of the solutions was proposed by the Chinese company Xiaomi, which, in addition to smartphones, pays great attention to accessories, and at a reasonable price.

Some time ago we already discussed two of the most popular batteries from the Chinese noname industry in this. As it turned out, they were not of very high quality, and their power in fact turned out to be three to four times less than declared. It's time to move on to something more interesting and of higher quality.

Today we will talk specifically about Xiaomi Mi Power Bank.

The latter is an autonomous Charger for any gadgets, including smartphones, tablets, cameras - whatever. Initially, the company offers 3 portable charging options. The only difference is in capacity: 5200 mAh, 10400 mAh and 16000 mAh.

Let's focus on the intermediate version with a capacity of 10400 mAh.

Equipment

Everything is very democratic here. The charger came dressed in a branded wrapper with Chinese characters on top of the plastic case. No extra box. Tearing open the wrapper, we find a transparent case with a device inside, a wire and brief instructions, again, in Chinese. Special thanks to the seller from Ebay, who spared no pimply polyethylene on my parcel, thanks to which it arrived safe and sound. Obviously, the guy has already encountered the peculiarities of Russian customs and the valiant Russian Post.

The case, I must say, is not very convenient. It is held on top and bottom by word of honor and tape. It is not very convenient to constantly peel it off. Alternatively, you can leave it on one side, say, from the bottom, and peel it off from the top. It won’t open on its own, but it won’t hurt to tighten it with a rubber band.

Design

Let's go over the appearance.

So, on the top end there is a single power button, two USB port(regular and Micro) and 4 indicators. It’s clear why the power button is needed - 4 indicators show the battery level at 25%. While the recipients are charging, the indicators blink, allowing you to understand whether it has enough energy to charge something else. The Micro USB port is used to charge the device itself from any suitable adapter with the appropriate input. The full-size port is used to charge gadgets.

It is worth noting that in included short Micro USB -> USB cable, which fits comfortably into a small compartment in a storage case. This complete set will upset owners of Apple gadgets, as they will have to buy an adapter from Micro USB to Lightning. Moreover, the original adapter costs more than the charging itself. But online stores (Ebay or Aliexpress) have not been canceled and, if desired, you can buy several “not entirely original” adapters for much less money. Read on for a review of such a modest but important contraption.

Below we can see large numbers with the battery capacity and several hieroglyphs indicating the input and output power. More details about the specifications below.

The sides of the device are rounded. Such design move allowed to cleverly hide 4 cylindrical batteries inside. Thanks to this, the device fits comfortably in your hand, although constantly holding it in your hands while charging gadgets is inconvenient and unnecessary.

In general, this device clearly shows Xiaomi’s penchant for minimalism. A similar design can be seen on most of the company’s accessories and devices.

Technical specifications of Xiaomi Mi Power Bank

• Capacity: 10400mAh/3.6V
• Number of charging cycles: 5000
• Input power: 5.0V/2.0A
• Output power: 5.1V/2.1A
• Battery type: Li-ion
• Dimensions: 77 x 90.5 x 21.6 mm
• Weight: 250 g
• Short circuit protection
• Overload protection
• overheat protection

Experience of use

A battery of this power should last a long time. It was experimentally determined that full capacity enough charge for:

This is one of the most popular and sought after portable batteries on Russian market. And in general in the world. Xiaomi managed to create an incredible successful model for minimal money. Here's why you might like it too.

History of Xiaomi

Just a couple of years ago, only a few of us had heard of the Chinese company Xiaomi. For this short term A hare in a hat with earflaps with a red star and a tie (the company symbol) burst into the mobile electronics market, coming close to such giants as Apple and Samsung.

The dizzying success story of the Asian Cinderella began with the release of MIUI firmware based on Android. The three postulates on which this firmware and its popularity were based were an intuitive interface, stability and visual appeal. During development, the Chinese did not reinvent the wheel, but simply borrowed some of the solutions from iOS. Success came instantly, and the company's management adopted successful tactics. By 2014, Xiaomi had earned the title of “Chinese Apple,” and its CEO Lei Jun was nothing less than the new Jobs.

You can read more about Xiaomi on the website. On this moment the company produces a wide range of devices, from smartphones, tablets, TV set-top boxes to headphones, sports cameras, fitness trackers and external batteries. It is the latter category of gadgets that will be discussed in this review.

