How can I tell the difference between a fake and a genuine power banks?
When shopping for power banks, be wary of fake products that have far less capacity than what they claim on their packaging or could have a faulty battery that could explode.
Power banks are very important for smartphone owners. There are a lot of suspicious power banks on the market, with tags that indicate high capacity and low prices.
Buyers must exercise extreme caution when it comes to researching the brands they intend to purchase to determine whether they are authentic.
But how can you calculate a battery’s capacity? Do the milliamp-hours (mAh) on the power banks you’re considering accurately reflect their capacity?
Here, we’ll show you how you can identify a fake power bank from various manufacturers and how to tell them apart.
This article will surely help you find the right device for 2022, whether it’s from Xiaomi, Tecno, or another manufacturer. Here are a few methods to tell if a power bank is genuine. The mAh rating of a power bank is important to understand first.
It is standard practice for power banks manufacturers in the West and many other countries to list the device’s capacity in watt-hours (Wh) and milliamp-hours (mAh). It is not just power banks that adhere to this standard, but smartphones and laptops do, stating their battery capacity in Wh rather than mAh. This is the case because mAh measurements are voltage-dependent, whereas Wh readings are accurate capacity measurements regardless of voltage. When a device’s mAh capacity is stated in milliamperes (mAh), the standard voltage is 3.7V. There are 10,000mAh devices that can provide 1,000mAh of power for 10 hours at the 3.7V voltage level.
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This “capacity” measurement will be less accurate at higher voltages, as should be noted. The same power bank’s capacity drops to 7,400mAh at 5V.
The actual energy capacity of the cell, rather than the amount of time it can supply current at a specific voltage, should be used to measure this device’s capacity: 37Wh accurately.
Put another way, watt-hours (Wh) equal amp-hours (Ah) times voltage (V). With this formula, the 10,000mAh power bank’s Wh capacity is 37Wh.
No matter what voltage is used to calculate the mAh, this number will remain constant because it represents the number of hours the device can supply 1W of power.
Many countries prefer to measure the capacity of their power banks in terms of milliamperes (mAh) rather than milliampere-hours (mAh) because 3.7V is the standard voltage for most smartphones and tablets.
Packaging of power banks
Original packaging is used to house the majority of genuine power banks. They speak English and a few other languages as well.
They include their contact information in their packs, such as their website address. Additional information, such as the external battery’s capacity, can also be found on the same packs.
Optional three-pin plug
This is one of the primary advantages of genuine power banks. This three-pin plug is a must among the best brands I’ve seen, such as Yoobao. All of the attachments mentioned are included in a single package from the bank.
The serial number on power banks
Most genuine power banks have serial numbers printed on the packaging, and many of these can be verified as genuine by visiting the supplier’s or manufacturer’s website.
Longer Life
Original power banks are guaranteed to last as long as their mAh rating indicates. One can charge his phone and other devices while the bank is still plugged in. If it’s draining faster than expected but taking a long time to recharge, there’s a good chance it’s not an original but a fake
User manuals
Manuals are standard equipment for most genuine products. For example, in the case of the Xiaomi power banks, there is a user manual included.
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Additional tips to consider when buying power banks
- “No name brand” devices that are significantly less expensive than the competition, and cheap power banks, should be avoided. If a power bank seems too good to be real, it almost always is. Once the products had been shipped, the brand names appeared on the packaging.
- Pass-through charging is supported by original power banks, such as those made by Xiaomi, such as the Mi. This means that the power bank can simultaneously charge a mobile phone connected to it. An input charger must supply enough power to power the device; charging via a PC’s USB port will not help. Fake versions lack this feature and will simply charge the device attached, not transmitting any power.
- Genuine power banks have lighter, more visible printing ink that is grayish in color. Moving your fingers over it will reveal that it has a nice texture. True ones are usually darker and blurry in black printing, while fake ones are often ambiguous at best.
- If you’re still unsure of the power bank’s authenticity, open it up and inspect the batteries inside: Batteries from Panasonic, Samsung, and LG, among other international brands, are used in genuine versions of the item. Pink-colored batteries that are either locally made or counterfeited.
Signs that something is wrong with the power banks you want to buy
Inspection of the actual cells and comparison with the product’s stated capacity is the only surefire way to tell if power banks are fake, but there are several other telltale signs that buyers should be on the lookout for. The following are the most obvious indications that a power bank is a fake:
- Despite its stated capacity, the power bank is too small.
- The power bank is very light for its stated capacity.
- The power bank’s brand and capacity are very cheap at this price point.
Don’t rush into making a purchase. Do your own research first and make sure you fully understand what you’re buying. Look up the brand’s reputation online, and then read customer reviews to get the bare minimum of information.
And our final suggestion Is don’t risk it, always choose reputable brands over cheap and new ones that nobody has bought anything from them.
