It’s amazing how the modern-day lifestyle has changed. People are now mobile, connected and carry a multitude of different devices, daily. It isn’t uncommon to see people carrying two smartphones, a tablet and more. Which makes one accessory a critical piece of kit in our mobile arsenal – the external backup battery. Here I have the weirdly named UTOO S3 Powerbank for review, a fashionably slim battery pack that would not look out of place beside your sexy new HTC One or Samsung GALAXY S4.
Design and build
It’s amazing how thin the UTOO S3 is, its sturdy ABS structure measuring just 132 x 68.5 x 13.7mm. The exterior has a crystal clear finishing, giving it a somewhat glossy look. It’s minimalist in nature, the front parading only its UTOO brand name and a quartet of multi-colour LED indicators.
On the bottom are a mini-USB input port and full-size USB (1A) output port.
On the right side of the chassis is a built-in cable, neatly tucked in and hidden. Definitely a plus point for the sexy accessory. No need to bring an additional cable or risk misplacing one when you need to use the power bank.
Features
The UTOO S3 houses a 3.7V/5,000mAh (18.5Wh) lithium polymer battery, that is claimed to last 1,000 charge cycles and has a 92% conversion ratio. Coupled with an intelligent power management system that features automatic off/on, automatic charging/discharging, intelligent protection and intelligent display; the S3 ensures safe and reliable use.
What’s really cool is that the UTOO S3 also includes somatosensory operation – where you can quickly check the status of the battery by shaking or tilting the battery.
Performance
Understandably the UTOO S3 takes several hours to charge to its full 5,000mAh capacity. When at full capacity, it can quickly charge a smartphone to full capacity, twice. Usage is pretty mindless. Just plug and go. If you need to quickly check the status of the battery, just shake it and the LED lights will come on. It’s a pretty innovative feature, in my opinion.
But most importantly is that the little device works and charges as promised. I can get my smartphone charged up fully from dead, in about an hour.
My only gripe is that it doesn’t come with a charger, so you’ll need to use your existing smartphone charger to charge up the pack.
For more photos, visit Flickr.
Specs at a glance
- 5,000mAh capacity
- 1A output
- Slim casing
- Somatosensory operation – shake for status
- Built-in cable
- Intelligent power management
- High quality lithium polymer battery (up to 1,000 charge cycles)
Pros
- Amazingly slim
- Attractive design
- Easy to use
- Built-in cable
- Fast-charging, reliable use
- Good price
Cons
- No bundled charger
Pricing and availability
The UTOO S3 is priced at RM79 (SRP) and available at all major retail stores. The slimmer UTOO S2 (3,000mAh) is also available, priced at RM49 (SRP). The UTOO brand is distributed by Aigo Distribution Sdn Bhd.
Overall impressions
The UTOO S3 certainly beats plenty of existing powerbanks in the market in terms of looks and sheer sexiness of the package. A solid performer with its 5,000mAh capacity, innovative somatosensory operation and intelligent power management. And a good price, too.
