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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2023
I have been looking at various magnetic battery packs, and because this one seems to be quite popular, I decided to give it a try. Although it isn't awful, it doesn't check all of the boxes for me. But, it does check one that others don't.
I am mainly using this with a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra with a magnetic case. I have also used it on an iPhone 14 Pro.
This is a small, slim pack. That is good because it isn't too heavy to carry around. It is just about the same size and weight as the Apple product, but this one supposedly packs more battery capacity. Even though this is advertised as 5,000 mAh, don't think you're going to charge your phone a couple of times with it. Wireless charging has a lot of loss, they are just plain inefficient.
Design: This is a magnetic pack that snaps onto the back of your phone or magnetic compatible case. It is thin and light, it is just about the same size and weight as the Apple product. Many videos I have seen about this product show that there is a USB type C connector on the bottom, which can interfere with using the table and the kickstand at the same time. Mine arrived with the USB type C and status LED's on the side, so Anker must have redesigned this item a bit since many of the video reviews were made. The kickstand is a fold-out flap that sticks to the back of the battery magnetically to form a base so you can stand your phone up on an angle. The stand is very weak and falls over easily. I can get it to hold up my phone, but if I touch the phone, it will fall over. This also goes for using it with an iPhone 14 Pro.
One stand out feature is that this pack will "trickle charge" your phone; so far I haven't found any other packs that will do this (the Apple does not - at least on Android, and the Anker 633, the "big brother" to this pack, does not). What this means is that you can put this on your phone when it is 100% full, and it will keep your phone at 100% until the pack is empty, and then your phone will start to use its battery up. The phone does not show that wireless charging is in progress - but the phone just stays at 100%. It kept my Galaxy S22 Ultra at 100% for about 12 hours, and at that point the pack was dead and my phone battery took over. When trickle charging, the pack might get a bit warm, but not overly hot. When charging at a higher speed (such as if your phone is not up to 100%) the pack will get much warmer, especially if you are also using the phone at the same time. Some people report it is overly hot - but I found it to be warm, but not hot. Still, heat and battery charging are not a good mix - they will shorten battery life.
The magnetic attaching power of this pack is fairly weak compared to others I have tried. The Apple pack is definitely the strongest, and the Anker 633 is also stronger than this model. This can actually move around on the back of your phone a bit and if you have your phone in a pocket, might actually even come off. I was very disappointed in the magnetic attaching power of this pack.
PROS:
Small enough to carry in your back pack as a spare
Will trickle charge your phone to keep it at 100% (haven't found any others that will do this)
USB C port on the side (if you get one with it on the bottom, get it replaced with the newer design)
Tested on Android phone with a magnetic case
CONS:
Kickstand is a joke - don't rely on it. At least it doesn't take up spare or add weight
Not a huge amount of capacity, especially because wireless charging is inefficient
Can get warm when charging and phone is also in use
Poor magnetic attaching power.
These types of packs are really for emergency use. Because wireless charging is so inefficient, and charging a battery and then dumping that power into a phone is also lossy, you should seek out a connected charger when possible. But because this is so small and light, it is something you can easily keep in a back pack, in your car, or in a drawer for that emergency time when you find your phone didn't charge and you need to leave and get your phone charging. But with the abundance of charging options, even in cars, and places to plug in, the usefulness of an item like this is really questionable. Now that I'm done testing it, I will put mine away and I honestly can't envision a time when I will absolutely need it.
I am mainly using this with a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra with a magnetic case. I have also used it on an iPhone 14 Pro.
This is a small, slim pack. That is good because it isn't too heavy to carry around. It is just about the same size and weight as the Apple product, but this one supposedly packs more battery capacity. Even though this is advertised as 5,000 mAh, don't think you're going to charge your phone a couple of times with it. Wireless charging has a lot of loss, they are just plain inefficient.
Design: This is a magnetic pack that snaps onto the back of your phone or magnetic compatible case. It is thin and light, it is just about the same size and weight as the Apple product. Many videos I have seen about this product show that there is a USB type C connector on the bottom, which can interfere with using the table and the kickstand at the same time. Mine arrived with the USB type C and status LED's on the side, so Anker must have redesigned this item a bit since many of the video reviews were made. The kickstand is a fold-out flap that sticks to the back of the battery magnetically to form a base so you can stand your phone up on an angle. The stand is very weak and falls over easily. I can get it to hold up my phone, but if I touch the phone, it will fall over. This also goes for using it with an iPhone 14 Pro.
One stand out feature is that this pack will "trickle charge" your phone; so far I haven't found any other packs that will do this (the Apple does not - at least on Android, and the Anker 633, the "big brother" to this pack, does not). What this means is that you can put this on your phone when it is 100% full, and it will keep your phone at 100% until the pack is empty, and then your phone will start to use its battery up. The phone does not show that wireless charging is in progress - but the phone just stays at 100%. It kept my Galaxy S22 Ultra at 100% for about 12 hours, and at that point the pack was dead and my phone battery took over. When trickle charging, the pack might get a bit warm, but not overly hot. When charging at a higher speed (such as if your phone is not up to 100%) the pack will get much warmer, especially if you are also using the phone at the same time. Some people report it is overly hot - but I found it to be warm, but not hot. Still, heat and battery charging are not a good mix - they will shorten battery life.
The magnetic attaching power of this pack is fairly weak compared to others I have tried. The Apple pack is definitely the strongest, and the Anker 633 is also stronger than this model. This can actually move around on the back of your phone a bit and if you have your phone in a pocket, might actually even come off. I was very disappointed in the magnetic attaching power of this pack.
PROS:
Small enough to carry in your back pack as a spare
Will trickle charge your phone to keep it at 100% (haven't found any others that will do this)
USB C port on the side (if you get one with it on the bottom, get it replaced with the newer design)
Tested on Android phone with a magnetic case
CONS:
Kickstand is a joke - don't rely on it. At least it doesn't take up spare or add weight
Not a huge amount of capacity, especially because wireless charging is inefficient
Can get warm when charging and phone is also in use
Poor magnetic attaching power.
These types of packs are really for emergency use. Because wireless charging is so inefficient, and charging a battery and then dumping that power into a phone is also lossy, you should seek out a connected charger when possible. But because this is so small and light, it is something you can easily keep in a back pack, in your car, or in a drawer for that emergency time when you find your phone didn't charge and you need to leave and get your phone charging. But with the abundance of charging options, even in cars, and places to plug in, the usefulness of an item like this is really questionable. Now that I'm done testing it, I will put mine away and I honestly can't envision a time when I will absolutely need it.
