The ARCTIC C1 Mobile is basically a USB charger with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery built into it. Indeed, the ARCTIC C1 Mobile can act as a backup battery. The ARCTIC C1 Mobile charges other devices through its mini USB B-type connector that is rated to output 500mA at a voltage of 5.5V. This power rating is about the maximum a typical USB 2.0 device would pull from a computer’s USB 2.0 port. If you remember previously, the Arctic Cooling ARCTIC C1 Mobile has 3 red LEDs that are located at the bottom front of the device. These LEDs give information on the status of the device. These LEDs are designated A, B, C from left to right. For further information on how these LEDs are lit and which status they indicate, feel free to take a look at the manual below:
User manual: Link
When charging is in progress, the number of lit LEDs shows the remaining capacity of the lithium-ion battery:
The ARCTIC C1 Mobile in action
Once the plugged device is fully charged, the ARCTIC C1 Mobile will cease to charge the device and, thankfully, will not try to overcharge it.
The lithium-ion battery may be recharged through two different means: through the solar panel which rated at 80mA at 5.5V or through a USB A-type connector which is rated to receive 300mA at 5V. Arctic Cooling states that a full recharge may take up to 12 hours under strong sunlight or 2-3 hours through the USB connector. I found that, indeed, a direct sunlight must be shown on the device for it to charge properly. Indirect or weak sunlight can also the charge the device, but it will be done in a slower manner. Other light sources may be used as well, such as an incandescent light bulb or a compact fluorescent light bulb. Depending on which recharging method is used, the LEDs will light differently:
The device may be recharged through the solar panel and the USB connector simultaneously, too.
I would like to note once again that the ARCTIC C1 Mobile does not come with the required USB cable to charge the device, that is a male USB A-type to male mini USB B-type cable. These are fairly inexpensive, however, and they can be usually found at less than $5. Once you procure the cable, the device can be charged through one of your computer’s USB ports or a USB charger, such as the ARTIC C2 previously reviewed here on Vortez Hardware.
Overall Usage
Arctic Cooling designed the ARCTIC C1 Mobile with mobility and ease of use in mind. With its small size that barely exceeds the size of a typical mobile phone, the ARTIC C1 Mobile makes for a great companion for a traveller as it can be easily slipped into a small bag or in the pockets of a coat. You will also need to bring the USB cables that support your devices, however, and this can be more or less encumbering depending on how many pockets you have or the size of your bag. It is unfortunate that all of the ARCTIC C1 Mobile’s adapters need the USB extension cable to be used. A design that made the USB extension cable optional would have been ideal as it would make the ARCTIC C1 Mobile even more portable.
As per specifications, the device has a 4440mAh lithium-ion battery built into it, which is a fairly large capacity and it is about two times the charge that two rechargeable Sanyo Eneloop AA batteries hold. The lithium-ion battery was enough to charge the BlackBerry Curve 8300 smart phone at least 3 times without any trouble. The ARTIC C1 Mobile was also compatible with the HTC Snap smart phone and the Samsung YP-K3 MP3 player. For our Apple readers, the ARCTIC C1 Mobile is advertised to be compatible with both iPhones and iPod touch. I do not have such devices to test, however.
The ARCTIC C1 Mobile charging a Samsung YP-K3 2GB
Throughout testing, I found that recharging the device through the solar panel worked well, but it was much slower than I wished. Indeed, Arctic Cooling states that the device can take up to 12 hours to recharge under strong sunlight. Thankfully, the ARCTIC C1 Mobile has a fairly large lithium-ion battery, so even with a slow recharge the device’s battery will seldom be completely drained. Also, the ARCTIC C1 Mobile can be recharged through the solar panel and the USB connector simultaneously.
One caveat that I found when using the ARCTIC C1 Mobile was the fact that I did not know the remaining capacity of the lithium-ion battery. The only way you can find this information is by charging a device with the ARCTIC C1 Mobile. Then, according to the numbers of LEDs lit, you have an approximation of the remaining capacity of the battery. Some kind of button to show this information would have been preferred. Also, it would have been nice to know where the device was in its recharge. With its current design, when being recharged, the ARCTIC C1 Mobile only shows whether it is recharging or not, but there is no indication of the battery’s remaining capacity.
