(Last Updated On: July 30, 2018)

For the most part, many of the smartphones that we use these days have larger batteries and that’s great but at the same time, the reason that they have larger batteries in the first place is that they use more power. After each year, smartphones have faster processors, a better camera and overall, things that make them use more power and this results in the battery power being drained faster. So what might seem like a large battery capacity can actually dwindle down pretty quickly.

The use of a portable charger is the most common type charging solution when you’re on the move, but the negative side of portable chargers is that it’s something else that you have to have on you. That’s where battery cases come in and these are basically portable chargers but in the form factor of a case. In this case, we’re going to be reviewing this PowerBear Galaxy S8 battery case. So let’s see how it holds up with charging your S8 while you’re on the move and how it is as a case.

Power

Power Capacity:

The power capacity of this PowerBear Galaxy S8 battery case starts at 4,500mAh, and this is actually quite a large capacity for a battery case, a battery case is not only a mini power bank but quite a bit smaller than that as they’re also a case. Since this power bank does not feature Quick Charge with its output charging, as that’s something that barely any battery cases on the market do in the first place, we just have to figure out the regular conversion rate of the capacity.

3.7 x 4,500 = 16,650 / 5 = 3,330

For the most part, you’re really able to use about 3,300mAh of the capacity that’s available on his charger and this is actually a good amount that can charge the Galaxy S8 to its full power at least once. As the Galaxy S8 has a 3,000mAh battery. Another thing to know is that this case is absolutely not for the Galaxy S8+, it is only for the regular S8, and the reason that we’re saying that is because the size of the battery case is only meant for regular Galaxy S8.

Also, we just wanted to state that even though the battery case starts out with a grand power capacity that’s not what it’s really going to deliver, and that’s okay. Since the output capacity with this PowerBear battery case is enough to charge the S8 to full power one time. There are some battery cases on the market that don’t even charge the smartphone to full power.

Output Charging:

This battery case only acts as a charger to charge your Galaxy S8, so there is no USB port that can be used to charge another device at the same time. The USB-C port on the battery case has a 5V/1.8A charging speed, and we’re both surprised and relieved that it’s that fast.

For the most part, many battery cases have a 5V/1.0A charging rate as this is a mini power bank, after all. However, we’re glad to see faster charging speeds with battery cases and this is actually necessary for most modern smartphones now and that’s because they consume quite a lot of power when you’re using it and a 1 Amp charging rate doesn’t really cut it anymore. A 1.8A charging rate is a bit better and is actually able to charge your Galaxy S8 while you’re using it.

The charging speed is not Quick Charge though, and if you do want to charge your S8 at Quick Charge speeds then you’ll have to take it out of the case and charge it directly with a Quick Charge charger.

Input Charging:

The input port that’s used to recharge this battery case is a USB-C port and this is a great design choice as you can use the same charging cable that you use to charge your Galaxy S8 directly to also charge the battery case and it makes using the battery case that much more seamless. The recharge rate of this battery case is 5V/2.0A, so be sure to use a 2 Amp USB wall charger to charge this battery case as fast as possible.

Design

Size and Weight:

If you’re getting a battery case then you must know that the size of it is going to be larger and heavier than just a regular case and of course, that’s because of the battery being inside and the charging components, too. This case has a length of 6.4 inches, the width of 2.9 inches, and a thickness of 0.7 inches. The weight of the case is 4.6 Ounces.

So the charger isn’t 1 inch thick at least but it will definitely add some thickness that you’ll likely feel once you place your phone into your pocket. The weight difference isn’t too much overall, if you know what to expect from the battery case and know that you’re getting a full charge while you’re on the move, then the added size and weight is a good equivalent exchange factor.

Functional Components:

If you’ve used a battery case in the past, then you know what to expect from this case. The power button is on the back and there are four White LED power capacity indicators. You have to press the power button to begin charging and you can stop charging if you hold the power button down, which is nice as there are some battery cases on the market that constantly charge and have no option to stop charging.

At the bottom is where you’ll find the USB-C port to recharge the power bank and the headphone jack, and the battery case comes with a headphone jack extender that makes it possible to use headphones with the battery case on your S8.

Also, at the back of the case where the fingerprint scanner, camera, and flash are located, there’s, of course, a large cut-out, but at the same time, it makes it hard to use the fingerprint scanner because of the larger drop to get to it.

Build

Structure and Material:

The whole point of having a case in the first place is to have added protection and that’s basically what you get with this battery case, but just a little less protection. The entire back and sides of the S8 are safe from a fall, but the frontal part is questionable if it’s safe from drops. As the bezel at the front of the case is very small and looks like the screen actually fits further out than the bezel does.

Tech:

On the tech side, the battery case does not get warm at all and this is likely because of the relatively slow charging speed.

Reliability

On the reliability scale, this Powerbear Galaxy S8 battery case is quite a reliable battery case with power capacity that can supply one full charge to the S8, and also quite easy to use. The not so reliable part is the front protection as the bezel isn’t too large.

Summary:

Power:

The power capacity is enough to charge the Galaxy S8 to full power one time and the charging rate from the USB-C port is quite fast for a battery case at a 1.8A charging rate.

Design:

The battery case does add some bulk to your Galaxy S8, so be prepared for that. It’s also more difficult to reach the fingerprint scanner with the case on.

Build:

The S8 is safe for the most part, in this case, that said, it’s not really fully safe if you drop your phone face first.

Reliability:

On the reliability side, this battery case is absolutely great with its charging and design, but we don’t fully trust it with full front protection.

Specs of the PowerBear Galaxy S8 4,500mAh Battery Case:

• Power Capacity: 4,500mAh | Output Capacity: 3,300mAh
• Output: 5V/1.8A
• Input:

USB-C Input: 5V/2.0A

• LED Power Indicator: Four White Power Indicators
• Size: 6.4 x 2.9 x 0.7 inches
• Weight: 4.6 Ounces

Conclusion:

The PowerBear Galaxy S8 with its 4,500mAh battery capacity surely does a good job at providing an ample amount of power to the S8 and the charging speed is quite fast for a battery case in the first place.

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