[General Accessories] vectron:
This is a review of Anker 2nd generation Astro 6000 mAh external battery. http://www.ianker.com/product/79AN7902-BA

After rolling out new 2nd generation versions of Astro 3 (3 outputs) and Astro 2 (2 outputs), now is a turn for Astro with a single charging output. While Astro 3 was very impressive with three outputs and 12000 mAh capacity, it was a relatively large and heavy device, which is expected. Astro 2 shrunk it down to 2 outputs and 9000 mAh capacity with a more pocket friendly footprint. Here with single output Astro and 6000 mAh capacity the size was reduced down to an awesome compact size which you can store even inside of a very small purse. But don't let the small size fool you - you still get all new 2nd gen design with every bell'n'whistle of Astro 2 and 3. So let's take a closer look.

Continuing with their environmentally friendly packaging, battery came inside of a neatly packaged box which contained a battery itself, a manual (always very detailed), and accessory box with usb to micro-usb cable and a mesh draw-string storage bag for a battery and a cable. No 30 pin iphone adapter was included like with previous models, but I'm not sure if it was intentional or just my package was missing it. Either way, I personally don't care about apple connector and for those with apple devices - you probably have a ton of usb cables already. Now let me tell you about the size of this battery - its is SMALL!!! Weighting around 130g and with a size of 90mm by 45mm and thickness of 25mm - it will easily fit in a palm of your hand where you can make a fist hiding it inside. That's how compact it is. With a new rounded design and smooth edges, the hard plastic shell is lined with a soft touch rubbery finish. You get one micro-usb battery charging port (1A speed to charge the battery itself) and one full usb smart output port for any Android or Apple device. The output supports a maximum charging speed of up to 2A. In my quick test with OEM usb cable I confirmed a charging speed of 1.5A using my Note 2. The speed will obviously vary depending on the cable you use, so keep that in mind and use usb cables with thicker wires.

Just like with Astro 2 and 3, this 2nd gen device uses a new 10-segment circle LED indicator to show you the charging progress of the battery or the remaining charge on the battery in increments of 10% thus giving you a higher precision reading. Most of the other batteries usually include 4 LEDs to indicate 25% increments, but with Astro you are getting a better precision. There is no power button anywhere around smooth surface of this battery. To start the charging or to check the remaining capacity you just shake it and display LED comes alive. Also, considering actual capacity of any external battery is typically 30% less then advertised value, in case of 2nd gen Astro a more efficient conversion circuit is used which gives close to 80% efficiency, so you can count on about 4700-4800 mAh of charging power. Considering super compact shape of this battery, this is very impressive and perfect as a portable emergency charge you can take with you anywhere.

Overall, the design, the efficiency, the charging speed, and compact size of this battery makes it a very attractive package. It is also very unique and sets it apart from competition. Add to that Anker's 18-month warranty and great support - with introductory price of $29.99 on Amazon this is one fantastic value. I highly recommend it!

Here are the pictures, including a happy "family" of all 3 Astros together.