Amber – The SuperCharger For Your Apple Watch
Amber – The SuperCharger For
Your Apple Watch
WHAT’S AMBER?
Amber is a chic Apple Watch case and charger that beautifully complements your Apple Watch while simultaneously assisting your iPhone too. Basically, It acts like a power bank that can charge your Apple Devices anytime. I was luckily chosen to be one of it’s beta testers which allowed me to play with the device over the past whole week and here I am, Uncovering the covered.
UNCOVERING THE CAPED HERO
Amber comes in a very simple and elegant box, Which may be too plain for some of you, But it screams elegance and minimalism. Since, This was a beta-testing unit, The box had no label explaining the technical details but on asking the Co-Founder and VP of Products of ClearGrass LLC. (The Company that has produced Amber), Mr. Bin Du explained that the final box would include a label as well as an updated user manual (At which we will take a look further).
Amber comes in four colours – Gold, Silver , Space Grey and Rose Gold. I got the silver one and I think that it really stands out.
On unboxing the box, You are welcomed by a user manual that is placed upon the device itself and simply says “Amber” and shows it’s logo. We would be keeping it aside for a while. And after that, We finally get our first look on Amber. The Device flashes off it’s chamfered edges and glass as soon as you see it. The device is made of anodised aluminium and looks like it’s straight out of Apple’s factory itself. The design over all is well made and looks ostentatious yet elegant. I did test the aluminium casing thoroughly to see if it is durable enough to stand daily usage, It turns out that the casing does scratch easily but the scratches are very minor and almost unnoticeable. The device wouldn’t wear off on daily usage is what I can guarantee but it is not as tough as you might think it is.
FUNCTIONALITY AND FEATURES
Amber comes with a lot of functionality for your Apple Watch. The battery found on the Apple Watch is not that great and one has to charge it almost every other day. To cure this big problem, Amber is the best solution. Amber will charge your Apple Watch very quickly and if you want, It can charge your iPhone alongside too. It can also act as a carry case while simultaneously charging. Just keep your Apple Watch in Amber and put it in your bag/purse and go! It is as easy as that.
One feature that struck me the most is that they actually built an app for Amber that will keep you upto date about your charger’s health and it’s charging level. Just connect amber wirelessly and the app will notify you when iPhone is charging, Apple Watch has been fully charged etc.
Ofcourse, You have to charge Amber too, But that isn’t much of a deal as Amber takes only about 1 hour and 30 minutes to full charge. One full charge of Amber easily gave me about 7 recharge cycles for my Apple Watch. The main reason to recommend Amber is that it charges your devices very quickly, My iPhone went from 0% to 50% in about 30 Mins and I was honestly surprised by this discovery.
To know how much Amber is charged, Simply press the button placed carefully in the top glass area and it will indicate the amount of charging that is left in Amber through LED’s. There are a total of 5 LED’s present in Amber and each LED represents 20% battery.
One could also use Amber as a nightstand for the Apple Watch. People often find themselves thinking as to where they may place their Apple Watch to prevent it from falling, getting wet etc, Amber can help them find a place.
ClearGrass claims Amber to be better than any powerbank or charger out there. Here is why Amber is better than conventional powerbanks in their own words –
- “When Conventional Powerbanks have been completely drained and not used for a period of time, it can’t immediately charge other devices even if it’s connected to a power source and charging.
- Conventional power bank’s voltage will become unstable when overloaded due to simultaneously charging devices and being charged with input and output occurring at the same time. Unstable voltage will adversely affect the life and stability of the batteries.”
WHAT’S NEXT? IS IT GOOD? PRICE?
Although, Amber is the best in the market at the moment, Technology never stops evolving and Amber still needs improvement. They can introduce a new model of Amber that is more rugged and tough for the adventurous people out there. Also, They can maybe add the functionality of auto-brigtness because the LED’s really are a pain to the eyes in the dark. Adding the sensor could adjust the LED’s brightness accordingly. Also, There is a micro-USB port at the back of the device to charge it. Many people who own an Apple Watch don’t have a micro-USB cable, Although I understand that Apple does not allow putting a lightning port, There are rumours that it might allow in a few months. So, Amber should update the port to a lightning port as soon as Apple allows. Until then, They are generous enough to provide a micro-USB cable in the box.
Amber is currently available at Pre-Order Amber and you can buy it for 69$, When Amber officially launches it’s retail price will be 99$. While this price may seem a bit hefty, It is totally worth it. Amber is the ideal accessory that you want with your Apple Watch.
SPECIFICATIONS
Amber can fully charge Apple Watch up to 8 times, or iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus once.
- Power in: Micro-USB, compatible with adaptors outputting both 5V/2A and 5V/1A
- Power out 1: USB (Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Connector), 5V/0.5A (max)
- Power out 2: USB, 5.1V/2A (max)
- Battery: 3800mAh, 3.7V
- Dimensions: 101 * 101 * 46.4 mm / 3.98 * 3.98 * 1.83 in.
- Weight: 270g / 9.52 oz.
- Materials: Aluminium, Plastic
- Bluetooth 4.0 LE
EXTRAS
Just for the people who are really interested in Amber.
Here is a quick unboxing video of Amber that I did :-
Also, For those of you eager to know, Amber was 200% funded on kickstarter and has raised more than 110,000 $! Be sure to check it out!
So, Amber is one of a kind device. I haven’t seen a more well made charger/powerbank to be honest! I hope you liked this review. What do you think of the Amber? Do comment below and please share this article!