It’s no secret that Anker’s power accessories are some of the very best options available in their respective categories: its affordable, powerful wall chargers, car chargers, and battery packs have become sensations over the last couple of years. Heading into the holidays, Anker has debuted a fantastic option for both iPad and Retina MacBook users — the new PowerCore+ 20100 ($70).
(For our review of the PowerCore+ 26800, PowerCore+ 10050, and PowerCore+ 13400, as well as the PowerPort+ and PowerDrive+, head over to 9to5Toys.)
Redesigned and improved from an earlier model, PowerCore+ 20100 uses even better materials and more powerful charging circuitry to expand its appeal. This time, PowerCore+ sports a USB-C port, enough amperage to recharge Apple’s latest 12″ MacBooks and iPad Pros, and notably faster recharging speeds. Having tested it with an iPad Pro, I was able to take the 12.9″ tablet from 0% to 100% power with plenty of juice left over, and the Retina MacBook is in the same camp. iPad Air and iPad mini owners can expect around two recharges, while iPhone users can get four or more recharges…
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PowerCore+ 20100 is a big battery pack, but by going with a narrower, taller, and thicker shape, Anker manages to make it feel markedly smaller than the ultra-high-capacity Astro E7 I reviewed early this year. It’s still an extruded pill, but at 7.2″ by 2.4″ by 0.9″, it has a more bag-friendly footprint than the 6.5″ by 3″ wide by 0.75″ thick Astro, and feels nicer in the hand. Compared with the prior PowerCore, it’s a hint thicker, a little wider, and around 0.7″ taller — not enough to make a major difference, but PowerCore+ does look and feel a bit bigger. Anker bundles PowerCore+ with a slightly larger version of its prior, great mesh drawstring bag.
Most of Anker’s batteries are made from plastic, but PowerCore+ 20100 is clad in jet black aluminum — the color and texture Apple abandoned after making a few memorably stealthy iPods and iPhones. As a result, the battery feels cool to the touch when it’s not in use, and its edges have just a hint of the chamfered shine of recent Apple products. I really liked the matte plastic finish of the prior PowerCore more than the glossy plastic Astro E7, but the PowerCore+ feels premium compared with both of them.
One of PowerCore+’s best features is on the top: a deluxe 10-light remaining power indicator, with white dots arranged in a circle. These lights provide a granular sense of how much energy’s remaining, and how much additional recharging time PowerCore+ needs, versus the common four-light indicators on batteries such as the prior PowerCore and Astro E7. Here, power is indicated in clear 10% increments rather than big 25% steps, so you can easily judge how filled or empty PowerCore+ really is. Additionally, thanks to a 2.4A input, PowerCore+ can recharge itself faster than most batteries: 8 hours if paired with a 12W wall adapter such as the one that comes with the iPad Pro, or as Anker recommends, one of its own PowerPort USB recharging hubs. The speed is a major improvement over the prior PowerCore, which would only be 3/4 filled after 8 hours.
PowerCore+’s other key benefit is enhanced power output. Anker promises up to 6 Amps of total output, though the per-port output depends on what you have connected. For the two full-sized USB ports, iPad users will tap out at 2.4A per port, as that’s the top recharging speed supported by iOS devices — notably including the brand new iPad Pro. New to this model are USB-C and 12″ MacBook support: unlike the micro-USB-based PowerCore, PowerCore+ comes with a USB-to-USB-C cable and a USB-C port. You can flip the included cable, connecting PowerCore+ to a USB-C device such as the 12″ MacBook, or to a standard USB port for recharging. Since USB-C works bi-directionally, you can recharge PowerCore+ from the MacBook, or recharge the MacBook from PowerCore+; holding down the power indicator button activates the USB-C port’s outbound MacBook recharging mode. Again, you’ll be capped at 6 Amps total across the ports.
In my testing, PowerCore+ was able to fully recharge a dead iPad Pro (with a 38.5Wh battery) to 100%, with over 30% of PowerCore’s capacity remaining for another device — enough to give an iPad Air 2 an additional 45% charge. Since the 12″ MacBook’s battery is only slightly larger (39.7Wh), you can similarly expect a full recharge with extra power to spare — expect enough for a full iPhone 6/6s Plus recharge. That’s a great level of capacity for a single “connect it to everything” battery that’s you can carry around anywhere.
