Anker Prime 12,000mAh Power Bank review: Petite pocketable power

At a glance

Expert’s Rating

Pros

• Compact
• Informative display
• Fast charging times
• Includes transport bag

Cons

• High-gloss top sensitive to scratches

Our Verdict

The Anker Prime 12,000mAh Power Bank is a nice innovative device in a small package. It’s ideal for power-hungry users who are always on the go, with its ability to fast charge even a MacBook.

Price When Reviewed

$89.99

Best Prices Today: Anker Prime Powerbank 12.000 mAh

$89.99

As a photographer, I need a power bank for my iPhone, MacBook, and camera that I can stash in a backpack while traveling on my motorcycle. A small power bank like the Anker Prime 12,000mAh Power Bank is ideal.

Design & build

• Compact
• Two USB-C ports
• Big, helpful display

Measuring 5.29 by 2.17 by 1.36 inches (13.4 by 5.5 by 3.5 centimeters), the Power Bank is very compact with its 12,000 mAh power capacity, and its brick design sits comfortably in the hand. It comes with a 2-foot (150-centimeter) USB-C charging cable and a soft transport bag.

The Power Bank has two USB-C Power Delivery 3.0 ports to charge two devices simultaneously. It also provides high output power for a MacBook–each port delivers a maximum of 65 watts of power. The possible combinations of voltage and current for the input and output are 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 10V/2.25A, 15V/3A and 20V/3.25A. This is enough for a variety of mobile devices.

Thomas Bergbold

The display on the Power Bank is not new for Anker but is still great. It covers the entire width of the device and only lights up when you press the button on the side or make a connection. The display is divided into four parts, a large part is taken up by the capacity display in percent with a clockwise circle. A timer is indicated next to it in small letters, showing either the approximate time required to charge the Power Bank or how long it can continue to deliver power. The bottom row shows the power delivered or received during charging for the two USB-C ports. The display also shows battery information such as battery health, charging cycles, and temperature.

Battery life & charging

• USB-C ports support 65 watts
• Fast charging in both directions

The Power Bank can not only be charged via a 65-watt charger, but also via a 100-watt charging station. I used the new Anker Prime 735 67-watt charger to charge the Power Bank, which took around 45 minutes with a maximum of 63 watts. That matches what Anker says about charging the device with a 65-watt charger.

The Power Bank is also quite fast when charging iPhones and other devices. When connected for 30 minutes, an iPhone 13 was charged by 52 percent, an 11-inch iPad Pro by 36 percent, and an M1 MacBook Air by 34 percent.

Thomas Bergbold

Price & availability

• $89.99 in the U.S.
• Coming soon to the U.K. (price to be determined)

The Anker Prime 12,000mAh Power Bank is available in the U.S. directly from Anker for $89.99. It is also available on Amazon, which sometimes offers price discounts down to $79.99.

The Power Bank is not yet available in the U.K. It is listed on the Anker U.K. website as “Coming Soon.” The Power Bank is not listed on Anker Canada or  Anker Australia.

Should you buy the Anker Prime 12,000mAh Power Bank?

The Anker Prime 12,000mAh Power Bank is a nice innovative device in a small package. It’s ideal for power-hungry users who are always on the go, with its ability to fast charge even a MacBook.

Thomas Bergbold

This article originally appeared on MacWelt and was translated by Roman Loyola.