PNY Powerpack DCM2200 Review

I’m constantly on the go. Going to work, going to the track, taking my children to school, covering events and so forth. Typically I bring with me my trusty LG G2 and my Samsung S2 tablet. Sadly, there have been times when I’m bolting out of the house and neither of the devices have any charge, or just they have enough for me to check my emails. Sure, I do have several monster battery packs, but they’re heavy and unless I pack them into a bag, I tend to forget them. Trust me, I forgot them one day during PAX East 2016 and I wasn’t too thrilled about that.

Maybe PNY’s DCM2200 2200mAh PowerPack could be the answer for a quick battery charge in a pinch.

Name: DCM2200 2200mAh PowerPack
Manufacturer: PNY
Price: $10

The device itself is boring; there’s nothing worth noting about it. In fact, it simply looks like a small enclosure with a micro USB connection sticking out of the top. While you can’t see it unless the charger is either plugged into your device or wall charger, there are several LEDs that blend into the battery pack that can only be seen when in use. However, I do have an issue with the micro USB connection, as it sticks out a bit too far and doesn’t allow for the battery pack to form a solid connection. That’s not to say the battery pack will fall out. Instead, it will move and wiggle if you attempt to use the device you are charging. 

An ideal solution would be to have it just a bit shorter, although I understand why this was done. I would rather have it be longer to accommodate all devices, instead of it only being able to work with certain ones. It’s also worth noting that if you have a case on your phone or tablet, the DCM2200 2200mAh PowerPack may not be able to form a connection. Odd, isn’t it? Without a case the connection is too long, but within a case it may not form a connection at all in most instances.

Usage is straight forward as well. You charge it in the wall for a few hours, and then you carry it around with you until needed. So in that regard, it does what it says it does and I had no issues with that. However, your usage will vary from what you are attempting to charge.

To test the DCM2200 2200mAh PowerPack, I used a number of different devices: a BLU Studio Energy, an LG G2, and a Samsung S2 8″ tablet. To completely drain the batteries, I installed a flashlight application and turned it on to its fullest brightness while streaming video. The LG G2 was drained pretty quick, while the BLU Studio Energy and Samsung S2 took a bit longer, all of which have a 3000 mAh battery or higher. That said, it wasn’t expected that the PNY DCM2200 2200mAh PowerPack would completely charge either of them, but instead would be enough to get me up and running again. And as expected, the results varied.

[table id=5 /]

As you can see, none of the devices I tested were able to get a full charge. The Samsung S2 and LG G2 surpassed 50%, while the BLU Studio Energy was just short of 50%. This test was also a worst case scenario, so getting from 0% to above 30% is more than enough for a 30+ minute phone call or blasting out emails. What you can take away from this is the larger the battery that needs to be charged, the lower the amount the DCM2200 2200mAh PowerPack can provide. Still, in every test the device was usable again, so it’s a win in my book. However, that leads us to the fatal flaw of the DCM2200 2200mAh PowerPack.

While most battery packs are at least 5000mAh or higher, the DCM2200 2200mAh PowerPack is only 2200mAh. Sure, it will provide a charge to get you back on your feet, but it’s more of a one shot deal. If you happen to leave the battery pack connected for longer than needed, it will exhaust itself and become useless. Thankfully it only takes 2-3 hours to charge the device back up and it’s good to go again.