The portable battery charger market is quickly becoming one of most crowded and competitive markets of any smartphone accessory, with offerings from every corner of the world marketing their own take on the portable charger. Powerpod is one such company, founded in Melbourne, Australia, who is looking to market not only its unique take on the battery itself, but also in the way that it is available when you need it the most. More on that later.
Today, we’re going to be taking a look at the Powerpod Overnighter, and with a battery charge of 4800 mAh, is currently the largest capacity portable charger that Powerpod sells. You might think that 4800mAh is nothing compared to some of those monster batteries out there, but the name of it says it all: Overnighter. If you need your device charged but aren’t going home to sleep, or maybe you’re having a big night on the town, the Overnighter will be the one to stop your device from running out of battery when you need it the most.
Straight out of the box, you’ll get the Overnighter, a 12cm USB cable with mini USB tip as well as additional connectors for Apple devices with 30-pin connections and a micro USB. You’ll also get a user manual which will give you a brief rundown of all the standard information as well as what the lights on the Overnighter indicate when they are on.
Aesthetically, I quite like the look of the Overnighter; it’s simple and refined. As well as the black unit in this review, the charger also comes in blue, silver, green and red. The outer shell of the Overnighter is aluminium which gives it a very polished look and gives it a bit of weight as well. In terms of size, the Overnighter fits perfectly in one hand, making it the perfect dimensions to be put in a handbag or a backpack for emergencies. If there’s one complaint to be had it is that the top and bottom edges of the Overnighter are quite sharp, particularly the aluminium edges, making it a riskier prospect for putting it in your pant pockets.
On the top face of the charger, you’ll find your inputs and outputs for the device, as well as a LED which can be switched on and off with a long press of the main button. The included 12cm USB cable is the perfect companion for the Overnighter; too often have I seen portable chargers come packaged with cables that are far too long when all that’s needed is a short cable for use while your device charges in your bag or even in your hand.
On the technical side of things, as was mentioned before, the Overnighter has a capacity of 4800 mAh, which doesn’t seem like a lot, but is actually enough to fully charge my Note 2 with some juice left over, though for escapades that last longer than just one night, you may have to wait till Powerpod releases the “Over-several-nighter”. The Overnighter charges at 1A and also charge devices at 1A, which will suffice in most cases.
And that way that Powerpod intends to get these little bundles of electrical salvation to you when you most need it? It’s starting off small and close to home, but Powerpod already has 16 vending machines set up around Melbourne, usually at train stations, with Overnighters and Powerpod’s other portable charger, the Powerpod Slimline, all charged up and ready to be used. Check out all the locations you can find one of these vending machines HERE if you live around Melbourne, but make sure to keep your eye on this as we’ve been told this number is set to multiply and spread around Australia.
And the price of this convenience? The RRP of the Powerpod Overnighter is $45, which could be darn near priceless if you’re running low on battery while you’re out. Powerpod also currently ships all around Australia as well as to the United Kingdom. The Powerpod Overnighter then is a very convenient, sleek, portable package that can potentially save your night, and if not your night, then your device’s night.
Check out Powerpod’s website HERE for more information about Powerpod and its products.
Accessory: Powerpod Overnighter
Powerpod Overnighter product page
Price: $44.95 AUD
