Just Mobile Top Gum, AluCable Duo + Duo mini [REVIEW]

Every year, Just Mobile’s travel essentials improve upon their predecessors, something that holds very much true for their Top Gum battery pack as well as their updated Lightning cable lineup i.e the AluCable Duo and the AluCable Duo mini. We’ve had the pleasure to go hands on with the previous iterations of Gum-series portable battery chargers as well as the Lightning AluCables and today, we’ll be sharing our thoughts with the newest versions of both.

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Just Mobile’s Top Gum is basically a direct upgrade of the company’s previous 6000mAh Gum++ model, as it packs the same amount of juice, but in a noticeably more compact chassis. It comes packaged in Just Mobile’s signature black box, which also contains a matching magnetic battery charging dock, one of the Top Gum’s main advantages over all previous iterations of the company’s battery packs.

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The other unique feature of the Top Gum is a built-in ‘tangle-free’ Lightning cable, which in practice, is a big advantage as it allows you to carry the compact battery pack in your pocket without a regular USB to Lightning cable. I personally find it the winning feature of the Top Gum, and have been carrying it around more often than all the other battery packs I have.

The availability of a standard USB port in Top Gum means you can recharge other USB-powered devices too, or simply attach another Lightning cable for simultaneous charging of two iOS devices. The built-in Lightning cable charges faster at 2.4A while the USB port outputs at 1A. It has 4 LED capacity indicators, and as usual, features protection from heat overload and circuit damage.

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Performance wise, I found the Top Gum pretty much identical to the Gum++, both in terms of charging speed and charge holding capacity. It can easily charge an iPhone 6 Plus from 5% to full in roughly 3 and a half hours, with still some juice to go. For the iPad Air, it can deliver just over 50% charge when full in just over 1 and a half hours, using the built-in Lightning cable which outputs at 2.4A.

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Even though I never felt the need of carrying an extra cable in my two weeks testing of Top Gum, having a AluCable Duo cable along was actually quite useful. Both the AluCable Duo and the AluCable Duo mini feature a full-size USB at one end and a Micro USB cable plus an Apple-certified Lightning adapter at the other.

Since once does need a Micro USB cable to charge the Top Gum itself with an iPhone or iPad charger, the AluCable Duo serves the purpose perfectly, while also serving as an extra Lightning cable for the battery pack for simultaneous charging of two iPhones.

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Overall, I’m really pleased with Just Mobile’s continued innovation and have absolutely no doubts in giving both products my highest recommendation. You can order the Top Gum for $79.95 (plus shipping & handling) in black, silver and gold colour options, while the AluCable Duo and Duo mini are available for $24.95 and $19.95 (plus shipping & handling) respectively.

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