Asus Zen Power: Sturdy design, good storage life make it a good buy

Our smartphones are getting smarter, with bigger displays, more powerful processors and high definition cameras. But one thing they often lack is a good battery backup. With plenty of power banks available in the market, Asus too has launched its Zen Power. But what separates this power bank from the numerous other power banks available in the market? Read on to find out.

Design: Asus is boasting about the credit card size of the Asus Zen Power (10050 mAh). While it is just marginally bigger than a standard credit card, the same cannot be said about the thickness and weight of the Zen Power. The power bank is 22 mm thick and weighs 215 grams, which makes it heavy to hold. It has an aluminium outer casing, which feels sturdy and awards it a rich look. Holding it in the hand can be a bit cumbersome. My review unit in silver looked good and it was accompanied with a bright yellow bumper.

Connectivity and indicators: All the controls, ports and notification LEDs are placed on the top panel. There is a power button that turns on the Zen Power. There are four indicators which show the battery status. There is also a USB port to plug a gadget to charge and a micro USB port to charge the Zen Power.

Charging Time: It took me close to six hours to fully charge the Zen Power, using the charger I use for a Samsung Note 4 or a OnePlus One.

Performance: Charging the Zen Power once gave me close to three charge cycles of the OnePlus One. But most importantly, it stored the charge even when it was not used for over 15 days. The Zen Power automatically turns off when the device is fully charged or unplugged. Just like the OnePlus Power Bank, even this one has got a host of safety features such as short-circuit protection, reset protection, over charge/over discharge protection and more.

Packaging: The packaging comprises one power bank, a bumper for the power bank and a USB cable.

Capacity and Price:  The Asus Zen Power is a 10,050 mAh power bank available for Rs 1,499.

Rating: 4.5/5

Verdict: Compared to the OnePlus power bank that we reviewed earlier, I think the Asus Zen Power did a better job at charging devices as well as storing power. But if your requirement is to charge two devices simultaneously, the OnePlus Power Bank is the obvious choice.