RAVPower has done a great job of changing the traditional price-to-performance equation for Apple device chargers. Its two-, four-, and six-port wall chargers (reviewed here) are the best options I’ve seen at their price points, so it’s no shock that its Savior 9000mAh External Battery Pack (MSRP $100, street price $50) delivers great value, as well.
Equipped with wall blades for easy recharging, Savior combines a high-capacity 9000mAh battery with an Apple-certified Lightning cable, competing with similar accessories such as myCharge’s Hub 9000 — but for half the street price. Read on for why Savior is so easy to recommend, as well as details on the compromises it makes to keep its size and price down.
Measuring 4.5″ tall by 2.55″ wide by around 1″ thick, the latter tapering and flaring around fold-in wall blades, Savior is offered in two versions: one with a Lightning cable for Apple devices, and one with a micro-USB cable for Android. Savior can charge two devices at once, the first with the cable’s tablet-friendly 2.4-Amp output, and the second via a full-sized USB port hidden inside a rubberized bottom compartment. The USB port is notably limited to 1-Amp of output, enough for iPhones and iPods.
RAVPower also includes four other pieces in the box. A quality mesh fabric drawstring carrying case is large enough to hold Savior, a separate micro-USB to USB cable, a Samsung 30-pin adapter — notably not an old Apple Dock Connector, which it resembles — and a mini-USB adapter.
Savior’s battery performance is solid. When fully recharged, it took a dead iPad Air 2 up to 89% before expiring, which is plenty of extra power for a tablet — alternately enough for a full iPad mini charge or multiple full iPhone or iPod recharges. Activating and deactivating the battery is as simple as pressing a slightly recessed button alongside a four-LED white battery indicator bar on Savior’s front. And recharging Savior is as easy as plugging it into a wall when you’re done using it.
The issues with Savior are arguably minor given the price. First, it’s not designed to be used as a wall charger for your devices; the integrated Lightning cable is on the short side for easy storage, and the wall blades are primarily there to recharge the battery, not a connected device. Though RAVPower notes that the battery can be wall-refuelled while recharging a connected device, it warns that this can impact the battery’s longevity, so it’s probably not a great idea. Second, although Savior is very quick to refuel connected devices, its own recharging time isn’t fast — around 7-8 hours. This is somewhat surprising given that some battery vendors include wall adapters specifically to guarantee faster battery refueling.
