I can see clearly now with Laser transparent power bank

Most technology are essentially black boxes to the end user. We buy the product and it magically works, or not. It is not common to get a peek behind the curtains. Unlike mechanical devices where you can see things work, electronics are a little less obvious.

However that does not stop companies presenting their units with a clear casing, as is the case with the Laser ChargeCore Transparent Power Bank.

 

First Impressions

Unlike most power banks that are largely differentiated by shape and colourways, the ChargeCore has a transparent top side that shows some of the circuitry that drives a power bank.

A digital display shows you the percentage charge onboard. What sets it apart though is two rows of five LEDs on either side so your power bank can do that little more. And most certainly cheaper than using your phone in tricky situations as a torch.

As far as the transparent part goes, the ChargeCore is only parting the curtains on one side of the device. On the end it sports three ports – two x USB-A and one x USB-C. A function button is nestled next to the USB-C port.

Lastly a elastic loop is quite firmly attached to the power bank. I gave it a pretty good tug and it’s still there.

 

In Use

Laserco specifies that the USB-C port is PD capable, and you can charge up to three devices simultaneously. The specs simply says each port is capable of 18W output but does not explicitly state if it is combined output. So that leaves me to check out the PCB and figure out what is normally hidden from view.

There is an eye catching 2R2 molding type power SMD (surface-mount device) inductor. What is an inductor? Simply put it is a passive component that is used in most electrical circuit to store energy in the form of magnetic energy when electric current flows through it.

Harder to spot the markings is an IP5356 power management SoC (System on a Chip). It is a type of integrated circuit (IC) design that combines many or all high-level function elements of an electronic device onto a single chip instead of using separate components mounted to a motherboard, as is done in traditional electronics design.

This particular model, in a very brief high level summary, supports bi-directional PD (Power Delivery) 3.0 and fast charge protocol, specifically designed for power banks. The datasheet states that it supports 18W of charging power at up to 5A. It has a maximum output capacity of 22.5W. So circling back to my earlier question a few paragraphs earlier, the three ports COMBINED cannot exceed 22.5W. So brings me to the conclusion that yes, each port is capable of 18W output but only one at a time.

 

Other Features

Laser says getting the ChargeCore up to full charge from empty will take around 4 to 5 hours with an 18W adaptor, or 11 hours with a 5W one. The round LED helpfully displays in percentage where the ChargeCore is at for power. There is a little green indicator to the side of the number to indicate that it is charging in PD mode.

What is different is the torch function which requires a double press on the function button to activate or deactivate. When the torch is activated, a single press will cycle the LEDs in low, medium, high then SOS (blinking) mode. Don’t press the buttons too fast here or it registers as a double press and will turn off.

The LEDs are of a warm temperature and this is locked in. There is no option to change this. In terms of brightness it is best described as functional. It is not going to throw light a huge distance in the dark, but it was more than adequate to light up a bedroom enough to see your way around in the medium setting. The high setting gives it that little extra oomph.

Also of note is that there is a slight delay between tapping on the buttons and getting a response. It’s not an issue once you know it, but initially it can feel like it the button is not working and you end up tapping it again.

 

Gripes

Only one really. I wish that the entire unit is made of transparent material. I do realise that it is looking at batteries are not exactly thrilling, but that is all part of the aesthetics of going transparent. There is also the added perks of having a window into seeing if the battery is starting to swell from a fault.

That said, transparent material tends to scuff and scratch easily which will negatively impact on the aesthetics. And whether it will yellow over time is something we can’t test quickly.

Also with the risk of scratches to the transparent part, a carry bag would not have gone astray.

 

Conclusions

For the same capacity at 20000 mAh, the Laser ChargeCore Transparent Power Bank is both bulkier and heavier (by about 50g) than the Laser 100W PD Power Bank 20000mAh with LED Display I reviewed concurrently.

In my view though they complement each other in my use case – I can daisy-chain them to give the 100W power bank an extra boost of juice to keep me working longer. It is also quite substantially lower in price at just AUD$49.95.

It is also substantially cheaper than using a flagship smart phone as a torch where it hurts the wallet a lot more if you drop that and break it.

DRN would like to thank Laser for providing the review unit.

 

Specifications

Weight: 449 gms
USB (Power Input): 5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A
Dimensions: 13.5 x 6.8 x 3.7 cm
USB-C Output: 18W (5V/3A, 9V/2.22A, 12V/1.67A)
USB-A Output: 18W (5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.67A)

What’s in the Box
20,000 mAh Power Bank
50cm USB C Charging cable
User manual