Xiaomi offers us to choose one of three external batteries, the main differences of which are in battery capacity and dimensions; there are 3 options in total: 16,000 mAh, 10,400 mAh and 5,000 mAh. Today we will look at the middle version - Mi Power Bank 10 400.

Minimal design and maximum impact

The first thing that catches your eye is the presence protective mark with a unique 20-digit code. Quite a rare feature these days. The only company that comes to mind is SGP, which is also facing big amount counterfeits of their products. To verify the authenticity of the device, you must go to the website Chaxun.mi.com and enter the code located under protective layer on the stamp.

Xiaomi did not become one of the market leaders for good reason. This company really makes very high quality things using in their products first-class components. For example, our “bank” uses battery cells manufactured by Samsung or LG. Both are recognized leaders in this field. Thanks to this choice, the purely theoretical efficiency of these batteries reaches 93%, that is, about 9,500 ampere-hours of actual capacity are available to the user.

Of course, in reality the result is a little more realistic. The indicator may vary slightly, as it also depends on the energy efficiency of the device being charged. Charging an iPhone requires less energy than a Chinese noname smartphone with a battery of similar capacity, since Apple's phone has a more advanced power consumption design. So, in the case of Apple technology, 10400 mAh from Xiaomi is approximately equal:

• 3.5 full iPhone 6 charges;
• 2 full charges iPhone 6+;
• 1.5 iPad mini charges.

Deserves special mention appearance the device itself, because it’s almost Apple style – no joke.

The body is made of polished aluminum, and the ends are covered with high-quality white plastic. True monolithic and pleasant to the touch unibody-a block, absolutely nothing extra. The first associations that appear in the head after meeting in person are: MacBook Pro. Similar tactile sensations and visual associations are complemented by LEDs, which, like in an Apple laptop, show the current battery charge when you press the power button.

Mi Powebank is pleasantly cold and weighs down the palm. The weight of the device is about 250 grams. Dimensions – 77 x 90.5 x 21.6 mm.

In addition to the power button and 4 LEDs, the device has 2 more connectors - a standard USB, through which other devices are charged, and a micro-USB, designed to charge the built-in batteries. The output current is 2.1 amperes. This value is sufficient for fast charging the absolute majority of representatives of the market of modern portable electronics.

Every day we need it more and more

Of all the variety presented on the external battery market, this particular model can be considered optimal choice . When choosing a portable battery, we often look for a leading device based on one of three parameters: price, size or capacity. And here the solution from Xiaomi is one of the best, if not the best.

At a low cost - just over 2,000 rubles - we have a compact device with sufficient capacity for the modern user who constantly carries several gadgets with him. We get a bonus beautiful appearance. Every time I take this device in my hands, I think that if Jony Ive made an external battery, it would look something like this. Only its capacity would be 10 times smaller for the sake of the thickness of the case;)

Finally coming out soon. With active use, they clearly won’t last even until the evening - and this fact does not seem to bother the target audience. Which means portable batteries are about to become even more in demand. We will charge our watches from them. We made it.

Returning to Mi Power Bank. The only disadvantage of this model is the presence of only one USB port. You won't be able to charge your iPhone and your brand new Apple watch at the same time. And the time to fully charge the battery, which is about 12 hours, could be shorter. And if the second problem is solved by using a more powerful charger, then the first problem can only be solved by purchasing a model with 16,000 ampere hours. But this is a completely different, not the most compact story.

Today we visited with an external battery for charging phones and other gadgets produced by today's fashionable Chinese brand Xiaomi PowerBank 10400 mAh. This model is the middle one in the line of their power banks - there is also a lightweight version for 5200 and 16000. If younger brother outwardly thinner, but longer, then the older one is slightly narrower, but much longer and heavier. Therefore, I purchased the 10400 model for personal use as optimal ratio prices, sizes and capacity for everyday wear.

Equipment of the original Xiaomi Power Bank 10400 mAh

By the way, about gravity. We are accustomed to the fact that cheap Chinese batteries have a significantly lower capacity than indicated on the label. And the main signal for this is their light weight. For those who don’t remember, I already once ordered an extra battery for a Samsung phone and just fell for this trick.

The same story is possible with PowerBank from Xiaomi - of course, this is a serious brand and the original charger fully corresponds to the quality expected of it. However, there are many fakes on the market that can leave less pleasant impression. Let's unpack and look at the original device and note those elements by which it can be distinguished from a fake.

