Power banks. It used to be an essential accessory for everyone. Today, power banks are still useful for many use cases – especially these power banks can output high power. This Tronsmart PB20 is a 20,000mAh power bank that comes with an interesting twist.
I dub the Tronsmart PB20 the best power bank for this transitional period – and here’s why.
Unboxing
It’s a pretty simple packaging. There are a few feature highlights at the front and that’s it.
At the back, we can see more details regarding its selection of ports and its respective voltage/current for each port.
Opening up the box reveals the basic accessories that come with power banks. We have a pretty short, flat micro USB cable.
Design
Remember when we posted this? We raged on the multiple different USB cables that we need to have so that we can charge our gadgets.
But then comes the Tronsmart PB20. This power bank comes with a total of 3 ports, and here are its functions:
- USB-A: For output only, 5V/3A max
- Micro USB: For input only, 5V/2A max
- USB-C: For both input and output. 5V/3A max
And that USB-C port is the most important here. This power bank covers both generations of devices – older devices that are using micro USB and also newer devices that use USB-C. This is going to be the most inclusive power bank that I’ve used – ever.
One thing to take note is that the USB-C port is at the side. Honestly, I don’t like where it is located. So, I need to buy a right-angled USB-C to USB-C cable so the cable doesn’t protrude at an awkward angle.
The power bank itself is not exactly the smallest since it is packing up 20,000mAh capacity anyway. There is also a display to show the battery capacity in percentage. For me personally, I prefer some LEDs to indicate the battery instead of this 7-segment display. There’s also a button on the side to check the battery level.
The textures on the Tronsmart PB20 is a rather weird one. On the top, it’s made out of this soft-touch material, but at the bottom, it has a texture that feels like a piece of fabric with low thread count. Not a big deal though.
Charging performance
Alright, let’s get down to the charging speed. The Tronsmart PB20 can output a maximum of 5V 3A, which tops off at 15W. However, this is not compliant with Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 3.0 or later.
So, in our test, we used the Xiaomi Mi 9 (review) and a total of 3 different chargers – the Tronsmart PB20, the Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 stock charger, and also a standard 5V 2A charger that we use for all charger tests that we use.
The result is quite unexpected. This is where we can tangibly proof that there are multiple ways to achieve the same wattage. Balancing between voltage and current important – and higher wattage doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the fastest. Still, it is faster than the standard 5V 2A.
For those who want to charge the Nintendo Switch (like me), then the Tronsmart PB20 is suitable as well. With 5V 3A, the Switch can be charged slowly while playing – which is good enough.
Wrapping up the Tronsmart PB20
Overall, I think the Tronsmart PB20 is still a great power bank. Packed with 20,000mAh in capacity and can output 5V 3A but it doesn’t provide the fastest charging speed since it is not in compliant with Qualcomm’s QuickCharge standards. However, you can charge the Nintendo Switch pretty well in handheld mode.
Also, I still say that the Tronsmart PB20 is the best power bank for this transitional period to go full USB-C. It can be charged with both USB-C and micro USB, so yeah – it’s perfect.
The price though, it’s RM159. It’s quite good for the capacity and the capacity of it – and most importantly, the selection of ports.
Where to buy?
From Tronsmart Malaysia’s official store.
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