Many people take their MacBooks and iPads with them when they leave the house for long periods of time, whether it’s for work, school, or to do something while sitting in a cafe. But one issue that affects everyone at some point, no matter what they use their gear for, is battery life.
Luckily, battery life isn’t something you need to worry about if you have a Shargeek Storm 2 100W 25,600mAh battery. That’s because this high-tech giant can power your devices for longer than any day at work, school, or a trip to your favorite restaurant.
Transparent housing and labeled logic boards
The Shargeek Storm 2 is a surprisingly good power bank in a transparent case with metal sides. The transparent case allows you to see everything that happens inside; in fact, the company takes a huge amount of attention to detail as it labels the individual electronic components on the internal logic board so you know what everything is doing, and we find it impressively nifty. Who else is doing it?
Looking inside, we can even see that the batteries are Samsung-branded cells and not some cheap no-name imitations, so it’s immediately obvious that you’re getting a quality battery with the Shargeek Storm 2.
Power input/output
With a maximum output of 100W through one of the two USB-C power ports, you can power even the most demanding devices with the Shargeek Storm 2. An additional USB-A port on the power bank provides power for low-power devices like your iPhone, digital camera or drone, just to give a few ideas. The charger complies with Power Delivery (PD), Quick Charge (QC) and Programmable Power Supply (PPS) standards.
While the native charger that comes with Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon boasts a 140W output, we regularly use the 100W charging dock and find the computer charges quickly. using. However, the 100W that the Shargeek Storm 2 delivers is more than enough to power your day of computer usage, and even more if you’re running a lower powered MacBook.
Many of these larger power banks take a while to recharge once they’ve been depleted, but not the Shargeek Storm 2. Built-in intelligent power and temperature management allows this thing to go from 0 to 100% charge in just 1.5 seconds. hours when connected to a 100W USB-C power adapter and a suitable USB-C cable, such as the yellow one included in the box.
Shargik says the Storm 2 can charge an 18W iPhone about 4 times, a 45W MacBook about 1.5 times, a 30W iPad about 1.5 times, a GoPro or DSLR camera about 12 times, or a drone about 1 time. Obviously the numbers will be subjective as different devices consume power in different ways and at different rates. We found it had no problem fully charging our 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro.
There are four ports on the Shargeek Storm 2. As for what the individual charging I/O ports can do, here’s what you need to know:
- USB-C1: 100W PD 3.0 input and output
- USB-C2: 30W PD 3.0 and QC 4+ output
- USB-A: QC 3.0 output, 18W
- DC current: input and output 75W
Informative display
While there is certainly no shortage of 25,600mAh power banks on the market, not all of them support 100W output. The built-in informative IPS display distinguishes the Shargeek Storm 2 from its competitors even more.
You see, Shargeek has loaded the Storm Power Bank with 2 sensors, and the IPS display provides real-time information such as:
- Current output power in watts, further differentiated by voltage and current
- Current consumption in watts, additionally distinguished by voltage and current strength
- How power is consumed, whether via USB-C or USB-A
- How power is supplied, whether it be via USB-C or a DC adapter
- Current battery cell temperature
- Current logic board temperature
- Operating time when charging or discharging
- Residual power
- And more…
This is by far my favorite feature of the Shargeek Storm 2. It’s far more intuitive than the simple LED-lit dot system found in many power banks, and being able to see active power and power consumption seems like an ultra-advanced feature that I’ve never seen before. knew what I would need until she was in my hands.
Final Thoughts
The 25,600mAh Shargeek Storm 2 battery is superbly crafted with materials that feel good in the hand. The weight of the device, the meticulous attention to detail in its design, and the extra features justify the extra few dollars you’ll pay. Even the carry bag is thicker and stiffer than the carry bags I got with the old batteries. Shargik has spared no expense in developing Storm 2, and it shows.
Using the Shargeek Storm 2 over the past few weeks has made me a regular customer. I now plan on getting their newer slimmer model at some point to add to my battery arsenal, especially for putting it in my camera bag to charge my USB-C based Nikon Z6ii on long trips. But for charging my MacBook Pro and my iPhone, the monstrous Storm 2 will do just fine.
Here is a quick overview of the pros and cons of Shargeek Storm 2:
Pros:
- Extremely high quality construction with stunning attention to detail
- The built-in IPS display shows real-time usage data.
- Premium Samsung Battery Cells
- Charges very fast
- Universal USB-C, USB-C, and DC I/O ports supporting up to 100W
- Includes 100W USB-C cable
Minuses:
- The transparent plastic case can be easily scratched if not stored in a protective bag.
- Could be more ports
How to get
The 25,600mAh Shargeek Storm 2 power bank will set you back $229 on Amazon, however you’ll often see it drop below $199 if you’re waiting for a sale. You can also opt for the $199 slim version, which sometimes gives you discounts of up to $159 if you’re waiting for a sale.