A very useful, compact charger.
One of my favorite features of the newest iteration of iPhones is MagSafe. MagSafe makes it possible to wirelessly charge the iPhone with up to 15W of power. In addition to providing the upgraded wireless charging capabilities, MagSafe makes it possible to attach to various accessories magnetically. I have been trying to take advantage of everything MagSafe has to offer – including using the PowerCore Magnetic 5K portable battery from Anker.
DETAILS
The PowerCore Magnetic 5K is designed to attached to the back of a smartphone and provide a 5W wireless charge. It’s made to work with the iPhone 12 series phones and is compatible with charging through wireless cases. The charger is equipped with safety precautions including foreign object detection, short circuit protection, and temperature control. The battery has a 5,000 mAh capacity and it recharges using USB-C. The USB-C port is also used for output charging for other devices.
| Model Number: A1619 |
| Snap-and-Go Charging |
| Made for iPhone 12 |
| Slip-proof: Coated with a rubberized surface to prevent slips and drops |
| Case-friendly: When charging using a non-magnetic phone case under 5 mm, there may not be a strong magnetic hold. |
| Choose How You Charge: Recharge PowerCore, or charge other devices with USB-C input and output for your headphones, tablets, or your friends’ non-MagSafe smartphones. |
USER EXPERIENCE
The battery comes in a simple Anker-branded box. The unfortunate thing about the Anker packaging is that their boxes don’t clearly label their products. There is a small sticker on the back of the box that states what the product is, but it’s very small and not very visible. I truly hope that they eventually update their packaging so that the name of the product is easily readable.
The battery comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable and user manual. The unit itself has a smooth black finish that matches or blends in with just about every phone color available. It is compatible with wireless charging cases and I even used a MagSafe compatible case with the battery when I was charging with it. I didn’t notice any issues with the connection or with the charging efficiency of the battery.
I ran a few standard tests on the charging. First I charged my iPhone 12 Pro wirelessly on the PowerCore for approximately 35 minutes. During that time the phone gained an 18% battery charge. That calculates to a charging rate of 0.51% per minute. When I started charging the iPhone, the PowerCore battery appeared to have a full charge. So, I was surprised when I plugged an iPad into it and the battery immediately died. An iPhone 12 Pro has a battery capacity of approximately 2,185 mAh. Since I only got an 18% charge after 35 minutes, that is only around 506 mAh, which is only 10% of the total PowerCore capacity. I didn’t expect that the iPad would charge for long, but I thought I would get a few minutes out of it at least. It did start to charge using the USB-C port. So, I think that if you had to use this smaller battery for an emergency charge, it would work, but I wouldn’t depend on it for a full charge for an iPad.
CONCLUSION
I’m a big fan of portable batteries – especially when they are as versatile as this magnetic PowerCore. It’s a compact battery pack that is compatible with MagSafe and that automatically makes it more interesting to me.
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