Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. AUKEY provided the product in this review.

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Model: PB-Y36

Tech Specs:

• Ports: USB-C, USB-A
• USB-C Output:
  • 18W USB-C Power Delivery 3.0 (5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A)
  • Quick Charge 3.0
  • Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging
  • Huawei FCP
  • Apple 2.4A
• USB-A Output:
  • 18W Quick Charge 3.0
  • Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging
  • Huawei FCP
  • Apple 2.4A
• Input: 18W USB-C PD (5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A)
• Capacity: 10,000mAh | 37Wh
• Size: 4.1 x 2 x 1 inches | 105 x 50 x 25 mm
• Weight: 6.3 oz | 178 grams

Learn more about Fast Charging.

Included In Box:

• AUKEY PB-Y36 Sprint Go Mini 10000 PD
• USB-C to USB-C 2.0 cable, 12 inches

Good For:

• Commute
• Travel
• iPhone
• Android
• Nintendo Switch (handheld)
• iPad Pro (pre-2018)

Estimated Number of Charges:

• iPhone 6/7/8/SE: 3.5 charges
• iPhone Plus/X/XR: 2 charges
• Samsung Galaxy S8/S9: 2 charges
• iPhone 11, Samsung Galaxy S10/S20: 2 charges
• Nintendo Switch (2017): 4 hours of play
• Nintendo Switch (2019): 5.5 hours of play
• Nintendo Switch Lite: 6 hours of play

First Impression

The No products found. goes with a compact designed. Over flatter make of the older AUKEY PB-Y13. Making it easier to hold and tuck into your bag or pocket. But a bit harder to hold behind your phone as you charge and talk. The exterior is typical for similar power banks, with both USB ports and the LEDs on the same side. An orange LED lights up when fast charging (output or input) is engaged. A green LED lights up when in low current/trickle charge mode.

 

Compared To Similar Power Banks

Prices are from Amazon Product Advertising API, last updated on 2024-12-03.

 

You can see more USB-C power banks here.

Device Testing

Check with your device’s manufacturer to verify which charging standards it supports.

USB Power Delivery & Quick Charge 4+ Phones

• Apple iPhone 8/X/XR/XS/11/SE
• Essential Phone
• Google Pixel
• LG ThinQ/V30
• Razer
• Samsung Galaxy S8/S9/S10/S20
• Samsung Galaxy Note 8/9/10
• Xiaomi Mi 8/9
• ZTE Axon Pro 9/10

 

Using an iPhone 8 for testing we find USB PD phones will fast charge over the USB-C port. iPhones will need to use a USB-C to Lightning cable, not included. And Android phones will need a USB-C to USB-C cable, which is included.

For older and newer iPhones the USB-A port supports Apple 2.4A. An older, but still functional fast charging standard. Older iPhones (4-7) can fast charge using USB-A. Newer iPhones will charge ~15 minutes faster using USB-C.

Quick Charge 3.0 Phones

• HTC
• LG
• Motorola
• Nokia
• Samsung Galaxy
• Sony
• Xiaomi Mi 5/6
• ZTE

 

Using a Moto G6 for testing we see Quick Charge will fast charge over the USB-A port. Quick Charge is also supported on the USB-C port. But The Moto G6 doesn’t work with QC over USB-C. Other QC supporting Android phones will work with USB-A, and may work with USB-C.

Nintendo Switch

 

Works well for all model Nintendo Switch in handheld/tabletop mode.

• Nintendo Switch (original) – Charges while you play, but the original model Switch under draws at 12V. So it won’t charge as fast as a similar charger offering 9V or 15V (13W vs 18W).
• Nintendo Switch (2019 update) – Charges near its max rate while playing and sleeping.
• Nintendo Switch Lite – Charges near its max rate while playing and sleeping.

It will not support the Switch’s dock, as it doesn’t offer the required output.

Learn more about charging the Switch.

Trickle Charge Mode

Trickle charge mode (aka low current mode) is for low power devices. Such as a Fitbit or wireless earbuds. These small accessories draw little current (<60mA). So much so a power bank thinks charging is complete, and shutdowns to save power. This means a low power draw device could get only minutes of charging. Trickle charge mode corrects for this, by forcing the power bank to stay on for a couple of hours. Allowing small accessories time to charge.

For AUKEY’s power bank you press and hold the button for two seconds. A green LED will turn on, indicating it is in trickle charge mode is active. The mode is only available on the USB-A port. After two hours the power bank will shutdown. There’s no harm in allowing the power bank to stay in trickle charge mode for the full duration.

