GPSForLess U2O Universal Mini USB Emergency Charger

Introduction

Have you ever been out travelling light with only your phone and wallet for company, and then seen that your phone is low on charge when you need to make an important call, or send out a text message? I have done this myself on numerous occasions, but it won't be a worry anymore now that I carry the U2O Universal Mini USB Emergency Charger in my pocket! Read on to see how this mini marvel shapes up.......

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Many thanks to Craig at gpsforless.co.uk who provided 4WM with a review sample.

The GPSForLess U2O Universal Mini USB Emergency Charger can be found on their site here.

Technical Specifications

Features

• 12 hours standby time
• 40 minutes talk time
• 5V output allows you to charge any device that takes 5v (most portable devices are 5v)
• Rechargeable lithium ion battery
• LED torch light
• Micro design
• 350mAh
• Stylish design
• Quick charging

Product Specification

• Input voltage: DC 5V/300mA
• Output voltage: DC 5V/250mA
• Product size: L=49mm x W=25mm x H=14mm
• Product weight:15g

Adapter Specification

• Mini USB female to charge battery
• Mini USB male to charge device

Review






Once the postman had delivered the carefully packaged emergency charger I opened it in haste, and wasn't disappointed when I saw how small and light the charger was (as illustrated next to a two pound coin). The review sample I have looks good in the highly fashionable gloss black finish and is very well constructed too, with a look and feel of quality about it. The tight fitting charger cap comes with an elasticated loop that is ideal for fixing to your keyring.



















The close up shots here show the female mini USB input for charging on the left, and the male mini USB outlet on the right, which plugs into whatever 5 Volt device you wish to put power into.
















To charge up the emergency battery I connected it straight into my PC using my own male USB to male mini USB lead. I gave the charger a few 'runs' on various phones and devices before compiling any figures; that way the emergency charger would then settle in and reach its optimum charge / discharge cycle. The built in LED gives out a bright green light when fully charged and a bright red light when charging to full capacity.


















The U2O mini USB emergency charger can be used on any 5 Volt device and is seen here in action charging my HTC Diamond PDA phone and Motorola S9 Bluetooth stereo headphones.


















As a bonus and an added touch of class, the U2O doubles up as a small torch using a single LED bulb, and functions by squeezing in the sides of the charger. It is very bright and handy in the dark for those "I can't find the lock to put the key in moments"!











Test Results

I used my HTC Diamond in sleep mode as a test device because I could then measure the charge it received in increments of 1% on its battery meter. The 350mAh U2O Universal Mini USB Emergency Charger was connected via my PC each time I charged it so that I could acccurately assess the time it took to fully charge.

The results from the test were very consistant, the charger took an average of 1.4 hours to charge, and the HTC Diamond gained on average a 25% charge to the 900mAh battery. All tests were carried out within 12 hours of charging the emergency battery.

Conclusions

Overall I am very impressed with the U2O Universal Mini USB Emergency Charger; it is very small and light and is so easy to keep in your pocket or on a keyring. It also looks good and packs a punch for its size, and the built in LED torch is a great bonus.

The U2O Universal Mini USB Emergency Charger is available in four other colours, and is also available for many other connector types too. At only £10.98 including VAT I think it is excellent value, and very useful too.