Tested: Anker’s new Qi2 MagSafe battery is the 15W power bank I’ve been dreaming of

Anker is one of the first to the market with a Qi2 power bank, and I’ve been daily driving the new portable 15W MagSafe stand for the past few weeks. Complete with an iPhone 15-ready design and 6,600mAh battery, this new release fixes many of the issues that have plagued previous MagSafe-compatible power banks.

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Hands-on with Anker’s new Qi2 MagSafe power bank

We all know the drill with MagSafe power banks at this point. They all come locked at 7.5W speeds, even Apple’s own in-house model, and are prone to overheating well before they make any kind of dent in refueling your iPhone. Throw in the even slower charging rates when you combine the two, and there’s a pretty solid reason why sticking with wired charging might be a better idea. Well, might is the key word there, as Anker just solved it all with the company’s new Qi2 MagSafe power bank.

Announced last fall before finally beginning to ship at CES 2024, Anker’s first portable battery centered around the new Qi2 standard has finally arrived. I’ve been waiting for one of these to ship, and now I’ve been playing around with the foldable design that can turn the 6,600mAh battery into an upright stand for the past few weeks. There’s a $70 price tag attached, and so I was eager to see just how far the new Anker Qi2 MagSafe power bank would go to justify its more premium MSRP.

Here’s a closer look at the spec sheet:

• Embrace the convenience of 15W wireless charging that comes with the assurance of Qi2 certification for fast, secure, and efficient power boosts. 
• Enjoy 15W ultra-fast wireless charging and power up your devices 2X faster
• Adjust the angle anywhere from 30° to 65° to find your optimal viewing position
• A huge 6,600mAh capacity ensures that you can focus on the moment

gadgetnewsonline’ Take

Anker sent over many of its new Qi2 devices to start off the year, and I have been taking my time to get acquainted with both of them. I already took a hands-on look at the more stationary 3-in-1 charging station earlier this month, and now to close out January I am looking at its portable sibling.

Out of the box, and the Anker Qi2 MagSafe power bank has the same kind of higher-end, plastic build that I’ve come to expect from the company. It is on the heavier side to match the larger form-factor, but that’s to be expected from something that it on the more premium side. The hinge that connects the charging pad to its battery is easily one of the more sturdy implementations I’ve used, and means that no matter how you position your iPhone, it’ll be able to hold it firmly in place.

Speaking of, the magnetic connection is also pretty solid. It doesn’t have the highest holding force of any MagSafe charger out there, but it is more than capable of holding up a smartphone when it’s in stand mode or securely hanging on when actually using your iPhone.

That larger size also means that the stand comes in handy for actually combating the overheating problem. The power bank does still warm up when in use, but having the stand design means that it isn’t all localized in the same compact footprint. It also means that there’s a larger 6,600mAh battery onboard. That’s noticeably larger than the 5,000mAh standard we’d typically see with the previous 7.5W models, and helps take full advantage of the 15W speeds so you’re not instantly draining the battery.

All of that means that this is finally delivering a MagSafe battery pack that is fit for iPhone 15. I’ve loved the handful of 7.5W magnetic power banks that have graced my everyday carry for the past several years, but after all this time, it’s so great to finally see an accessory that fully takes advantage of its form-factor. MagSafe has always suffered when untethered from the wall, and now Anker has cut the cord to offer the same kind of perks in a portable battery as you’d find on your nightstand’s charger.

As far as the stand design itself goes, I do really dig how versatile the Anker Qi2 MagSafe power bank is. It’s not just a battery you slap onto the back of your smartphone, and really is just a portable charging station. I really hope we see something a bit more basic from Anker in the future. But for now, this is the fruition of what MagSafe battery packs were supposed to be for since the first ones started rolling out for the iPhone 12 all those years ago.

I can easily recommend the Anker Qi2 MagSafe power bank at its $69.99 price tag.

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