Hey gang, Valkor here. CES 2013 is a little more than one week away… and my body is ready. Not only does my body have to stay at some form of condition where I'm able to sustain a walk through the showfloor and various other venues, but I'll need something to help keep my gear in check – and most press attendees other than myself, will be carrying loads of tech to give the show the fullest of coverage. In order to maintain health in my devices I've tested and approved the PowerBag Instant Messenger (the backpack and other types will do as well). But when that runs out and I have nowhere else to turn, in steps in - myCharge Summit 3000, which looks to turn any bag into a "PowerBag".
The Summit 3000 comes from a lineup of portable charges, which include the Sojourn and Voyage 1000, Trek 2000, and the Peak 6000, all of which provide the same function – to give your portable devices a boost when their running low on energy. The Summit 3000 is a pocket-sized device that features a built-in Micro USB cable, Apple connector, and USB plug. The USB plug lets you plug in the Summit 3000 into any USB outlet such as a laptop, gaming console, or desktop computer. There's also a USB port that enables you to plug in any device that has a USB plug option; in my case that would be my Playstation Vita. Ultimately, you can have up to three devices charging simultaneously.
The myCharge Summit 3000 comes equipped with a rapid charging, rechargeable 3000mah battery, depending on how drained your device is, it can take up to two hours to get it up to speed. When the battery in the Summit is drained, you simply plug it into a wall socket to fill er up again (or use that USB plug option mentioned above). The battery pack also features "intelligent charges"; if you're plugging in multiple devices, the Summit 3000 will prioritize what device needs power the most. And saving the best for last, the Summit has voice notification, which will alert you when the device is charging (when plugged in), when it's charging a device, and how much juice it has left. Voice notification comes in four different languages – English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
I gave the Summit 3000 multiple runs with a slew of devices including The Playstation Vita, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S3, and Lenovo's IdeaTab S2110A. And for good measure I threw in my SnakeByte Premium PS# Controller and Clear Wireless Hotspot. And what I was left with shall be revealed in the TOV Breakdown.
The Bang:
First up the Summit 3000 is small enough that it can easily fit in your pants pocket, a purse, messenger bag or backpack with no issue. And it doesn't weigh that much so that's an added bonus. As far as charging goes, well that all depends on what you put into it. I started with the iPhone 4s, moving on to the other two phones and the Summit got me up and ready in about 1hr and a half, charging each device individually. However the same can be said when I plugged in two devices at once – roughly 2 hours, with each device half full (or half empty depending on your perspective). I like the voice indicator alot, which is great because you only need to press a button and it lets you know how much gas is left in the tank. Now I like the indicator lights on the PowerBag, but you have to wait for it to boot up. With the Summit, that's not the case. Finally the Summit is great to take along on your commute, business trip, or even leisure trips - whether it be by land, sea, or air. You can even keep it in the glove compartment of your car, just in case you run into an emergency and your phone is near its end. You only have to be sure to take the device out to charge it once in awhile or else you'll be sooooorry. And that brings us to…
The Slack:
Once your device is fully charge, the Summit 3000 is drained; not sure if it's the battery type but the one in the PowerBag last much longer than the Summit. Maybe it's how each system distributes the power, but I found myself having to fully recharge the Summit before moving on to test the next device. Finally, for you tablet owners out there, you might want to consider getting the larger Peak 6000, especially if your tablet device is with you constantly and you'd like to keep that and another device juiced up.
I can remember a time when it was a race to find the nearest outlet just to get enough juice to carry out a phone call; now we're at a time when we're carrying multiple devices in need of constant attention, and sometimes it's difficult finding an outlet when you need it most. Thankfully the MyCharge Summit 3000 fills a need, freeing us from the constraints of desperately tracking down a wall outlet just when our devices are in the red. If you're interested in this power option, click that logo to the right and pick your poison of the many myCharge devices available. But as it stands for the Summit 3000, I'm giving it 4 stars out of TOV 5. And the Summit 3000 has been Valkor tested, TOV Approved!
