Supplier of promotional printed USB sticks USB Makers recently created an infographic illustrating how many smartphone charges can you expect from a power bank depending on its capacity and your handset of choice. The visual representation seen below was made with contemporary smartphones in mind as it stars the Samsung Galaxy S8, OnePlus 3T, OnePlus 5, LG G6, and Apple’s iPhone 8. With battery capacities ranging from 1,821mAh to 3,400mAh, this smartphone lineup covers the vast majority of today’s mobile device categories. The infographic also suggests that owners of modern Android-powered devices should be looking to purchase power banks with capacities north of 3,000mAh not just to have their new pocket companions get at least a single charge from such accessories but also to make sure they’ll be able to do the same with their next smartphones.
While phablets are now more prevalent than ever, especially with the adoption of 18:9 display panels and bezel-free designs that allow manufacturers to deliver massive screen real estate in a compact form factor, the capacities of mobile batteries aren’t necessarily following suit, especially in the high-end market segment. Samsung’s new flagship offerings are the best example of that trend, with the Galaxy S8 Plus having a 3,500mAh battery despite its screen being significantly larger to that of the Galaxy S7 Edge which sported a 3,600mAh cell. This inversely proportional trend has been primarily prompted by significant advancements in the mobile chip industry as semiconductor companies like Qualcomm and Samsung Foundry managed to come up with more power-efficient silicon that allowed for the production of smartphones with larger screens and thinner cases while still offering identical battery life.
The newly announced Snapdragon 845 is the latest such chip and with most industry watchers agreeing that 7nm silicon will be commercialized in 2019, you probably don’t have to worry about buying a 10,000mAh power bank as a future-proof solution for charging your handsets on the go, so long as getting a single extra charge from your portable battery is all you need. Refer to the infographic below for a more detailed breakdown of the capabilities boasted by today’s most popular power bank categories.