In the official delivery we have the following equipment^

• the battery itself
• small flat micro USB cable
• and instructions.

There is no power adapter, so you can use any 5V/2A adapter - the option from the same mobile phone will do.

How to distinguish an original Xiaomi Power Bank from a fake?

First of all, let's look at the packaging - on the side of the branded box there is a sticker with a hologram and a protective layer, under which there is a 16-digit verification code.

Using it on the website http://chaxun.mi.com you can check whether this device is original and how many times a check was requested using this code on the website.

Our copy turned out to be original.

The second accessory worth looking at is the charging cable. In the branded kit it is longer - 22 cm. Also, the fake often has an embossed image of the Xiaomi logo - it is not on the original.

Externally, the powerbank is a solid-body box made of strong anodized aluminum gray. The coating is rough and does not try to slip out of your hands, although the security of the battery is also high - according to the manufacturer, it can withstand weight up to 50 kg.

Overall it creates a very pleasant impression of a high-quality, reliable device. This can be said about all devices of the Xiaomi brand, which, despite the relatively low cost, have an imprint of “glamor” on them - for all technical advantages They are simply pleasant to look at or hold in your hands.

Hidden inside are 4 18650 capacitive batteries manufactured by LG.

At the same time, in the original device, the assembly of all parts is made so well that the side plastic edges do not play and nothing rattles inside. On the main side panel we have all the indicators and controls. This:

• power button
• 4 LEDs - battery full indicators
• micro USB connector - for replenishing energy reserves on the most portable charger
• and regular USB for charging devices.

Here you can notice another difference with the fake - on the latter, all the elements are made less carefully.

The power button is only needed to check the remaining capacity of the power bank - it is signaled by LEDs. When you connect your phone to charge, the device turns on automatically.

Another way to check for lice is to connect the battery to itself - from micro USB to large USB. The fake will begin to charge itself, but the original will not.

And finally, let's look at the opposite side, where it is printed Technical information about PowerBank - the stamp on the fake one is brighter.

How long does the charge last?

We could check how many times this portable charger can be used on two devices - Apple iPhone 5S and iPad Mini. On an iPhone with less than 20% discharge, it lasted 6 times, with the average time ranging from 50 minutes to an hour. The iPad can be charged 2 times - both in just over an hour.

It is also worth noting here that interesting thing- despite the fact that the battery capacity is stated in large print as 10400 mAh, this value refers to the case if output voltage was equal to 3.6 Volts. But on USB connector standard voltage is 5 Volts, resulting in

the actual volume is almost halved to 6650 mAh.

Moreover, all this is absolutely honest, but unobtrusively indicated by the manufacturer in small print on the sticker. Can you imagine how small the volume of a 5200mAh charger really is?..?

As additional accessory For a Xiaomi external battery, you can buy a silicone case, which is produced in several color solutions. It will not only give a bright appearance, but also protect the phone and other objects from scratches that can be caused by the sharp edges of the PowerBank.

That's all - buy, the main thing is to carefully inspect the battery before purchasing and read reviews about the seller. Good luck!

However, hello. One boy always dreamed of an external battery (now a “power bank”). The boy needs this to see off beautiful days and nights on Russian Railways trains with a charged phone, because there are no sockets in Soviet-made cars. After the review of Xiaomi MI Power Bank 10400, I decided to buy myself the same miracle. Here I will look at the power bank from a slightly different angle and try to answer the questions that arose after reading the first review.

By tradition, about delivery. The parcel flew by Singapore Post to Moscow, after a short break in the capital (even the power bank visited Moscow, but I did not), it flew to our regional capital and arrived by train to me. The parcel traveled for 27 days. Not bad for delivery to Far East. Although, if it weren’t for customs, then everything would be simpler, because China is separated from the Far East only by a river :)
I was very worried that the parcel would go through pain and insults (Russian Post), so I asked the seller to pack it better. He reassured me and said that he would do everything. In general, the seller is a pleasure to deal with. But still, he didn’t hear my prayers and took pity on the bubbles (you won’t be able to pop a lot of balloons when you’re depressed). Thank heavens, the parcel arrived completely intact.


Yes, yes, she is not entirely whole. The paper “candy wrapper” slid a little and became wrinkled. But we didn’t buy all this because of the candy wrapper (or?!).


The packaging and appearance of the power bank create the feeling of something expensive and high quality. In fact, everything is inexpensive and very high quality.


