Most modern phones and tablets have batteries large enough to last several hours, and often a whole day, without a charger. The problem arises when traveling, when you usually have to carry an adapter, a cable and constantly look for an outlet. However, a classic charger is not always necessary. In many situations, it is enough to bring a USB cable, and an even safer option is a high-quality portable power bank.
The first scenario is that you don’t have a charger, but you do have a USB cable. Today, you can find USB ports in airports, hospitals, coffee shops, shopping malls, rest areas, restaurants, theme parks and other public places. Some bars and stations have special charging points, often with cables already installed.
However, the most common will still be USB-A ports, so it’s practical to have a USB-A to USB-C cable, rather than just a USB-C cable with both ends. Charging via public USB ports will generally not be fast, so expect a longer wait.
You can also charge the phone without a classic charger, at publicly available USB ports or with a power bank, but caution is not out of the question.
There is also a security risk. Public USB stations can be problematic because data can be transferred over the same cable in addition to electricity. That’s why the US FBI and TSA are warning users to be careful. If you often use public USB ports, it is useful to have a USB data blocker, a small adapter that only allows charging but blocks data transmission.
If you don’t even have a cable, an alternative can be wireless charging stations, where they exist. Certain systems, such as the Aircharge network, have an application for finding compatible locations, but availability depends on the city and region.
Another scenario is carrying a power bank external battery. It is an additional device, but it can replace the classic charger and outlet when you are on the move. The power bank can fit in a backpack, bag, case, special pocket or directly on the back of the phone if it supports MagSafe or a similar magnetic system. There are also cases with a built-in battery, such as the Mophie Juice Pack models for the iPhone.
If you want fast charging, the power bank must support the appropriate standard and sufficient output power. It is also worth paying attention to the capacity, built-in cables, Qi wireless charging, MagSafe compatibility and additional functions. For longer trips, it is better to choose a more reliable model from a well-known manufacturer than the cheapest battery of unknown origin.
Cheap power bank devices sometimes have weaker cells, incorrectly stated capacity or worse protection systems. It’s not just a matter of performance, but also of safety, especially during air travel, where battery incidents are becoming more common.
That’s why the best compromise is simple: for short outings, bring only a good USB cable and preferably a USB data blocker, and for trips a quality power bank. Thus, you can charge the phone without a classic charger, but without unnecessary risk to the device and data, writes BGR.