Hey gang, Valkor here. The life of smartphone batteries has changed since I first entered the field with the iPhone 3G. Back then, I could barely make it to one destination of my commute before the sucker starts to run dry. Nowadays, most mobile phones have pretty good battery life and I can make it to my place of work and back home again without needing to top up. However, it’s always best to keep a battery pack handy just in case there’s a need for it. And Ventev is there to fill that need with their latest pack to enter the Val-Cave: the Powercell 6000c. It’s as if the Powercell 6000 and 10,000 got together and created a sleeker, sexier version of itself.
The Powercell 6000c battery pack starts out lightweight, with a slim frame, though not as slim as the myCharge RazorMax (pic below related). Still, it easily slips in and out of most bags, pockets, and pouches with ease. At the top are your power button and indicator lights for checking to see how much juice the pack has. On the left is a USB to charge your device and microUSB to charge up the pack. Now over on the right is an attached microUSB cable (it also comes in a Lightning version) that outputs to 5V, 2.1A “rapid charge”. It finishes out beautifully in an aluminum casing, featuring Ventev’s orange/gray color scheme.
Now I compared it in size to myCharge’s RazorMax, but for testing, I went with what I did with the Powercell 6000. And that was to drain the Nexus 6 down to 15% and charge the device with the Powercell 6000c for one hour. When I returned, the Nexus 6 had gone up to 68%, which is a bit better than the 6000. It could be the attached cable that helps to give it a little extra juice? But I think each experience will be different and I’d love to hear from you guys if you're also using this pack.
The Bang:
Ventev just can’t stop racking up wins as they score another gold medal with the Powercell 6000c. I dig its lightweight, metal finish design, and the attached cable is an added bonus! But what I can truly appreciate about the pack is how much faster (even if it’s slight) it’ll bring your device to a decent charge. Plus it’s easier to hang on to than the 6000, which makes walking around and doing whatever, whether it’s gaming, texting or talking less of a hassle - even for my clumsy hands. Finally, the 6000c is equally as portable as the RazorMax, easily fitting where you need it to go such as a pouch, messenger or carry-on bag. If you flip through the pages of TOV’s TechView, you’ll see I’ve gone through my share of battery packs. And while I sing the praises of most of them, I have to say that Ventev’s Powercell 6000c is certainly one of the best portable packs on the market.
The Slack:
There’s only one very slight drawback I have with the pack. It’s not really that big of a deal and won’t cost the device a point. But I really wish it was plug and go. Prime example would be, I recently plugged in my device to the 6000c and dropped it in my bag. And after a half-hour later, I went to check on it to see that I actually lost power. Yup! I forgot to push the power button. I hope, going forward, that the next version of the Powercell features this “plug it and forget it” option.
Ventev’s Powercell 6000c is available now and its one of the quickest (slightly), lightweight and easily portable packs I’ve come across. Yes, I do compare it to myCharge’s RazorMax, but the 6000c does well enough to stand out on its own, making this one battery pack you’ll want to invest in. And out of TOV 5 stars, I’m giving Ventev Powercell 6000c 5 stars.
