Hands on testing: Anker Nano Power Bank 10000mAh (30W, Built-In USB-C Cable) A1259

The new Anker Nano line of battery banks anticipates the shift from Lightning to USB-C in the iPhone ecosystem but that doesn’t mean these cute little products aren’t suited for Android phones as well.

I’ve been using the Anker Nano Power Bank 10000mAh (30W, Built-In USB-C Cable) A1259 during day to day life for a few weeks now to recharge my Google Pixel 8 Pro and find it very handy.

At first I didn’t think much of the 30W charging rate but it makes a big difference when recharging my phone while in my pocket compared to my old 10W power bank.

Yes at $99.99 it does cost more than basic 10000 mAh power banks but with this new one from Anker you’re paying for super convenient 30W pocketable fast charging, built-in status screen and built-in USB-C cable.

Specifications

Strengths

• Native USB-C for charging and recharging but also has a USB-A socket for older devices.
• 30W two way charging rate – so it gets refilled and can supply other devices twice as fast as a 15W battery bank or 3 times faster than a 10W battery bank. This was verified with Ampere an app which measures charging rate.
• Charge 3 gadgets at once – at a total charge rate of 24W you can plug in two USB-C and one USB-C devices so they all get a topup at the same time
• Small – so it fits easily in a pants pocket or handbag
• Built-in USB-C cable – so you don’t need to remember to bring one separately or worry about the loose USB-C cable you keep with your battery bank from getting lost
• Looks good – the silvery look is much nicer than the boring black matte finish which is common with battery banks
• Built-in colour status screen – press the little button at the top corner to see the current percentage charge level or get an update on how long the battery will take to charge to 100% / discharge to 0% at current charging rate

Weaknesses

• Built-in USB-C cable – looks sturdy but I keep it closely wrapped around the power bank using a rubber band as I fear the cable might get caught on something in my backpack and get ripped out.
• Cost – it is priced higher compared to a more boring, plain looking USB-C power bank without a built-in USB-C cable and with only a few blinking dots to indicate current charge level.
• Screen brightness – sometimes the screen isn’t bright enough to see properly outside in the sun.  I guess making the built-in status screen brighter would have used up more of the battery capacity.