Once you adopt a smartphone, you will undoubtedly have to learn its mannerisms if you want to maximize its battery life during daily use. While this can become a bit of a juggling act, having a external battery pack can often mitigate the effect of owning a power hungry smartphone.
Currently, I am using an LG G4 that is probably one of the most power hungry devices that I have used to date. Although I generally charge it overnight, it is rare that I am able to get through a full day on a single charge. Luckily, I was tasked with testing out OLALA's 6,000 mAh external battery pack.
Design
The OLALA C2 external battery pack is a perfect example of a product that has been designed to take the user into consideration. The C2 is slim, lightweight and offers options. Although a battery pack is a fairly simple concept, the C2 is a bit different as it offers a built-in charging cable for microUSB or Apple's Lightning connector (depending on model purchased). The cable is embedded into the case and can be popped out for easy charging. The C2 also offers a dedicated 2.1A USB port that can accept a standard USB charging cable, expanding the battery packs charging capabilities. Similar to other charging packs, the C2 charges its 6,000mAh battery pack via microUSB port and offers a power button that can illuminate LEDs to indicate its current charge capacity.
Charging
As mentioned previously, the C2 offers two ways to charge your device. The built-in charging cable (measuring roughly 1 1/2 inches) that can accommodate a microUSB or Lightning connector (depending on model purchased) and a standard 2.1A USB port. Utilizing the built-in charging cable is a life saver when traveling or on the go, making the entire process less cumbersome. I will say that the embedded cable is a bit short and does not provide a sufficient length for those who might want to use the phone while it is charging. But, for the most part, the external charging pack worked as expected providing the LG G4 (which utilizes a 3,000mAh battery) with more than enough battery for a full day of use.
One thing that I did notice during my time with the C2, is that when trying to charge two devices (digital camera or another external battery pack) at once, I would find the charging inactive. But, using smaller devices like the Moto 360, I had no issues. While I wasn't able to test why this phenomenon was occurring, it is most likely the result of an overload in the total amps being delivered via the built-in cable and external USB. As long as you are charging standard devices, this should not be an issue. Also, the C2 does not offer a built-in charging cable for the battery pack itself. A separate microUSB charging cable will be necessary to charge the device once depleted.
Conclusion
While I have used external battery packs in the past, I have never relied on them due to their weight and need of external cables. The OLALA C2 partially solves both of these problems, by providing a solid 6,000 mAh of power, a built-in power cable into a lightweight and svelte (5in x 2.5in x .55in ) design. While the C2 offers something different compared to its competition, at $21-25 USD, I wish the device also offered a built-in charging cable so I could charge the unit itself. This solution would eliminate the need to carry any cables and increase the devices portability and value. The C2 might not be the largest external battery pack on the market, it is a good middle ground for those looking to have power on the go and something that is truly portable. The OLALA C2 is available in the C2-a model that supports microUSB and the C2-i model that supports a Lightning connector.
I'd like to extend a big 'Thank You' to the folks at OLALA who supplied the C2-a and C2-i for this review. If you are interested in purchasing either one of these chargers, you can pick it up from OLALA's official Amazon store. You can check out more at OLALA's official product page.
Gallery: OLALA C2
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