Why You Can Trust CNET Get a 5,000mAh mobile charger for $8.99
With its compact design and glowing reviews, this dual-port charge may not last long. Plus: best deal to date on a Phantom quadcopter!
If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
And then there's this: Amazon has the Aibocn Power Bank 5,000mAh mobile charger for $8.99 (shipped free for Prime subscribers) when you apply coupon code GS3K4RJA at checkout. Too good to be true?
First things first: Aibocn? Not only have I never heard of it, I can't fathom how to pronounce it. I suspect the company's founder drew six letters from a hat and said, "I'm tired, let's just go with that."
Second, I have no idea what kind of inventory they have, nor how long the coupon code will stay active. As regular readers know, deals like this can end abruptly owing to one factor or the other -- which is frustrating, to be sure. The early bird gets the charger, am I right?
The unit itself measures 2.8 inches by 4.8 inches by 0.5 inch, meaning it's roughly the size of an iPhone 5 (though definitely a bit thicker). It features two USB outputs: 1.1A and 2.4A, the latter good for charging larger devices like Kindles and tablets.
It also has a four-LED status indicator so you know how much juice it has left. To charge the charger itself, though, you'll need to plug it into your laptop or your own USB wall adapter -- kind of a hassle, but not uncommon.
For a product that's not exactly a household name, the Aibocn sure does have a lot of user reviews -- over 100, with an average rating of 4.5 stars. And although I expected to find some that said, "I got this charger for free in exchange for my 5-star review," I found none.
So maybe this isn't too good to be true. Maybe it's just good. Really, really good. For $9 out the door, are you willing to find out?
Bonus deal: Regular readers know of my affinity for quadcopters, particularly DJI's Phantom series. If you're wondering what all the fuss is about but don't want to spend at least $500 to found out, here's the best deal I've seen yet: Today only, and while supplies last, Meh has the DJI Phantom 1 for $275, plus $5 for shipping. It's new, not refurbished, and it comes with a GoPro mount (but not, alas, a GoPro). While you're waiting for it to arrive, learn how to fly safely. Update: Dang! The Phantom sold out mere minutes after my post went live. Meh, indeed! Well, there's always the old-standbySyma X5C, a great starter quadcopter currently priced at just $52. It's not exactly Phantom-caliber, but still tons of fun -- and way cheaper.