When discussing portable chargers, I’ve grown used to the particular kind of power bank that I must hold in my hand, balancing it while attempting to use my phone, or having it awkwardly stick out from my pocket with a long cable extending to charge my phone. Neither option is especially appealing, but MagSafe and Qi2 come to the rescue.
I recently obtained the Anker MagGo Power Bank (5K), and it’s been a delight to use with my Pixel 10. It is relatively slim, features a quite substantial battery, and is extremely easy to carry when you require additional power. However, even though there are still reasons to appreciate non-MagSafe portable chargers, this Qi2 model has provided me with insight into the genuine advantage of MagSafe, and I’m eager to see its future developments.
What’s more, the Anker MagGo Power Bank (5K) is currently on sale for Black Friday, marking the second occasion I’ve seen it at a discount, making it even more attractive for anyone looking to purchase one.
Undoubtedly, the most compelling feature of the Anker MagGo Power Bank (5K) is its sleek design. The charger is .34 inches thick, which is about as slim as the Pixel 10. Yes, it basically doubles the phone’s width, but it’s far less jarring considering the thickness of the Pixel 10’s camera module.
Anker’s marketing materials for this charger predominantly highlight the iPhone Air, which is quite a bit thinner. Nevertheless, when holding a phone that slender, battery longevity might already be a concern, and a charger that’s somewhat bulkier but equipped with a larger battery seems like a reasonable compromise.
Regarding the actual magnetic connection, it is exceptionally strong, and I’ve never experienced any issues with the charger detaching from the Pixel 10 unless I intended for it to.
Another significant advantage of the charger being slim is that it fits more comfortably in a pocket. Unlike other portable chargers, which are often quite bulky and cumbersome, the Anker MagGo Power Bank (5K) is compact, lightweight, and the best representation of “portable” I’ve encountered in a charger.
The Anker MagGo Power Bank (5K) charges wirelessly at 15W and includes a 5,000mAh battery capacity, aligning with the higher end of many top Android devices. That is sufficient to provide a decent charge when required, although you shouldn’t anticipate it to fully recharge your battery.
This is due to the inefficiency of wireless charging, meaning the power bank typically depletes before my Pixel 10 receives a complete charge. Nevertheless, it should suffice for most users, especially as a backup option. Additionally, the charger does get somewhat warm during use, but not alarmingly so.
Moreover, you can utilize the USB-C port for power output, with a maximum of 20W. While not the quickest, it should prove faster and more efficient compared to wireless charging, as indicated in the chart above.
It also allows for 20W input charging, which is fairly decent, though it entails waiting close to two hours for a full recharge. There is no screen to indicate your current charge status, but four small lights at the bottom fulfill that purpose, which can be activated by pressing the side button.
There are clear disadvantages to having a charger this slim, the primary one being the relatively small capacity. With other power banks, I’m accustomed to having a capacity of at least 10,000mAh, which delivers at least one complete charge and more. Given the increasing battery capacities of top Android phones, I cannot expect a full charge from the Anker MagGo Power Bank (5K), though I still find it helpful for additional power when necessary.
The charging speed also leaves something to be desired, yet it’s not terribly sluggish, particularly if you choose the USB-C method (which somewhat undermines the concept of having a magnetic portable charger).
To address this, Anker provides a 10,000mAh version of the MagGo Power Bank that not only doubles the capacity but also accommodates up to 30W charging through USB-C, in addition to 15W wireless charging. However, at .58 inches, this charger is considerably thicker and doesn’t feel like something I’d like to attach to the back of my phone.
Still, it’s an alternative for anyone looking to gain a bit more from their portable MagSafe charger, and there’s even another 10,000mAh model that features the same capacity and a small display on the side (though it’s even thicker at .78 inches).
On the flip side, if you’re prepared to sacrifice the convenience of a magnetic connection, the Anker Nano Power Bank has served me well and has become my new preferred portable charger. It boasts a retract…
