These power banks for iPhone and Apple Watch are magnetically good

High capacity, fast, compact
These power banks for iPhone and Apple Watch are magnetically good

The new MagGo power banks from Anker for iPhone and Apple Watch are particularly compact, but still offer high capacity. They also charge devices faster than most competitors.

Since the twelfth generation, iPhones have had a magnetic ring on the back to which, among other things, inductive charging stations can dock. The Apple Watch has been refueling in this way since its premiere in 2015. Anker now offers power banks for both devices, each offering a high capacity of 10,000 milliamperes hours (mAh) and achieving large charging capacities. Nevertheless, the batteries are particularly compact.

Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K mAh, Slim)

With its dimensions of 14.7 x 70.6 x 104 millimeters, the Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K mAh, Slim) really deserves the name Slim. It is similarly thin to Apple's MagSafe battery, which came onto the market in 2021 with a Lightning connector and only offered a capacity of around 1500 mAh for 109 euros. There is currently no USB-C successor.

Anker's 70 euro alternative weighs around 80 grams more at 200 grams, but it not only offers many times the capacity, but is also significantly more powerful. It charges a docked iPhone with 15 W, while Apple's battery and most third-party competitors only provide 7.5 W. For example, an iPhone 16 can be charged from 0 to 50 percent in around 50 minutes.

If you want to go faster or charge other devices, the USB-C port on the bottom of the power bank delivers 30 W. A suitable cable is included in the scope of delivery. If you use both charging options at the same time, the power provided drops to 12 and 5 W.

Fast but safe

The power bank itself can be charged with a correspondingly powerful 30 W power supply, which takes about 2.5 hours with an empty battery. You can also fill it up and power an iPhone at the same time, although the power bank will then charge more slowly depending on the battery level. The Slim never gets hot. Anker's charging electronics constantly measure the temperature and keep it below 40 degrees. In the test, ntv.de measured around 37 degrees at maximum performance.

So far, so strong, but the slim MagGo power bank is not perfect. Although Anker has optimized energy efficiency, the technology still suffers from losses. According to the manufacturer, 35 to 45 percent of the capacity is lost during the conversion. An iPhone 15, whose battery has a capacity of 3,349 mAh, can therefore only be charged 1.8 times.

No room for a stand

One flaw is that the rubberized contact surface not only attracts the iPhone, but also dirt. Anker does not provide a transport bag. Otherwise, the power bank is flawlessly manufactured and feels correspondingly high-quality thanks to the aluminum frame, among other things. It's a shame that the slim MagGo battery doesn't have an integrated stand for conveniently watching videos on the iPhone.

All in all, the Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim) is an excellent solution for anyone looking for a powerful, but compact and safe piggyback battery for the iPhone. The price-performance ratio is also good.

Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, 35 W, for Apple Watch)

At the Anker MagGo Powerbank (10K mAh, 35 W, for Apple Watch) basically attaches an iPhone to an integrated USB-C strip and is charged there with up to 30 W. With At just 95 × 51 × 32.4 millimeters, the device is also very compact. As the name suggests, the Apple Watch has a special position with this battery. This means that the charger has a dock for the watch on the top, which can be smoothly folded up into an upright position.

This also affects a small, two-color display under the surface that you can only see when the power bank is active. In addition to the filling level, it shows what power is being output from the dock or USB-C port or approximately how long it will take until the power bank is fully charged. If you fold the watch ring up, the display automatically rotates 180 degrees. Alternatively, you can also press a button that is located next to the cable connector's holding bay.

Loading and holding strap

Another nice detail is that the retracted cable can serve as a strap. It should be robust enough for this; according to Anker's laboratory values, it can withstand 10,000 bends and can carry up to 5 kilograms. It's also good that it has small rubber feet on the bottom so it doesn't slip on smooth surfaces.

In addition to the integrated cable, the power bank has another USB-C port for a third device. Although Anker specifies a total output of 35 W, you cannot charge devices with 30 W using the USB-C cable and a watch with 5 W at the same time. The maximum USB-C power on the cable drops to 24 W with two connected devices; with three it was 8 W in the test.

Faster than with the original

Ideally, an Apple Watch can be charged from 0 to 100 percent in 70 minutes, which is faster than Apple's charger, which takes around 100 minutes. In the test, an iPhone 16 was about half full after 30 minutes. Anker states 1.93 charges for an iPhone 15 Pro and eleven for an Apple Watch 9.

The power bank itself can also be recharged with up to 30 W using one of the USB-C ports. A full charge takes approximately one and a half hours. Anker's protective function also works here; the highest temperature measured on the device in the test was almost 40 degrees.

The bottom line is that the Anker MagSafe Power Bank is the ideal small gas station for on the go if you also want to power an Apple Watch. With an integrated cable, an informative display and an additional USB-C port, it has a lot to offer, for which 80 euros is a very fair price.