Anker PowerCore III 10K Wireless Portable Charger Reviewed
It seems like only yesterday that I tested the Anker PowerCore 10k Wireless, yet Anker have already raised the bar by adding 18W USB Type-C charging, bumping the Qi charging up to 10W and even integrating a little slide-out phone stand.
Remember that @AnkerOfficial portable wireless charger/battery I reviewed in August?
They’ve already superseded the bloody thing! pic.twitter.com/zam0n3z2i1
— Phil Howard (@Gadgetoid) October 19, 2020
The PowerCore III 10K Wireless does everything its predacessor only this time it does it better. Of all the improvements, however, the ability to charge at 18W on the go is by far the more useful to me. My phone is all but tethered to my arm, and since I’m determined to get a good four years use out of my iPhone X I’m already seeing some drops in battery life. It exists, therefore, in a constant state of flux- being on and off charge several times a day. Ideally I’ll never used it when it’s tethered to a cable, since I’ve destroyed dozens of cables with awkward 90-degree bends, so the faster it charges the better.
Oooh! A PowerIQ 3.0 port-
* Qualcomm QC
* USB Power Delivery
* Apple Fast Charging
* Samsung Fast Charging
* “more”?No Pump Express then? ????????? pic.twitter.com/6ADuYkUtVc
— Phil Howard (@Gadgetoid) October 19, 2020
Dropping one of the USB Type-A ports and making the USB Type-C function as both an input and output for power is also a solid move. I’m eager to embrace the USB Type-C revolution, but older portable batteries are still bestowed with crusty old USB Type-A ports…
I was so preoccupied with wondering whether I could, that I never stopped to think if I should ? @AnkerOfficial pic.twitter.com/um7vpWNG5A
— Phil Howard (@Gadgetoid) October 9, 2020
The combination of faster charging with less cable types to worry about is always a welcome one.
While the charging chops of this new battery are excellent, I’m not so convinced by the slide out phone stand. Why? Well… for starters it missed the very obvious trick of standing the phone and battery up in such a way that wireless charging can happen at the same time. Having a phone propped up in a stand, inches from a wireless charger, with a cable running awkwardly over the table from battery to phone is… kind of absurd to me. Standing a phone upright is a useful feature, though, and Anker’s heart is in the right place. I’m keen to see a kick-stand setup that combines charging with a few adjustable tilt angles for optimum Netflix or YouTube watching.
What the fuck is this for?!? pic.twitter.com/75rdyBsRhu
— Phil Howard (@Gadgetoid) October 19, 2020
Like the previous wireless charger this one wont work through my phone case- unsurprising since it has a large chunk of metal in it- and I find myself using the wireless charging feature for my terrible iFrogs headphones, saving myself the hassle of juggling a USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable in addition to my lightning one. It’s actually a great arrangement and enough to justify wireless charging- but it’s also come in really handy when I’ve misplaced a cable or just don’t want to deal with one, and just pop the case off my phone and charge anyway.
I’m moving house, life is chaos. I’m not going to waste your time or mine by fawning over this charger any more than than barely necessary to keep Anker happy with the word salad that I pass off as reviews. It’s good. Buy it. I’m trying to move house and every rent-seeking crook in the book is dipping into my pockets. Help me out. Click this link and buy things.
Oh! One more thing. Do you use your phone in bed on the charger all the bloody time? Do you have a janky-ass old iPhone with a failing battery like me? WELL HAVE I GOT THE CABLE FOR YOU!
It’s a right angle connector. Named thus because it’s the right angle to go in your phone without getting worn to shit from excessive bends. pic.twitter.com/oK3TDY8fWu
— Phil Howard (@Gadgetoid) November 21, 2020
Pre-bent at 90 degrees so you don’t have to break it yourself. Honestly I bought this thing with my own money as soon as I saw it was available, and it’s the pinnacle of lazy using-my-phone-in-bed-too-much nighttime tweeting. Obviously Mag Safe kinda… obsoletes this… but I *did* say “janky-ass old iPhone.” Not the latest fancy new one, you swine!
It’s available in 3ft, 6ft, black or white USB Type-C versions and even classic old USB Type-A if you’re from the past.