Comparison Hoco Q26 Joy vs Hoco J117 Esteem

The real capacity of the power bank.

Real capacity is the amount of energy that a power bank is able to transfer to rechargeable gadgets. This amount is inevitably lower than the nominal capacity (see above) — most often by about 1.6 times (due to the fact that part of the energy goes to additional features and transmission losses). However, it is by real capacity that it is easiest to evaluate the actual capabilities of an external battery: for example, if this figure is 6500 mAh, this model is guaranteed to be enough for two full charges of a smartphone with a 3000 mAh battery and smartwatches for 250 mAh.

The capacity in this case is indicated for 5 V — the standard USB charging voltage. At the same time, the features of milliamp-hours as a unit of capacity are such that the actual amount of energy in the battery depends not only on the number of mAh, but also on the operating voltage. In fact, this means that when using fast charging technologies (see below) that involve increased voltage, the actual value of the actual capacity will differ from the claimed one (it will be lower). There are formulas and methods for calculating this value, they can be found in special sources.

The total charge power provided by the power bank on all connectors overnight - when devices are connected simultaneously to all charging ports.

This parameter is given due to the fact that the total charge power does not always correspond to the sum of the maximum powers of all available ports. The built-in battery of a power bank often has its own limitation on the output power. Therefore, for example, in a model with two 18 W USB ports, each total charge power can be the same 18 W. Note that the distribution of power among the connectors may be different: in some models it is divided equally, in others it is divided in proportion to the maximum current strength (if it differs on different ports). These nuances should be clarified using the detailed characteristics of the charging connectors.

If you plan to regularly use all power bank connectors at once, you should pay attention to this indicator.

USB type C is a popular type of USB connector characterized by its small size, reversible design, and fairly advanced (in theory) capabilities. If there are several connectors of this type, the first one is considered to be capable of delivering more power.

It is characterized by the rated power supplied by the power bank when a load is connected to the first or only USB type C output and the current strength. The speed of the charging process directly depends on the power. It is traditionally calculated by multiplying the current by the voltage; However, the standard voltage for USB power is 5 V, so current is considered to be the main indicator of power.

The magnitude of the charging current directly determines the power supplied to the device being charged - and, accordingly, the maximum speed of the process (in practice, it may be lower if the device being charged has strict restrictions on the charge current). Power is also determined by the supply voltage (the number of watts is calculated by multiplying amperes by volts); While the standard USB output voltage is 5V, many fast charging technologies (see below) use higher voltages. Therefore, in the notes to this paragraph, the maximum power on the USB type C connector is also indicated.

As for specific values, the most popular option for USB type C outputs in modern power banks is 3 A. There are also other value...s - both smaller ( 2.4 A, 2.1 A and 2 A) and larger ones - but noticeably less frequently.

Nominal charge current supported by the power bank when charging its own battery via microUSB, USB type C, or Lightning (see "Battery charging inputs").

This is the maximum and, in fact, the recommended power bank charge current. If the amperes supplied by the power source exceed this value, the charge current will still be limited by the built-in controller to avoid overloading. And using a charger with a lower output current, in turn, will lead to an increase in charging time.

Data on the charge current via USB (Lightning) is especially important due to the fact that modern power banks are usually not equipped with their own chargers for these inputs, and energy sources must be separate. On the other hand, if a high charging speed is not critical for you, you can ignore this parameter: any USB connector is suitable as a power source for the corresponding power bank inputs.

Fast charging technologies supported by the power bank. This is primarily about charging external gadgets, but the same technology can also be used when replenishing the power bank itself.

The fast charging feature, hence the name, can significantly reduce the time spent on the procedure. This is achieved through increased current and/or voltage, as well as smart process control (at each stage, the current and voltage correspond to the optimal parameters).

Fast charging is especially important for devices with high-capacity batteries that take a long time to charge normally. However, to fully use this feature, the power source and the gadget being charged must support the same charging technology; at the same time, different technologies are not compatible with each other, although occasionally there are exceptions. The most popular fast charging formats these days are QuickCharge (versions 3.0, 4.0 and 4.0+), Power Delivery (Power Delivery 3.0 and Power Delivery 3.1), Pump Express, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging, Huawei Fast Charge Protocol, Huawei SuperCharge Protocol, OPPO VOOC, OnePlus Dash Charge ; Here are the specific features of these, as well as some other options:

— Quick Charge (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0). Technology created by Qualcomm and used in gadgets with Qualcomm CPUs. The later the version, the more advanced the technology: for example, Quick Charge 2.0 has 3 fixed voltage options, and version 3.0 has a smooth adjustment in the range from 3.6 to 20 V. Most often, gadgets with a newer version of Quick Charge are also compatible with older devices for charging, but for full use, an exact match in versions is desirable.
Also note that certain versions of Quick Charge have become the basis for some other technologies. However, again, the mutual compatibility of chargers/power banks and gadgets supporting these technologies needs to be clarified separately.

