Last year Fahim reviewed the Shargeek powerbank which looks like a cyberpunk product of the future because it has a futuristic and transparent design. I admit that I am quite interested in this powerbank but with the selling price of RM1099 I feel it is too extreme. A few months ago, Ugreen launched a new powerbank under the Nexode series with an LCD screen. This is my review for Ugreen Nexode PowerBank 20,000 mAh and Ugreen Nexode PowerBank 12000 mAh.
Ugreen Nexode PowerBank 20,000 mAh
SPECIFICATIONS
Battery Capacity 20,000mAh
72Wh
2x USB-C Connection Ports
1x USB-A
PD 3.0 Charging Standard
QC 3.0
Input Power 65W Max
USB-C1 Output Power : 5V/3A 9V/3A 12V/3A 15V/3A 20V/5A 100W Max
USB-C2 : 10V/2.25A 5V/3A 9V/3A 12V/2.5A 30W Max
5V/3A 9V/2A 12V/1.5A 10V/2.25A 22.5W Max
LCD screen
Accessories 1x Velvet storage bag
1x USB-C to USB-C 100W Cable
Airplane Friendly Yes
Weight 476
Selling Price RM269
Ugreen Nexode PowerBank 20000 mAh is a powerbank with a capacity of 20,000 mAh and supports charging up to 130W. Slightly smaller in capacity compared to Ugreen 100W | 25000mAh that I reviewed almost a year ago. It has a more boxy design instead of being wide and flat and has the ability to charge at a higher power.
The body finish is the same as the plastic material in a metallic gray color that does not trap dirt. With its boxy shape it is easier to hold in the hand because it is not too flat. In front there is an LCD screen that displays the output and input of power when charging is done.
On the right side there is a power button to start charging. A pair of rubber soles are placed at the bottom so that this powerbank can be placed on a table surface without worrying about it falling.
The powerbank has one USB-C 100W, one USB-C 30W and one USB-A 22.5W charger. If all three ports are in use, only one USB-C port charges at full 100W power while the other two ports are limited to 15W only. The supported charging formats are PD 3.0 and QC 3.0 which are supported by the majority of electronic devices on the market.
USAGE EXPERIENCE
Because of the 130W output, it can charge not only a smartphone but also a laptop such as the MacBook Pro M2 which only needs 100W of power. When charging, the LCD screen on the side of the body will show the charging power level in real time with the current and voltage clearly displayed. A charging graph is also displayed for those who want to see the level of power being used.
There is a display of the remaining battery percentage and also how long before it runs out. This is a very useful feature because when the powerbank is recharging, the LCD screen can also display how long it will take. More than 90% of powerbanks on the market simply have a flashing LED light that makes it difficult to guess when a full charge will be possible.
In addition to displaying charging information, the screen can also display a welcome robot animation when activated. The same robot will display a sour face if the battery level is low.
When charging devices that are sensitive to high power, Ugreen includes a "treacle charge" mode that charges at low power. This is activated by pressing the power button for 3 seconds. The same button when pressed twice will turn off the LCD display if you feel it's a waste of electricity.
Despite having a capacity of 20,000 mAh, the amount of charging that can be done is not up to 4X5000 mAh due to power loss due to electrical resistance. I can only charge a Galaxy S24 Ultra with a 5000 mAh battery about three times. The recharging process uses a 65W input with a powerbank that can be fully charged in about two hours.
CONCLUSION
PRO
High output power up to 130W can charge laptops.
Large capacity 20,000 mAh.
Not hot when charging.
Can be recharged quickly.
Safe on the plane.
The LCD screen displays useful information.
CONS
Still a bit heavy.