Given the range of capacities, prices, and sizes Anker’s batteries now cover, the only remaining question is which one is right for your personal needs. I still have a soft spot for Astro E7 (currently $60) due to its incredible combination of battery capacity and pricing, but as I noted when testing the original PowerCore, Astro’s size is just a little too large, and its inclusion of triple USB ports wasn’t needed. The first PowerCore (currently $40) has a great size, capacity, and price point, but the $70 PowerCore+ offers faster recharging, MacBook support, a better remaining power indicator, and superior cladding for a premium. Go with whichever one best suits your Apple devices, but regardless of the one you choose, you’ll be impressed by the quality and performance for the price.
| Manufacturer: Anker |
Price: $70 |
Compatibility: All iPads, 12″ MacBook, iPhones, iPods, Apple Watch |
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One of the big problems with iPad Pro is that it takes 4+ hours to recharge from dead. Can you tell me if Anker does the same or near that timeframe and if the iPad Pro can still be used while being charged from this?
Every full-sized iPad and the iPad Pro takes around four to five hours* to recharge from dead (I’ve tested every model and run battery comparisons). The PowerCore+ recharges any iPad at full speed, and yes, the iPad Pro can be used while charging.
[* Edit: The iPad Air 2 takes a little less than four hours; the iPad 3 and 4 took more than 5 hours, varying based on 10W or 12W chargers, the latter not available when the 3 launched.]
Thanks!
For me, it takes 3 and a half hours to charge from dead for my Air 2 and iPad Pro takes about an hour longer at around 4 1/2 hours.
Yes, and I’ve edited the above to clarify a little. The Air 2 tends to be in the 3:40 range under the best of circumstances, and the Pro does take about an hour more than that – my test had it at around 4:50, but close enough.
Mr. Horwitz, first of all – thank you for your review. Secondly, I should be honest and say that you are one of my favourite writers around here. Your pieces are simply what I am looking for – pretty professional, backed by good tests, data, etc. So congrats.
I bought a small Anker battery for my girlfriend and her 5S, which I also used. So I am on the same boat as you and many others – Anker’s stuff is just… working. So I expect nothing else but the same here. But because I am not getting the Pro, I won’t get that specific battery, rather some smaller one for my 6S.
So, a question – do you know how many cycles these batteries have? Since they are Li-Ion I assume it’s the standard 1000? Have you tested that yet? Thank you and keep up with the good work! :)
Ilko, thank you for the kind words – they’re very much appreciated. Regarding the specific number of cycles for the batteries, Anker’s web site doesn’t specify, beyond to claim that the cells used inside the PowerCore+ series are “the highest grade lithium-ion cells in the world.” Photos suggest that they’re Panasonic cells. Based on the claims, a 1,000 cycle estimate would be fair, but in any case, it’s going to be north of 500, and the batteries are guaranteed by Anker for 18 months against any issues.
The pleasure is all mine! :) That would mean that we can use a single Anker at least 3 years (if we assume that we don’t charge our device every day with Anker’s battery). I mean at least 3. More likely 4 to 5. Which sounds perfect.
They say that if you do at least one recharge every four months, it will keep the battery going for a long while. I can’t personally promise longevity beyond their warranty period, but if the cell is maintained properly, it should last.
I’m probably just not educated enough on this, but I’m gonna ask anyway. The article states that iPhone users should get 4 or more charges. My iPhone 6s Plus has a 2750 mAH battery, and this one is 20,100 mAH. Shouldn’t I get 7+ charges out of it, or am I misunderstanding how this all works?
There is a natural loss of energy when transferring power from one cell to another, approximately 30-40%, which is why an iPhone 6 gets a full recharge from a 2400-2600mAh external battery, and the 6 Plus needs a much larger cell for a full charge. The 7x number may well apply to smaller phones, but not to the latest iPhones.
Thanks for the great report. If possible, can you add a little more about A) how fast it charges the Macbook 12 (sleeping and awake), and B) whether it charges the internal battery on a Macbook 12 while also using the machine? Also, does it charge *faster* using the USB-c port?
Unavailable on Amazon, Anker’s only official retail channel for this. Judging by eBay it looks like someone went and bought up a bunch of the inventory and is now reselling it for a higher price. Proves that there’s a market for this kind of thing, for sure!
I can’t recommend Anker products enough and the after sales is also very good. IQ works very on both the battery and main powered chargers I have, and I never use the Apple chargers anymore.
I love this battery; it is invaluable at conferences. However, I am stumped; how can I use it to charge my MacBook? What sort of cable can I use to make this happen — because that would make my life complete.
Hello, I know the article is dated, but is it me or why can’t I find a reasonably priced external battery (like my great ANKER 2nd Gen Astro E5) to power my 2015 magsafe 2 Macbook Air? I’ve read that it something about the size of the Macbook’s battery and that you can’t charge it via USB and also due to protection of Apple’s magsafe tech, or something in the likes. But is there some technical reason why if Apple wanted to make a magsafe 2 to USB connector that this wouldn’t work for charging with an external battery?