Best external battery packs for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge

Give your GS7 and GS7 edge a second life with a battery pack.

I know, camping is supposed to be a way to get away from society for a while. But some of us just can’t fall asleep without crushing some candy before beddy-byes. If you’re going to be on the go for a day or two and simply don’t have any time to waste near a wall socket, then you should consider an external battery pack or power bank.

They’re entirely portable, relatively inexpensive, and could keep your phone going when you need it most.

We’ve rounded up the best battery packs for your Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge — and for your lifestyle.

• Aukey Portable Power Bank
• EasyAcc Monster
• KMASHI
• Samsung Fast Charge Battery Pack (5,200 mAh)
• Unifun 10,400 mAh Waterproof Power Bank

Aukey Portable Power Bank (10,400 mAh)

The Aukey Portable Power Bank will charge your Galaxy S7 twice over with a little bit of gas left in the tank, just in case. It offers over-current and short circuit protection, and it won’t overheat or become overcharged itself.

As a portable bank, it’s a little on the thick side, at nearly two inches, but it is relatively inexpensive, often starting around $20.

This one’s for those of you who just want a basic fast-charing battery pack and only need it for a day at a time. If you’re having to go days without seeing a wall socket, then you’ll want to consider one of the bigger battery packs below.

See at Amazon

EasyAcc Monster (20,000 mAh)

Charge your Galaxy S7 and up to three other devices at the same time with the EasyAcc Monster. They’re not kidding about the name. This baby has enough juice to charge your GS7 around six times over, which makes it great if you’re headed out of town for a few days and aren’t sure if you’ll see a wall socket any time soon.

It’s got a built-in flashlight and can auto-detect components and adjust the maximum output accordingly, which makes it great if you’ve got multiple devices on the go. Does the whole family have Galaxy S7s? Charge them all at the same time.

No need to worry about overcharging and shorting, since the EasyAcc has a built-in surge protector, which is ideal since you’ll have to wait 6 hours for this one to charge fully.

See at Amazon

KMASHI (20,000 mAh)

KMASHI’s external battery bank can charge two devices simultaneously, making this ideal for anyone who’s carrying around the Galaxy S7 and tablet (because if both die on you, that’s one long bus ride home from work or school). It’s got one regular USB charging port, and another Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 port.

At 20,000 mAh, this bank has enough juice to charge your Galaxy S7 around 6 times, so you could go for days without seeing a wall socket and be just fine.

This battery pack comes with a flashlight for emergency situations and offers a sleek, somewhat rugged design, which means you can take it more or less anywhere with you. Size-wise, it’s about average for an external battery pack of the capacity, at around 6 inches by 4 inches.

See at Amazon

Samsung Fast Charge Battery Pack (5,200 mAh)

If you’re brand-conscious when it comes to accessories and also want a reliable battery pack, then consider the Samsung Fast Charge Battery Pack. At 5,200 mAh, it’ll give you at least one full charge nice and quickly.

Samsung claims that their battery pack will take you from 0 percent to 50 in about half an hour, thanks to its Quick Charge 2.0 support. Best of all, it’s sleek enough to fit in a pocket, being around the same size as a Galaxy S7 edge.

You can also match your GS7 or GS7 edge with your battery pack, since it comes in gold and silver.

See at Amazon
See at ShopAndroid

Unifun 10,400 mAh Waterproof Power Bank

Calling all campers! Unifun’s power bank is rugged and waterproof, so you can charge your Galaxy S7 or S7 edge when you’re really on the go. It’s rated IP66 for water and dust resistance, while also having anti-shock and anti-skid protection.

This pack even has a strap hole, so you can attach to a belt loop or clip, which is great if you’re working outside all day or constantly on the go; just run a cord to your pocket and away you go.

It’s a little bulky, at 6 inches, by almost 3 inches, but you’d expect something so rugged to be a little on the bulky side.

See at Amazon

What’s your favorite?

Which battery packs are you using to charge your Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge? Sound off in the comments below!

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• Here are all four Galaxy S7 colors
• Should you upgrade to the Galaxy S7?
• Learn about the Galaxy S7’s SD card slot
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

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These are the best 360-degree videos that have been uploaded to Facebook so far

Since Facebook added support for 360-degree videos in September 2015, various publishers have been uploading tons of content. From supporting different causes to showing off sporting events, the videos have given us a new view of so many different things. With 360-degree videos, you can check out the whole surrounding, like to see Times Square during a snow storm, or the opening credits of the popular Game of Thrones.

From Facebook:

The #1 most popular 360 video of 2016 to date is from ABC News and shows people around the world what it’s like to experience a blizzard from the middle of New York City’s Times Square.

The list also includes the opening credits of Game of Thrones in 360 (which was the most-viewed 360 video in the first 24 hours, hitting 5.3 million views in one day), 360 experiences from European football teams FC Barcelona and Liverpool FC, and three stunning videos from National Geographic.

You can check out the top list of 360-degree videos, based on time spent watching, at Facebook.

Pebble Time Updated With New Health Tracking Features

Pebble today updated its official Pebble app and Pebble firmware to bring new health-related features to its line of Pebble smart watches. With the 3.12 update, available now, all Pebble Time smart watches support new health charts for better sleep and activity tracking over time.

A new Health tab within the app features interactive charts that display the step and sleep activity captured with the Pebble Time, plus Pebble Time is now able to automatically detect and track walking and running, delivering summary information on an activity at the time of its completion.

The app will also deliver overall activity and sleep summaries at the end of the day, much like the Apple Watch’s fitness app. Pebble Time’s sleep-related features are improving too, with a new sleep tracking feature that’ll trigger an alarm up to 30 minutes early if a user is in a light stage of sleep.

In addition to the health features, it’s also now possible for Pebble Time owners to begin conversations from their wrists with the Send Text app, which enables voice messages or pre-set text messaging for recent or favorite contacts so long as text replies are enabled from a compatible carrier.

Along with these features specific to the Pebble Time, all Pebble smart watch owners are now able to respond to incoming or missed calls with a pre-set text message if text replies from a compatible carrier are available.

What’s New in Version 3.12
For Time-series watches running Firmware 3.12 or higher:
– View interactive charts of your step and sleep activity from the new Health tab.
– Health charts show stats for running activities and long walks during the day.
– Start convos from your wrist with the new Send Text app! Message recent or favorite contacts. Requires text replies enabled from a compatible carrier.

For all Pebble models running Firmware 3.12 or higher:
– Respond to incoming or missed calls with a text message. Requires text replies enabled from a compatible carrier.
– Bug fixes and performance improvements.

The 3.12 Pebble app update can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Pebble
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