User manual: Link
When charging is in progress, the number of lit LEDs shows the remaining capacity of the lithium-ion battery:
a) 3 LEDs on - 70 to 100% li-ion battery capacity remaining
b) 2 LEDs on - 30 to 70% li-ion battery capacity remaining
c) 1 LED on - 10 to 30% li-ion battery capacity remaining
b) 2 LEDs on - 30 to 70% li-ion battery capacity remaining
c) 1 LED on - 10 to 30% li-ion battery capacity remaining
The ARCTIC C1 Mobile in action
Once the plugged device is fully charged, the ARCTIC C1 Mobile will cease to charge the device and, thankfully, will not try to overcharge it.
The lithium-ion battery may be recharged through two different means: through the solar panel which rated at 80mA at 5.5V or through a USB A-type connector which is rated to receive 300mA at 5V. Arctic Cooling states that a full recharge may take up to 12 hours under strong sunlight or 2-3 hours through the USB connector. I found that, indeed, a direct sunlight must be shown on the device for it to charge properly. Indirect or weak sunlight can also the charge the device, but it will be done in a slower manner. Other light sources may be used as well, such as an incandescent light bulb or a compact fluorescent light bulb. Depending on which recharging method is used, the LEDs will light differently:
By solar panel
(1) LED C red light on - charging in progress
(2) LED C red light off - charging finished / not enough light
By PC / USB Charger
(1) LED A red light on - charging in progress
(2) LED A red light off - charging finished
(1) LED C red light on - charging in progress
(2) LED C red light off - charging finished / not enough light
By PC / USB Charger
(1) LED A red light on - charging in progress
(2) LED A red light off - charging finished
The device may be recharged through the solar panel and the USB connector simultaneously, too.
I would like to note once again that the ARCTIC C1 Mobile does not come with the required USB cable to charge the device, that is a male USB A-type to male mini USB B-type cable. These are fairly inexpensive, however, and they can be usually found at less than $5. Once you procure the cable, the device can be charged through one of your computer’s USB ports or a USB charger, such as the ARTIC C2 previously reviewed here on Vortez Hardware.
Overall Usage
Arctic Cooling designed the ARCTIC C1 Mobile with mobility and ease of use in mind. With its small size that barely exceeds the size of a typical mobile phone, the ARTIC C1 Mobile makes for a great companion for a traveller as it can be easily slipped into a small bag or in the pockets of a coat. You will also need to bring the USB cables that support your devices, however, and this can be more or less encumbering depending on how many pockets you have or the size of your bag. It is unfortunate that all of the ARCTIC C1 Mobile’s adapters need the USB extension cable to be used. A design that made the USB extension cable optional would have been ideal as it would make the ARCTIC C1 Mobile even more portable.
As per specifications, the device has a 4440mAh lithium-ion battery built into it, which is a fairly large capacity and it is about two times the charge that two rechargeable Sanyo Eneloop AA batteries hold. The lithium-ion battery was enough to charge the BlackBerry Curve 8300 smart phone at least 3 times without any trouble. The ARTIC C1 Mobile was also compatible with the HTC Snap smart phone and the Samsung YP-K3 MP3 player. For our Apple readers, the ARCTIC C1 Mobile is advertised to be compatible with both iPhones and iPod touch. I do not have such devices to test, however.
The ARCTIC C1 Mobile charging a Samsung YP-K3 2GB
Throughout testing, I found that recharging the device through the solar panel worked well, but it was much slower than I wished. Indeed, Arctic Cooling states that the device can take up to 12 hours to recharge under strong sunlight. Thankfully, the ARCTIC C1 Mobile has a fairly large lithium-ion battery, so even with a slow recharge the device’s battery will seldom be completely drained. Also, the ARCTIC C1 Mobile can be recharged through the solar panel and the USB connector simultaneously.
One caveat that I found when using the ARCTIC C1 Mobile was the fact that I did not know the remaining capacity of the lithium-ion battery. The only way you can find this information is by charging a device with the ARCTIC C1 Mobile. Then, according to the numbers of LEDs lit, you have an approximation of the remaining capacity of the battery. Some kind of button to show this information would have been preferred. Also, it would have been nice to know where the device was in its recharge. With its current design, when being recharged, the ARCTIC C1 Mobile only shows whether it is recharging or not, but there is no indication of the battery’s remaining capacity.
