If you haven’t heard already, Pokemon Go has taken the world by storm. If you are planning to jump into the action, you will quickly learn that playing the massively popular mobile game can rapidly drain the batteries of your iPhone, Samsung Galaxy or other compatible iOS and Android devices. So what are the best external portable charger banks you can use to extend the battery of your cell phone so that you can extend your playtime with Pokemon Go? You can find out with our buying guide located below.
Pokemon Go Requirements
First, let’s talk about the requirements to play Pokemon Go. Players must have either an Android (like a Samsung Galaxy) or iOS (such as the iPhone) device.
For Android uses, the operating system must be updated to at least 4.4. Android N won’t be compatible until it is officially released to the public. The phones must come equipped with GPS and location services in addition to having a strong internet connection (either Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G). Furthermore, the development studio at Niantic suggests a preferred resolution of 720 by 1280 pixels.
Users of the Apple brand of smart phones muse use an iPhone 5 or later model in addition to iOS 8 or later. The iPhone must also have either a strong Wi-Fi- 3G or 4G internet connection in addition to having GPS and location services.
About Pokemon Go
Next, let’s discuss Pokemon Go, which officially launched on the 6th of July in the North American region. The mobile game, which is free to play, uses location-based augmented reality. After creating their own avatars, players will be able to wonder in real life locations in order to capture pocket monsters, raise them (via candies and stardust) and indirectly battle them against other players in specific locations designated as gyms. The camera on the phone can be used to replace the generic backgrounds in the game with the real life areas where the lens are pointed at.
As you can see above, using the internet, GPS and camera in Pokemon Go can deplete your smart phone’s battery life rather quickly. Instead of looking for a power outlet to plug your smart phone into, and thus preventing you from going to new locations in the game, we highly recommend getting an external portable charging bank so that you will be able to keep playing. This is especially true if you are using your mobile phones for other tasks as well.
Best pocket size external portable charging banks
If you don’t have much room in your wallet and/or other storage options you take with you outside to play the Pokemon mobile game, you might want to invest on a pocket size external portable charger bank. We recommend getting the following three:
The Anker PowerCore+ Mini 3350mAh Lipstick-Sized Portable Charger measures at just 3.7 inches by 0.9 inches by 0.9 inches while weighing at 3 ounces. It should be able to provide one full charge for an iPhone 6 in addition to an almost complete charge for the Samsung Galaxy S6. The product comes in the following color options: black, golden, blue, pink and silver. You can purchase the Anker PowerCore+ Mini 3350mAh Lipstick-Sized Portable Charger with this link on Amazon.
Another pocket-size battery bank worth checking out is the RAVPower 3350mAh 3rd Gen Luster Mini External Battery Pack Portable Charger. Although it has slight bigger dimensions (4.02 inches by 0.91 inches by 0.91 inches) when compared to the Anker PowerCore+ Mini, it weighs a little less at just 2.6 ounces. The product comes in black, blue, gold and pick color variations. Order the RAVPower 3350mAh 3rd Gen Luster Mini External Battery Pack Portable Charger via this page.
The Poweradd Slim2 Most Compact 5000mAh Portable Charger Power Bank is slightly bigger when compared to above-mentioned Anker PowerCore+ Mini and RAVPower 3rd Gen Luster Mini, although it also holds more battery charges, as it measures at 3.93 inches by 1.27 inches by 1.20 inches. It also weighed in at 4.40 ounces. The color variations include black, blue, green and pink. You can buy the Poweradd Slim2 Most Compact 5000mAh Portable Charger Power Bank here.
Top high capacity external portable charger banks
If you don’t mind sacrificing a more bulky design for a higher capacity battery pack for Pokemon Go, then there are several more options worth checking out. You can find what we think are the best available options below:
The Anker Astro E3 Ultra Compact 10000mAh Portable Charger weighs 8.2 ounces and come with the measurements of 5.4 inches by 2.6 inches by 0.6 inches. If you are interested, you can purchase the charging bank with this link.
Gamers should also take a look at the Aibocn Power Bank 10,000mAh External Battery Charger. This pack has measurements of 6.8 inches by 4 inches by 1.4 inches. It also weighs in at 9.6 ounces while having black, white and white-orange as color options. You can find the Aibocn Power Bank 10,000mAh External Battery Charger this page.
Another quality product is the Lumsing Harmonica Series Dual-USB Portable Battery Charger 10400mah External Power Bank, measuring at 5.43 inches by 2.32 inches by 0.82 inches. It also has a weight of 12.5 ounces while coming in the black, white and champagne gold color options. Purchase the Lumsing Harmonica Series Dual-USB Portable Battery Charger 10400mah External Power Bank here.
Another good smart phone external portable charging station is the Mogix Accessories 10400mAh External Battery Charger, which weighs in at 6.56 ounces while measuring at 5.3 inches by 2.9 inches by 0.47 inches. You can purchase the black and white versions of the Mogix Accessories 10400mAh External Battery Charger via this link.
Last but not least, Poweradd Pilot 2GS 10,000mAh Portable Power Bank External Battery Charger is also worth checking out. This smart phone external charger has measurements of 5.4 inches by 2.9 inches by 0.5 inches. The item has a weight on 9.1 ounces. Order the Poweradd Pilot 2GS 10,000mAh Portable Power Bank External Battery Charger (which comes with the following colors: black, golden, rose gold and white) by using this page.
So, if you are planning to play Pokemon Go extensively, you should check out the external portable charger banks we mentioned above.