The ribs are covered with films on both sides - the company! Admit it, you also like to remove films from new products.


The kit includes the power bank itself, a short microUSB cord that can be used to charge the power bank and to charge the gadget, and instructions ... one’s itching to plug one wire into different connectors of one bank - a perpetual motion machine! but we kids are smart and won’t do this... The power bank is much smaller in real life than it appears in the photo. It even fits in my small palm. Aluminum body. I just want to pick it up and twist and turn it. ...or go outside and defiantly carry it in your hands with your head held high, and you can even leave your smartphone at home...
What is interesting: my copy does not have the MI engraving on the lace and the inscription on the front of the “wrapper”. Apparently, this was only sculpted in the first batches. Because it showed that I have the original.

Another film covering the holes... hmm... thrill

And under the film this is:


There is only one button to view the bank charge. After poking at it, the LEDs blink for a while, indicating the charge.

And behind this:


Chinese letters, Latin letters, beautiful Arabic numbers.
From all this you can understand that:
Power bank capacity: 10400 mAh
Model: NDY-02-AD
Input current: 5V/2A
Output current: 5.1V/2.1A
Manufacturer: Electronic technology LTD, Jiangsu

Some interesting tidbits from the manufacturer’s website:
- Temperature control: The thermostat ensures that the batteries operate at a safe temperature
- Input current limiting: OVP circuit protects batteries from overvoltage
- Output current limiting: The power bank actively monitors to ensure the voltage is stable and safe
- Auto power off: when short circuit The device turns off automatically to prevent further damage
- If the power bank is accidentally plugged into the network, it will stop automatically to prevent damage to your devices.
- Charge to the limit: The charger will help you maximize the use of your devices' battery without overcharging it.
- Reboot: If some external influence caused the power bank to turn off, press the power button to resume charging
- Device detection: the power bank will automatically start charging when a device is connected
- PTC protection: If the charger overheats and the output voltage is high, PTC can control the voltage flow and protect the voltaic cells.

Well, now to his main task.
Samsung Galaxy S3 (battery 2100 mAh) is charging, charged with a cable from the bank kit, charges quickly, takes its maximum 1A. From 3% it was possible to charge it fully 4 times and the fifth time to 13% when turned on. The power bank itself produces 2A, but you can charge gadgets with both 0.5A and 1A, because the device takes as many amperes as it needs, nothing should burn out.


Tablet market retiree, or simply Samsung Galaxy Tab The P1000 is also charged from the original (for a tablet) cable. I won’t check the number of cycles on it, because... can be calculated with simple calculations approximate quantity cycles compared to a telephone.

The Samsung WB150F camera (yes, I love Samsung) is charging.


So what? It seems to me that it will charge anything that can be charged and has a USB cable. This is also stated in the instructions.
It will be possible to fully charge the vacation kit once on the road: camera (mine 1030 mAh), tablet (mine 4000 mAh) and phone (mine 2100 mAh). There will still be enough left.
When charging, white LEDs flash, which indicate the charge of the bank (and which are very difficult to photograph). Flashes quickly: every three seconds.

My power bank itself is charged from a Vertex charger with a current of 2.1A, which was purchased specifically for the bank offline for 500 rubles. You can, of course, charge from phone and tablet chargers, but I wanted fast charging (although I later learned that the batteries would last less this way). A full charge from 2.1A takes about 5 hours (plus or minus half an hour). When charging, like telephone “divisions,” the LEDs light up, indicating that one part is already charged, and the next one blinks, indicating that charging is still in progress. When fully charged, all LEDs light up. The power bank is pleasantly warm when charging.


I translated the sign from the instructions on the charging status of the power bank itself. G - lights up, M - flashes, N - doesn't light up.


With the power bank discharging when charging a gadget, the story in terms of percentage is about the same.

Brief summary of the review:
Pros:
- Design. Looks expensive and high quality.
- Capacity
- Versatility
- Compactness
- Good packing, you can carry a power bank with you.
- No fake mAhs (well, it’s a company)

Minuses:
- Not identified

This power bank deserves to be named not Xiaomi MI, but Xiaomi mi-mi-mi. He is the most power bank of all power banks, I think. Only craftsmen with golden hands can do better manually from the case and batteries, but my hands are far from being made of this precious metal... and not even gold-plated...
Very useful thing in its essence for those who often ride trains, travel or relax in nature. I'm very pleased with the purchase.

Where else can you buy it even cheaper?