Tokyo Gadget

Reviews & guides for smartphone gadgets

Chargers Small 20W and 30W USB-C Chargers Compared: For People Who Don't Need 40W+ (Apple 20W, Anker Nano 20W, Anker 511 Nano 3)
iPhone Air, 17e, and 16 and earlier, plus AirPods and Apple Watch, often don't need a 40W+ charger. Apple's per-model conditions (such as 50% in 30 minutes at 20W+) show who 20W or 30W is enough for, and Apple 20W, Anker Nano Charger (20W), and Anker 511 Charger (Nano 3, 30W) are compared on stated figures—with where 45W takes over.
Power banks 20,000mAh Power Banks Compared: Choose by Output (30–100W), Built-In Cable, Semi-Solid Cells, and Qi2
The 20,000mAh class—popular for travel, disaster prep, and laptops—compared on four axes: output (30W to 100W), built-in cable, semi-solid cells, and Qi2 wireless. Stated specs, who each suits, and weak points for Anker Power Bank 30W, Anker Zolo (30W and 45W built-in), CIO SMARTCOBY TRIO 67W SS, UGREEN PB720 (100W), and UGREEN PB771 (Qi2).
Wireless chargers Should You Upgrade from a Qi2 15W to a 25W Wireless Charger? Decide by iPhone Model, Adapter, and How You Charge
Is it worth replacing a Qi2 (15W) wireless charger with Qi2 25W (Qi2.2) or MagSafe 25W? Apple's per-model maximums (25W / 22.5W / 20W / 15W), the 30W-or-higher adapter condition, and whether you charge overnight or top up during the day decide who gains from upgrading and who doesn't.
Power banks Power Bank with a Built-In Cable or a Separate Cable? Decide by Forgetting, Breakage, Thickness, and Flexibility
Should you pick a power bank with a built-in cable or one with ports only? Four axes—never forgetting the cable, built-in cables usually can't be replaced, thickness and weight, and choosing cable length and type—lead to a decision table of who each suits and when it fails. Compared with Anker Nano, Zolo, and CIO SMARTCOBY Pro SLIM as examples.
Charging basics Is Fast Charging Bad for Your Battery? Heat and Time at Full Charge Matter More Than Speed—When to Use It and When to Avoid It
Does fast charging wear out a phone battery? What speeds up aging is heat and time spent near full charge, and fast charging mainly works while the battery is low, slowing after 80% by design (Apple). So what to watch is heat, not charger wattage. A decision table covers when fast charging is fine and when to avoid it.
Charging basics Why Phone and Power Bank Batteries Drain Fast in the Cold: How Low Temperature Pulls Voltage Down, and How to Carry Them in Winter
Why does an iPhone's percentage plunge, shut off, or stop charging outdoors in winter? Cold makes ions inside the battery move sluggishly, raising internal resistance and dragging voltage down. Diagrams explain it, and Apple's official guidance (0–35°C operating range; cold-weather drain is temporary) leads to how to carry and choose a power bank for winter.
Power banks Pass-Through Power Banks Compared: Full Pass-Through vs Device-Priority Charger-in-One
Pass-through power banks charge themselves and your phone at the same time while plugged in. Compared by method (full pass-through / device-priority charger-in-one), capacity, output, thickness, and weight: CIO SMARTCOBY Pro SLIM / Pro SLIM SS / SLIM II Wireless2.2 Pro SS10K, Anker Power Bank (Fusion), and Anker Prime Power Bank (Fusion). Official specs, who each suits, and the weak points.
Charging basics Buying Chargers or Power Banks in a Sale? 7 Things to Check First (Generation, PSE, Single-Port W, Qi2 25W, Usable Capacity, Wh)
A decision checklist for buying chargers, power banks, and cables in a big sale such as Amazon Japan's Prime Big Deal Days: seven things to check before the discount. Avoid older generations (Qi2 vs Qi2.2, PD, AVS), confirm PSE and the seller, single-port wattage, usable capacity, and airline Wh—so you can decide buy or skip from the mechanism.
Portable power1,000Wh Portable Power Stations Compared: Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2, C1000, EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus, Jackery 1000 New
The 1,000Wh class is the go-to for blackouts, car camping, and emergency prep. Compared on capacity (Wh), rated output (W), fastest full charge, weight, cell chemistry, and cycle life: Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 / C1000, EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus, and Jackery Portable Power 1000 New. Official specs, who each suits, and the weak points.
Power banks Semi-Solid Power Banks Compared: Elecom, CIO and Anker's Neo Lithium-ion—Choosing a Fire-Resistant Design by Method
Power banks that advertise fire-resistant designs, compared by method (semi-solid / Neo Lithium-ion), capacity, output, wireless, thickness, and weight: Elecom DE-C86, CIO SMARTCOBY SLIM II Wireless2.2 Pro SS10K, CIO SMARTCOBY Pro SLIM SS, and Anker Nano Power Bank (MagGo, Plus). Official specs, who each suits, and the weak points.
