Update:11/23/2012
In the comments you can see Accessory Genie contacted me about my concerns. Please take note what they mention about the battery chemicals not being ready to charge a "new" battery/unit via solar. In a separate e-mail they said it's because of lower amperage of the solar panels, but supposed to work once cycled several times. I haven't cycled mine enough but with this information I will do so and attempt to charge by solar again and update post. I find Amazon reviews incredibly helpful in my shopping and am glad to see Vendors are also checking them out, and hopefully assisting customers. Will update when more info. As stated before, the unit works well for me otherwise. Even bought a small USB fiberoptic Xmas tree and used this unit to power it for hours -with no visible (25%) drop in battery status. Now, if only the solar panels will work -as that's why I bought it.
9/25/2012
Order finally received last weekend. It was only down by one light (25%) when received. As instructed I plugged into AC power via USB and charged it fully. I then proceeded to charge smart phone 5 times (when about half charge) before the unit dropped to 2 stars. I was pleased with that result and it charges fast -seemingly faster than USB to AC. This was excellent. However I also ordered the two XL solar panels in this "deal" and picked a brilliant dry sunny day and hooked it all up properly (and indicators said correctly with test button) and shifted it over 8 hours to face the sun and it indicated charging but did not increase the power by one light in all that time. Nowhere do they mention 2 panels being unable to charge this unit at all on the manufacturers site or sellers. I would have been happy with just 25% (one light) increase but didn't even get that. I had planned to buy two more panels had I seen any results with the two I had. So, unit is ok, but if you're wanting this for camping or power outages you'll either have to try the 4 panels or will be limited to the charge you take with you or can obtain another way.
The unit is small and light (oh, the led flashlight is rather pitiful but could be useful I guess). So, thus far I'm happy with the battery pack itself but take heed on the solar panels. I may call the manufacturer and see what they say, will post here if I get any good info.
PRE-DELIVERY INFO I WROTE:
I ordered the Revive ReStore 9200 but was concerned as the "deal" from Accessory Genie (here on Amazon) said these XL Solar panels http://www.amazon.com/Charging-Extensions-ReStore-External-Compatible/dp/B008I64E64/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_6 were the right panels but the panels expressly say for 4000mAh only -as you can see. I went to the manufacturer Accessory Power's website and found the compatibility is for several of the Revive series so I recommend you go there and pick the product and on the left they have the "manuals" you can open and view compatibilities both on this product and on the 9200 -and both say these XL Panel extensions are compatible. Unfortunately this is not yet in stock and therefore I will have to wait for my items. The good news is the "deal" is approx $75 total cost (with shipping) and the currently available package (9200 and two panels) is $95 before shipping. For the 9200 they say you can add max of 4 panels to cut charge time (it doesn't have one built in as you can see).
Please NOTE I found another IMPORTANT item in the manual -charge smartphones ONLY with the 1 Amp port -the 2.1A port is for Tablets. Unfortunately it doesn't say if it'll fry your other devices to use it or give any other helpful info on WHY. I would think USB would handle either, but I don't know what a laptop puts out for Amps. Happy shopping!
My main gripe is that it never seems to charge 100%. The last light on the charge indicator is always left blinking, even when leaving it charging for an additional 12 hours after it gets to the final blinking light. I've never seen it get to four solid lights. If it did, I bet the performance would be even better.I really am liking the performance of this device since receiving it. I've utilized the additional solar charger panels you can purchase separately and, while it takes a while to charge, this performs well overall. The two USB ports have different power options depending on the device your charging (such as an iPad vs. iPhone).
I'm a little disappointed that the built in LED flashlight isn't a little brighter, but it generally works well and lasts what seems like forever. If you take this camping, the LED light with the battery alone will last several nights no problem, even with extended use.
The grooving that acts as a stand is thoughtful, although not as easily used as one would hope. If you're setting it up to watch a movie or something with an ipad, then great but if you plan on typing or tapping the device, the battery back easily moves and causes the device to lose balance. Not a deal break, but a separate stand or flip cover serves that function better.
if you purchase this and plan on doing any sort of outdoor stuff (or if it's purpose is backup power for devices while camping, etc.) I would strongly recommend getting two or three solar panels to attach, it will charge more quickly.Although the reviews on here vary greatly in ratings the are mostly right on target with there description. When first attempting to charge the unit I could not get any power to it with the supplied usb cable. Once attempting to charge with an extra phone cable I had handy it worked as expected and charged within a reasonable amount of time given the battery capacity. The battery holds a charge well as it should given being lithium ion. It worked like a charm restoring the juice to my tablet and large capacity (razr maxx) phone. The issues I came across with this product came when attempting to use the 2 panel add on solar panels. First a corner of one of the panels broke by simply connecting it to the unit requiring a superglue repair to finally attach it. Once attached the indicator leds came on to show the battery was charging via the panels, but regardless of time or intensity of sunlight I have yet to see it restore any power to the battery. Not sure if another add on pack would make a difference.
In conclusion, if you're looking for a portable power unit to replenish your gadgets on the go then you can't beat the price for this capacity, but if you're
interested in having the extra utility of charging the unit itself via the solar then look elsewhere.External chargers for iPads always seem so expensive. This is a reasonable price and serves me excellently for transatlantic flights. I have two of them now.
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