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Not long ago, a friend asked me to do something like an inspection of four 18650 batteries he’d bought at our local market. They were being sold as genuine, but he had his doubts and decided to check. So I decided to put together a short article based on this, with some real-world examples.

As luck would have it—or, more precisely, thanks to my regular reader Alex—I got my hands on another battery made by Samsung. It may not boast a high capacity, but it’s still very interesting, primarily because it’s designed for high-power applications such as e-cigarettes and power tools.

I happened to get my hands on these unknown batteries. A friend brought them over and asked me to check them, measure them, give them a sniff and a taste—which is exactly what I did.

The latest review in the “batteries from nkon” series. Today we’re looking at the Murata VTC6, which in my opinion are just as popular as the VTC5A. There’s also a bit of useful information at the end of the review; some of you may already know it, while others may not.

I've often come across comments along the lines of “Chinese batteries die quickly.” I generally agree, but the question caught my interest, so I decided to look into it more closely—in particular, by testing how many cycles the battery can handle. More details in the article.

Another pair of interesting batteries from nkon, and this time they’re Murata VTC5A cells. They don’t have particularly high capacity, but they can deliver a lot of current. Review, tests, and a few oddities.

This is the second pair of Samsung batteries from the NKON store. Today we'll be looking at so-called high-capacity batteries, designed to prioritize capacity over discharge current and internal resistance.

It's been a while since I reviewed branded batteries. Thanks to regular reader Vladimir, I now have a subject for this review—or, more precisely, for an entire series of reviews testing branded batteries. And now I also have proper equipment to test them.

After my review of a Chinese clone of the VTC6 battery, one of the readers asked me to test another battery. This time, though, it was sold under the Liitokala brand and listed as the HG2—a name and appearance similar to those of another very well-known battery, the LG HG2. In the end, he ordered a single battery and had it sent to my address as a sample (many thanks to him for that). I received it and ran a few tests, which I hope will help us figure out what kind of battery this is.

Following up on the discussion about counterfeit VTC6 batteries from AliExpress, I decided to show you another set from the same mold, but from a different seller. A look-over, a few tests, and some conclusions.

A brief review of protected Liitokala 3400 mAh batteries.

A friend spotted some Sony VTC6 batteries on AliExpress, so we decided to give them a try. Some were for my friend, and I ordered four for myself to test. The short version: it’s all pretty grim. More details in the review.

Today I have a very brief review—or rather, a quick photo showcase—of my latest batch of lithium batteries. Inspection, tests, conclusions.

A brief review of NCR18650B batteries with the LiitoKala logo, bought on AliExpress. In appearance and specifications, these batteries are very similar to the well-known Panasonic NCR18650B, but cost a little less. As usual, the review includes an inspection and thorough testing.

Some time ago, I posted a review of Soshine 14500-format LiFePO4 batteries. Today, I'm following up on that review with three more batteries from the same company. I'll also run a few tests on the 14500 battery you've already seen. This review includes all kinds of tests, as well as a check of how well the batteries withstand extreme currents.

I got my hands on another batch of batteries, this time Samsung ICR18650-26HM cells. Their only real selling point is the price, since capacity and maximum discharge current are clearly not their strong suits. But why not test them, especially when I have the time and feel like it? I’ll also try to clear up a couple of misconceptions about batteries.

I got my hands on another batch of batteries, so I decided to put together a quick review.