Olala PQ100 QC3.0 Powerbank Review
We’ve had a few powerbanks in from Olala for review and all have impressed, some even offering integrated cables like the C2 series we covered earlier this year and even recommended as a Christmas gift. The PQ100 is an attractive aluminum powerbank with one QC3 port and one IC port, QC3 is an important improvement as it’s a feature of all of this years flagship devices. The design is finished off by a flush power button also aluminum as well 4 very bright led’s to indicate capacity while charging or in use.
The PQ100 has the distinction of being the first QC3.0 capable power bank I’ve used, although it only claims compatibility with “Some” QC3 phones it appears that the reason behind this is the use of usb type-c on some of the flagship devices this year(both the LG G5 and HTC 10 are absent from this list) however in practice the htc 10 works when used with their provided charging cable so this is likely a concern for usb compliance(As QC3.0 technically violates the USB C Spec) than anything. Although I was able to validate it’s operation QC3 unfortunately it outside of the range of my usb testing device and therefore I can’t check the delivered voltage/amperage on the QC3 port however the IC port stays within it’s listed 5v and 2.4 amp rating(although I usually measured closer to 2.3 amps) The only negative I have here is that with such a large bank more separation between the output ports would have been appreciated, although most USB cables won’t cause problems I have seen many with larger than standard housing around the type-a connector. Putting the two ports on opposing sides of the microusb charging port is possible given the large profile of this powerbank and would be a welcome change in the future.
Unlike some of the other large powerbanks we’ve reviewed the PQ100 manages to charge in approximately 8 hours, not exactly quick it is respectable for it’s 10500mah capacity leaving a full charge at an easy to achieve plug in overnight. This capacity depending on efficiency should charge a modern flagship device no less than three times and in some cases(iphone 6/7 cough) just over 5 times.
Overall I’m impressed with the fit and finish of this powerbank, and other than the limitations of my own testing equipment I don’t have anything negative to say about it outside of the port locations. If you have a QC3.0 capable phone or received one over the holiday this is a fantastic powerbank, it is available on Amazon here for 30.99 at the time of reviewing, a bit high but not unreasonable for a well designed device.
