Gadget Review: Anker Prime 20,000mAh power bank is small, but fiercely powerful

What is power? If you go by what philosophers and thinkers down the ages have said, it is the ability to affect change. And going by that dictum, the Anker Prime power bank 20,000mAh is a device that exudes raw power (pun intended) that can bring about a change in the way you use your gadgets. In the few weeks that I used the device, it certainly changed mine.

These past few weeks I felt like I was carrying around a nuclear reactor in my bag as I went around Dubai and travelled outside the country. Such is the power of this Anker Prime power bank that you feel invincible, like a superhero ready to take on the big bad world of barren batteries. I half expected the scanners at the airports to light up, as if they had detected a radioactive power source in my bag, or to be pulled aside by customs in some distant port for importing an illegal amount of power into their country.

If you think I’m being hyperbolic about a device that’s simply a power bank at the end of the day, then all I have to say in my defence is that it’s the peace of mind that this device has brought me gushing out hyperbolically. No more am I concerned about running out of power in any of my devices while on the go — whether it is my laptop, mobile phones, cameras or anything else that I fancy carrying. Using the Anker Prime has completely changed how I view charging my devices and how I feel power security — and the operative word is security, which this power bank provides in oodles.

Port of call

Taking a closer look at the device itself, the Anker Prime features a screen, which is unusual for a power bank, and three USB ports for both input and output, along with a 20,000 mAh capacity. The built-in display is particularly handy, showing the charging speed and remaining power. Its high capacity and fast power delivery make it capable of charging even large, professional-grade laptops. With these qualities, the Anker Prime is a must-have for frequent travellers or anyone who works away from an outlet.

It features a sleek, rectangular design crafted from high-quality materials. Made mainly out of metal, it has a recessed power button with a shiny metal finish that makes it easy to find without needing to look. The front is protected by a durable plastic cover that safeguards the display. The build quality is top-notch, offering excellent durability without the risk of a fragile glass screen. Anker made a smart choice with plastic, ensuring you won’t have to worry about damaging the display.

With two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, the powerbank is capable of charging up to three devices simultaneously. Each USB-C port supports up to 100W charging speeds individually, while the USB-A port offers up to 65W. With a total output capacity of 200W, if all three ports are in use, the power is distributed as 100W, 60W and 40W across each port respectively. Or, you can have various permutations and combinations of power outputs depending on how many devices you plug in and into which port. Use only the two USB-C ports and you can charge two devices at 100W each — or use one USB-C and the USB-A for a total of 165W distributed between the two at 100W and 65W respectively. The possibilities are many.

The screen is the Anker Prime’s standout feature, offering much more than just a battery life indicator. While charging the power bank, it provides an estimate of how long it will take to reach full capacity. In our tests, it took this power bank an hour and 15 minutes to reach full charge, and the screen provided an accurate account of the state of charge and time remaining with great accuracy all the way from empty to full – as well as when we repeated that test from around 60 percent capacity to full, which the screen timed at 29 minutes. This accuracy and utility of the screen is even more handy when the power is going out. When we connected our devices to it to charge them, it showed the time remaining for the battery to get depleted along with the precise charging speeds the devices and cables were receiving. This is information that can help you plan how urgently you need to find a power source or to take other measures: If you notice the power draining quickly, you might be able to extend your device’s battery life by adjusting settings like screen brightness or activating low power mode.

With its huge 20,000mAh power capacity the Anker Prime is a veritable supertanker of the high seas of portable charging. And with great power comes great… convenience. As someone who relies heavily on various sorts of gadgets, I’ve used many power banks — and this Anker is right up there with the best.

Testing the Anker Prime with my MacBook Air, it topped up the battery from around 25 percent to full charge in less than 40 minutes, which even some wall sockets fail to do. And when it was done, the power bank still had more than 25 percent of juice left, which was just as well, because as a journalist I need to also charge my camera and my mobile phone when travelling on assignments. So I plugged in my Samsung Galaxy S24 and the battery of my Nikon DSLR together and managed to top up both by the time the Anker’s screen showed that it had run out of charge.

For context, a 20,000mAh battery will charge a MacBook air from zero to full once, an iPhone 15 around four times or a Samsung S24 3.5 times.

A common frustration of using power banks is what’s come to be known as “phantom drain” — the situation where the device loses power on its own without being used. The Anker Prime, however, holds on to its power quite well. Going by the rate of self-discharge during my use, which was almost negligible, I’m inclined to believe popular reports that it will retain its charge for over three months.

That’s not to say there are no negatives about this power-plant-on-the-go. For starters, its heft in power in power storage is matched by its hefty weight and slightly ungainly dimensions. Measuring 5 inches in length by 2.15 inches in width and 1.96 inches in depth and weighing all of 550g or over half-a-kilo, the Anker Prime is neither small enough nor light enough for your pocket. You will have to find space for it in your laptop bag or backpack, bundled securely in a felt pouch that Anker includes with it.

Weight and size aside, our test mule suffered from overheating problems on occasion, completely cutting out and shutting down when all three ports were connected to charging devices and the draw was too heavy on it. This only happened outdoors where ambient temperatures were higher, but it’s still something to be aware of if you’re the sort that needs to juice up your devices when not indoors.

These two sticking points aside, the Dh369 that Anker charges for this power bank is money well spent.

More than just power on the go, it gives you peace of mind that in these times of constant connectivity and remote working, someone has your back.

Anker Prime 20,000mAh Power Bank

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