No Fast Charging With Two Devices

If you connect two or more devices to the power bank it will disable all fast charging tech. When you connect the second device you’ll notice the charging resets on the first. This is the power bank stepping down to a 5V output level. If you disconnect the second device you’ll want to unplug and replug the first. To make sure fast charging turns back on.

The total output is limited to 5V/3.6A, with the amps shared across all ports.

This limitation is typical of most power banks. The few I’ve seen which allow for two fast charging devices are unusually large. There is a limit to how much current can cross its circuits without extra hardware. Which adds size, weight, and cost.

Most smaller devices will revert to their normal charging rate. Which will continue to charge the battery while they are in use. Total charge time for two devices is about the same. Whether you fast charge them one at a time. Or charged them at a slower rate together.

Quick Charge 3.0 Over USB-C

The presence of Quick Charge over USB-C is against USB-C specifications. Such chargers have been around for years without issue. But we don’t know what the future holds.

Under section 4.8.2 of USB-C specifications a proprietary charging method cannot change the voltage of USB-C output (between 4.40V and 5.25V) in a manner not defined by USB methods. Quick Charge operates at higher than default voltages. And so goes against the specifications. USB Power Delivery is an open source charging method. Created alongside USB-C, it is with specs even though it also increases voltage. The big difference is USB PD uses communication lines to negotiate power transfer. While proprietary methods take over the data lines for their negotiation. They do so because legacy USB connections, such as USB-A, don’t have comm lines.

There is no known risk with running proprietary charging standards over USB-C. Manipulating the data lines does disrupt data transfers. But when plugging into a wall charger or power bank there is no data transfer anyway. Some USB-C engineers warn against using any USB-C chargers with third party standards. Their concern is unforeseen consequences. Future technology may prove to be incompatible with such configurations. And pulling out a charger several years from now with a new device could have a bad result.

I have not run into any issues with these fast charging standards on this or any other charger. But as it is a spec violation I want you to be informed. If you’re a stickler for meeting USB-C specifications this isn’t a good charger for you. If you’re more pragmatic it works fine and has no known issues.

Summary

The AUKEY PB-Y36 Sprint Go Mini 10000 PD is a solid, pocket size portable charger. Good for phones, earbuds, Nintendo Switch, and small tablets. It supports the two most popular fast charging standards. Though like most portable chargers it can only offer one at a time.

For phones it fast charges iPhone 8/X/XR/XS/11/SE, Samsung Galaxy, and Google Pixel. As well as Quick Charge supporting LG and Motorola phones.

The Huawei FCP support also allows for fast charging Huawei phones. It isn’t as fast as their newer SCP standard. But a better offering than with some other portable chargers.

The Nintendo Switch charges in handheld mode while you play. Due to the 12V power profile the original model Switch charges slower than it should. But still enough to charge the Switch with the most demanding games. The newer models (August 2019 and later) aren’t affected.

Its low current charging mode is for small earbuds, watches, and fitness trackers. Devices which usually draw less than 0.6W of power. It forces the power bank to keep operating, allowing these devices to charge. The mode is only available on the USB-A port.

Both USB ports support a variety of fast charging standards. Allowing one portable charger to work with many different devices. But the options do violate USB-C specifications, which don’t support third party tech. No problem came up during testing.

With the included USB-C to USB-C cable this is one of the best value 18W/10,000mAh portable chargers on the market.

About AUKEY

AUKEY has U.S. based support (web and email) and a 24 month warranty. You must have purchased the product either from them or through Amazon for support.

Bottom Line

The AUKEY PB-Y36 Sprint Go Mini 10000 PD is compact and performs as expected. It doesn’t offer any new innovations and instead keeps up the competition. While offering a better value than many, with its lower price and included USB-C cable.

Buy if you:

• Are looking for the best value 18W/10,000mAh power bank, with included USB-C cable
• Need to fast charge iPhone, Samsung, Pixel, LG, Motorola, or Huawei phone
• Want to charge your Nintendo Switch, Bluetooth earbuds, or Fitbit

Don’t buy if you:

• Want to charge an original model Switch at the fastest rate possible
• Are uncomfortable with the USB-C spec violation

No products found.

You’ll want a USB-C wall charger to quickly recharge this USB-C power bank. I recommend the AUKEY PA-Y18 Minima 18W PD. It’ll meet this power bank’s input specs as a similar low cost. And you can pick a matching or opposite color.

Be sure to check the Deals page to see if this or a similar charger is on sale.

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