iPhone 6 Plus encased in a LifeProof Nüüd case getting a full charge from Creative Edge Solar 5.
I rate this product five stars. It meets Creative Edge's specifications.
I normally get a standard battery charger from the Apple store; but, this time, I wanted to try something different. I wanted a battery that I can charge via wall outlet or through my Apple computer or via the sun; so, I did some research, and I came across this nifty charger: Creative Edge Solar 5 battery charger. I like that it is rugged, has two USB charging ports, and uses the sun to charge, or uses the wall outlet or computer's USB to charge its battery.
Creative Edge asserts solar charging takes a long time to get this battery fully charged and recommends using the solar charge as an emergency back-up. I concur; the solar panels on this battery are small, which means it would take many hours to charge via solar; I'm guessing about three to five days in the sun to fully charge this battery.
The way I use this battery is I get a full charge from the outlet or from my computer; then, I clip it to the outside of my Chrome messenger bag, and I let the charger get exposed to sunlight throughout my day. When I need to charge my iPhone 6 Plus, Solar 5 does its job, and I'm good to go.
The contents of the case are shown in the picture above. One micro USB cable to charge the Solar 5 and the other cable is an after-market lightning cable to charge my iPhone 6 Plus.
Since I use the Life Proof Nüüd iPhone 6 Plus case, Solar 5's lightning cable (shown left in the picture, below) doesn't fit through the cases' charging port-holes; so, I use the regular Apple OEM lightning cable.
The charger has four LEDs, and each LED equals the following charging ranges: 1-25%, 25%-50%, 50%-75%, and 75%-100%; hence, one lit LED means Solar 5 is charged between 1-25%; two lit LEDs means Solar 5 is charged between 25%-50%.
When I received the product from the manufacturer, three LEDs were lit; hence, I estimate the Solar 5 was charged between 50-75%. I plugged it into my Apple MacBook Pro, and it took approximately one hour and ten minutes to fully charge Solar 5 to 100%. I'm guessing if the Solar 5 was completely drained, and I charged it via my computer's USB, I estimate it would take about 5-8 hours to charge.
TEST RESULTS
Charging a Dead iPhone 6 Plus: Passed. (iPhone was ON during charge.)
Facts:
iPhone 6 Plus: 128 gb: Drained entire battery. Won't go on.
Solar 5: Fully Charged: 4 bars and accepting solar charging.
1 Apple OEM 4 ft long cable.
Test Results:
I plugged a four foot OEM Apple lightning cable to Solar 5 and to my iPhone 6 Plus at 1404 hours PST. At 1815 hours PST, my iPhone 6 Plus receive 66% charge; and, Solar 5 went down three bars to one bar; and, eventually, the one bar started to blink. While Solar 5 was charging my iPhone 6 Plus, it was on -- all applications, GPS, Wi-Fi, cellular connections were all on.
Despite the four hours and fifteen minutes charging time, the important thing is Solar 5 charged my iPhone 6 Plus to 66%. I am comforted by its performance; because, if I ever go camping or to a desolate place, I can depend on the Solar 5 to charger to power up my iPhone 6 Plus, so I can send a message, navigate, or make a call for help.
Speculation:
Perhaps, if I turned the iPhone 6 Plus to the off position and used a shorter cable, I would have gotten the 70% to 100% charge less than seven hours and forty minutes. My guess is that the 4 ft long cable is not efficient for the Solar 5; I'm guessing I was losing electrons due to the length of the cable.
Charging a Dead iPhone 6 Plus: Passed. (iPhone was OFF during charge.)
Facts:
iPhone 6 Plus: 128 gb: Drained entire battery. Won't go on.
Solar 5: Fully Charged: 4 bars and accepting solar charging.
1 Apple OEM 4 ft long cable.
Test Results:
1830 - 1855 Hours PST: Fourth bar drained on Solar 5 (25%) = 17% Charge to iPhone 6 Plus
1855 - 1923 Hours PST: Third bar drained on Solar 5 (25%) = 19% Charge to iPhone 6 Plus
1923 - 2003 Hours PST: Second bar drained on Solar 5 (25%) = 18% Charge to iPhone 6 Plus
2003 - 2045 Hours PST: First bar drained on Solar 5 (25%) = 21% Charge to iPhone 6 Plus
In 90 mins, or one hour and thirty minutes, with the iPhone 6 completely off, I received 75% charge. I'm waiting if I can draw additional charge from the Solar 5 while the first bar is flashing.
(NOTE: I have a total of 80% charge. 2045 - 2110 Hours PST: First bar flashing on Solar 5: I got an additional 5% charge to my iPhone 6 Plus; Solar 5 is still flashing the first bar, but I will end the test at this point.)
Solar Charging a Dead Solar 5: Passed. (Overcast Day)
1 Drained Solar 5 charging unit.
Day 1: 0815 - 1645 Hours PST: Weather Condition: Overcast -- no visible sight of the sun for 80% of the day.
After eight hours and forty-five minutes of Solar 5 hanging outside on my garage door, which faces south, I received one solid blue LED light.
According to Creative Edge's legend of the battery charge measurements, I have a 25% charge to the battery. The battery meter indicates one solid LED bar and the second bar started to flash right before the green LED light went out, indicating Solar 5 is no longer solar charging, and Solar 5 has moved to its next charging level: 25-50%.
So, what does a 25% Solar 5 battery charge get me?
In my case, with my iPhone 6 Plus, anywhere between 15%-21% charge in 20-30 minutes, depending on my iPhone 6 Plus being completely off or on with applications, such as, but not limited to, GPS and social applications running in the background.
Now, I have a baseline to make an educated guess on the charging pattern. I'm guessing if it took eight hours and forty minutes to get a 25% charge, under an overcast day, it will take about four or five days to fully charge the battery via solar power.
Solar Charging a Dead Solar 5: Passed. (Sunny Day)
1 Drained Solar 5 charging unit
Day 1: 0900 - 1600 Hours PST: Weather Condition: Clear Skies and Sunny Day -- No clouds.
After seven hours of charging in direct sunlight without clouds, Solar 5 got a 75% charge (three LED bars lit).
So, what does a 75% Solar 5 battery charge get me?
In my case, with my iPhone 6 Plus, anywhere between 45%-63% charge within 90 minutes if my iPhone 6 Plus is completely off.
Now, I have a baseline to make an educated guess on the charging pattern.
Wall-Charging a Dead Solar 5: 19-January-2015.
Facts:
-1 Drained Solar 5 charging unit
-Solar 5 micro USB Cable
Test Results:
19-January-2015: 1700 - 2130 Hours PST: Full charge. It is quicker than I originally estimated.
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As Creative Edge asserted, the solar panels are small, and it will take a long time for a full charge of a drained battery; hence, my expectations are set for a long solar charge-time -- nothing quick about it at all. The solar charging is mainly for emergency use and a back-up charging source.
In the picture below, the Solar 5 is being charged by solar energy, as indicated by the green LED light. The weather condition at the time of this photograph was overcast and no sun in sight. The Solar 5 was still getting charged without direct sunlight.
The rubber housing protects the battery from drops, dirt, and water; though, the charger is not submersible. It is light-weight.
The only thing I don't like about Solar 5 albeit minor, is the rubber protection flap on the left side of the charger, which covers the charging and USB ports. I would like the flap to be more tightly fitted. Notwithstanding the rubber protection flap issue, supra, I am very happy with this purchase, and I will include it as a necessary item in my messenger bag.