— Pump Express. Own development of MediaTek, used in portable devices with CPUs of this brand. Also available in several versions, with improvements and additions as it develops.

— Power delivery. Native fast charging technology for the USB type C connector. Used by many brands, found mainly in chargers (including power banks) and gadgets using this type of connector. Presented in several versions.

— Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging. Samsung's proprietary fast charging technology. It has been used without any changes since 2015, in light of which it looks quite modest compared to newer standards. Nevertheless, it is able to provide good speed, especially in the first 50% of the charge.

— Huawei FastCharge Protocol. One of Huawei's proprietary technologies. Formally similar to Quick Charge 2.0, but used with both Qualcomm and other brands of mobile processors, so compatibility is not guaranteed. In general, it is considered obsolete, gradually being replaced by more advanced standards like the SuperCharge Protocol.

— Huawei SuperCharge Protocol. Another proprietary technology from Huawei introduced in 2016; for 2021 is available in several versions. In some devices, the power of such charging exceeds 60 V — not a record, but quite an indicator.

— Oppo VOOC. OPPO technology, used both in branded smartphones and in equipment from other brands. Available in several versions; The latest (for 2021) version of SuperVOOC is for 2-cell batteries and is sometimes listed as a separate technology called Oppo SuperVOOC Flash Charge.

— OnePlus Dash Charge. A relatively old proprietary standard from OnePlus. An interesting feature is that in some gadgets, the effectiveness of Dash Charge is practically independent of the use of the screen: when the display is on, the battery charges at almost the same rate as when it is off. Technically a licensed version of OPPO's VOOC, however, these technologies are not compatible. Since 2018, Dash Charge has been phased out by Warp Charge, but this newer technology is still rare in separately sold chargers and power banks.

— PowerIQ. Technology developed by the Anker brand. The key feature of PowerIQ is that it is not a standalone standard, but a combined format of operation that combines a wide range of popular fast charging formats. In particular, version 3.0 claims the ability to work with Quick Charge, Power Delivery, Apple Fast Charging, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging and others.

The main material used in the the body of a power bank.

In addition to traditional plastic, nowadays, external batteries are produced in cases made of more advanced and/or "prestigious" materials. Of these materials, aluminium is the most widely used; also you can find products made of steel, zinc, leather, fabric and even wood. Here are the main features of each option:

— Plastic. The most popular material for the bodies of modern power banks. Plastic, on the one hand, is inexpensive, on the other hand, it is quite durable and has a small weight, on the third hand, it makes it easy to create cases of any shape and colour, which is especially important for devices with an unusual design. In terms of strength and reliability, ordinary plastic is somewhat inferior to metals; however, in everyday use, this difference is not critical — except that scratches on such a case will appear faster. And for extreme conditions, cases can be produced from special impact-resistant plastic.

— Aluminium. Aluminium alloy housings are highly durable and lightweight; in addition, they look stylish, and the appearance is retained for a long time due to scratch resistance. The main disadvantage of aluminium is that it is more expensive than pla...stic.

— Steel. Steel is notable for its high durability and reliability; according to these indicators, it surpasses even aluminium, not to mention plastic. On the other hand, this material has a significant weight, and therefore is used much less frequently.

— Leather. Solid body (plastic or metal) with additional leather cover. Such a coating does not affect the functionality and plays a purely aesthetic role: it gives the device a stylish and eye-catching appearance, allowing you to turn the power bank into a stylish accessory. However, note that in the design of such products (especially inexpensive ones), artificial leather (leatherette) is often used, which is noticeably inferior to natural leather in reliability, durability, and sometimes in appearance. Genuine leather, on the other hand, significantly affects the price — its cost can be more than half of the total price of the entire power bank.

— Fabric. A hard case (usually plastic) with a fabric outer covering. Such a coating not only gives the device a rather original appearance, but also gives some practical advantages: the fabric is pleasant to the touch and does not slip in the hand, which reduces the risk of dropping the power bank. On the other hand, various contaminants are poorly removed from such a surface, it has no fundamental advantages over plastic or metal, but it costs much more. Therefore, fabric cases are not very popular.

— Wood. Another design material used mainly for its original appearance than practical advantages. Nevertheless, wood is not inferior to plastic; and some users also consider the natural origin of this material to be an important advantage. On the other hand, wooden cases do not have noticeable advantages over plastic ones, and they cost much more.

— Zinc. Zinc alloys are similar in most properties to the aluminium alloys described above, however, for a number of reasons (in particular, due to the greater complexity in production), they are used extremely rarely.