We all have a smartphone which we use for multiple tasks from using Google Maps to watching the latest series on Amazon Prime to more simple tasks such as calls and texts but the result of using your phone for multiple uses is the battery life will simply run out and we have all been there when we need the phone for one more task as that red line appears in the battery display.
In this, we review we take a look at wireless portable chargers and in particular the iWALK Link Me 4 we take a look and see if this little handheld device can get you out of a pickle when that dreaded 10% battery life notification appears.
First Impressions
When this little device arrived I thought this was going to save my bacon whenever the time arrived for a boost of charge and on paper, it ticks all the boxes it is budget friendly at only £23.99 and available in 6 colours:
- Blue
- Green
- Red
- Black
- White
- Pink
The key features of this device are the compact size, battery capacity at 4500mAh and an upgraded built-in cable that the manufacturer says you can charge your phone without the need of taking your case off.
Let’s take a closer look…
Design
When taking the iWalk Link Me 4 out of the box the one thing you will notice is the shape and the size. The shape is more of an extended teardrop size and it’s made using ABS plastic meaning it’s going to be durable.
The size is 1.8 inches in width and 3.0 inches in height. It’s a similar size to ladies’ lipstick. It’s also 1 inch in depth at the largest part of the charger.
Weight-wise it’s lightweight at only 8 ounces and you will notice the specifications of the charger are located side of the charger in which you also find the USB-C port to give this charger its battery life back and you are also provided with a USB-C charging cable as well.
In terms of style, you simply have the iWALK logo on the front and that is it they keep things fairly simple. Moving to the top of the charging device is an output plug we got the Lighting version but you can purchase a USB-C version to please our android users. The Plug is covered with a rubber cap to protect it when not in use and you will notice it’s attached to one side so no risk you will lose it.
Under the output plug, you will notice 3 LED lights which will provide an indication of how much battery life you have in the iWalk. These LEDs will appear when you’re charging the phone or when you charge up the IW
Overall, the design is quite compact which makes it easy to carry with you on the go without the need of carrying a charging cable. We found the iWALK perfect if you are an Apple user as you can charge your phone and even your iPad if you wish and if you got the USB-C version this will all you to charge a wider range of products.
Charging capabilities
The iWALK Link Me 4 carries a charging capacity of 4500mAh this means on an iPhone 12 expect about 1 & half charges and if you have a more up-to-date iPhone like the 13 or 14 then the iWalk will give you a single full charge. If you decide to use this to charge something like an iPad it will give you about 50% battery life. Just consider this device as an emergency charger it’s not something that will replace your main charging device.
If you have the USB-C version on the Link Me 4 it has slower charging speeds so expect about 2 hours to fully charge your Samsung S10. When it’s time to recharge the Link Me 4 expect it recharges in about 2 hours.
Performance
The iWalk Link Me 4 attaches directly to the bottom of your phone allowing you to still use your phone while it’s on charge. Well that what should happen I found in testing you needed to hold the charger completely still and any sudden movements will stop the charging. This was not all the time so I found the device very temperamental.
I expect it we temperamental due to the size of the lighting connector being so short. This will work if your case is a thin case but I have a thicker Casetify case and the lightning connector did not have a good fit so I had to revert back to a thinner case for the rest of the review. You will notice the connector does move a little which annoyed me as it would occasionally stop charging if moved.
Verdict
The iWalk Link Me 4 has a very innovative design and being portable is a big bonus you could easily fit this into your jean pocket. The fact the design does not require a separate cord means nothing extra to carry around the Link Me 4 just plugs directly into your phone.
I found the fact it would not work if you have a thicker case a drawback I use a Casetify case for protection so having to remove the case to charge up the phone feels like a negative in the design.
The addition of the pass-through charging feature is a useful addition and the fact you could also charge an iPad as well as your phone is another benefit. This charger will give you a full charge for those iPhone 14 or 13 users with a bit more charge time for older models is also a bonus. If they only fixed that slight design fault around the lighting connector it would have got a higher score.
That aside it’s a useful tool when you need to give your phone a quick boost without hitting the wallet.
Product Rating:
Design: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Charging capacity: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Performance: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Value for Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Overall ranking: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars – 4.5 Stars
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