Charging basics Is Charging While Using Your Phone OK? Pass-Through Charging Explained From Heat and Full Charge
Does using your phone while it charges hurt the battery? Is pass-through charging on a power bank (charging the bank while it powers a device) safe? From the two things that drive both wear and fire risk—heat and time spent at full charge—here's what's fine, what to avoid, and how to choose.
Chargers Single-Port or Multi-Port Charger? Decide From Power Sharing and Why Charging Pauses When You Plug In
Should your USB-C charger have one port or two to three? A multi-port charger splits its total wattage across devices, and plugging in a second device makes every port renegotiate power (on some units, charging pauses for a moment). From that mechanism: who each suits, who it doesn't, and how it fails, with 45W–100W examples.
Power banks Why Power Banks Catch Fire: Thermal Runaway Explained, and What Semi-Solid, LFP and Anker's New Cells Change
A power bank fire is a chain: internal short circuit → heat → the separator melts → more shorting → flammable electrolyte vaporizes and burns. This explainer diagrams that thermal-runaway chain, then shows which link semi-solid-state cells (gel electrolyte), lithium iron phosphate (LFP), and Anker's Neo Lithium-ion (NLB) each try to break—so you can decide what to buy and how to use it.
Power banks Anker Prime Power Banks Compared: 12,000 / 20,000 / 20,100 / 26,250 / 27,650mAh—Which to Buy
Anker's five Prime power banks (12,000mAh 130W / 20,000mAh 200W / 20,100mAh 220W / 26,250mAh 300W / 27,650mAh 250W) sorted by single-port maximum, total output, weight, and carry-on eligibility. A decision guide for charging a laptop away from a desk, on official specs, plus notes from seeing every model in person at Anker Store & Cafe Shiodome.
Chargers 45W Chargers Compared: The Smallest Class That Meets iPhone 17's "40W or Higher" (Anker Nano, Display, UGREEN, CIO, Apple 40W)
The 45W class is the smallest that clears the iPhone 17 series' fast-charge condition of 40W or higher. Anker Nano Charger 45W (with cable), Anker Nano Charger 45W Display (swing plug, iPhone detection), UGREEN Nexode Mini 45W (2 ports, PPS), CIO NovaPort DUO II 45W (2 ports / built-in retractable cable), Anker 313 Ace, and Apple's 40W Dynamic, compared on ports, PPS, size, and built-in cable.
Power banks 10,000mAh Power Banks Compared: Built-In Cable, Slim, Qi2, or Semi-Solid-State?
The best-selling 10,000mAh class compared on four axes: built-in cable, slimness (16mm class), MagSafe/Qi2, and semi-solid-state cells. Official specs, who each suits, and the weaknesses of Anker Nano (30W built-in / 45W retractable), Anker Zolo, CIO SMARTCOBY Pro SLIM (standard / semi-solid SS), UGREEN PB761 (Qi2), and Anker's 22.5W staple.
Chargers Apple vs Third-Party iPhone Chargers: Same Speed Over USB PD—Except iPhone 18 Pro's AVS Rule and 3 Other Differences
Does an iPhone need an Apple charger? Third-party USB PD adapters fast-charge too—Apple says so. The real differences: ① iPhone 18 Pro needs a 60W+ adapter with AVS, ② MagSafe 25W needs certification, ③ cable limits (60W vs 240W), ④ safety marks (PSE, USB-IF). When genuine is worth it, when it isn't, and how each choice fails.
Power banks 5,000 vs 10,000 vs 20,000mAh: Which Power Bank Capacity Should You Buy?
A decision guide that starts from how many charges you want and how much weight you'll carry. Rated mAh vs what actually reaches your phone (Wh and conversion loss), typical weight and charge counts for the 5,000 / 10,000 / 20,000mAh classes, the 160Wh airline limit, who each class suits and where it fails, then links to the comparisons for each class.
Chargers What Wattage Charger Should You Buy? 30W, 45W, 65W, 100W, 140W by Device
A decision guide that starts from what your device requests: iPhone 18 Pro / 17 / older, iPad, Android, MacBook Air / Pro and other laptops. Covers total vs single-port wattage on multi-port chargers, cable limits, and the common mistakes (buying by total, no PPS, no AVS), then points to the 65W / 100W / 140W comparisons.
Charging basics Why Chargers Change Their Voltage: USB PD Negotiation, PPS/AVS, and What "40W Dynamic" and "PPS" Actually Mean
A USB-C charger negotiates with your device before any power flows: which voltage and current to deliver. Fixed steps (5/9/15/20V) leave the phone to drop the voltage itself, and that drop turns into heat. Variable voltage (PPS/AVS) trims that waste. Diagrams of the mechanism, then what to look for on a charger for iPhone 18 Pro / 17, Android, and laptops.