Review: Anker 521 Magnetic Battery
The Anker 521 magnetic battery was one of the first power banks to support the new MagSafe feature of the iPhone. It enables you to magnetically attach the power bank to the back of your MagSafe compatible iPhone and charge it wirelessly on the go without cables.
Fittingly, Anker originally called this power bank a snap and go power bank but changed the naming convention. It’s now called a MagGo power bank.
Though the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a powerful battery, I rarely make it through an entire day on a single charge. Probably, because I do a lot of photo editing on my iPhone.
So when Apple announced MagSafe, I hoped that either Apple or someone else would release a power bank that I could attach magnetically and without cables to my iPhone. A few months later, Anker was one of the first to release such a magnetic and wireless power bank.
In this Anker 521 magnetic battery review, I’ll share my real-world experience using it.
Models of the Anker Magnetic Battery
Since Anker released the original PowerCore Magnetic 5K in 2021, they released three more models and changed their products’ naming convention.
- The original model I used for this review was called Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K. It’s now called Anker 521 Magnetic Battery.
- In Mid 2022, Anker released the successor of the Anker 521 MagGo: The Anker 621 magnetic battery. It’s slightly thinner than the original Anker 521 and offers the same capacity as the Anker 521.
- Another MagGo model is the Anker 622 Magnetic Battery. It also has a capacity of 5.000 mAh but comes with a stand attached to the power bank.
- Anker also released a 10.000 mAh version called Anker 633 Magnetic Battery. This version is slightly larger (and thicker) than the 5.000 mAh models.
To help you decide which Anker MagGo Magnetic battery model is suitable for you, here’s a capacity, size and weight comparison of the Anker magnetic batteries 521 vs 621 vs 622 vs 633. Measurements are in inches and pounds.
| Anker 521 | 5.000 mAh | 3.66 | 2.44 | 0.63 | 0.29 |
| Anker 621 | 5.000 mAh | 4.12 | 2.62 | 0.44 | 0.31 |
| Anker 622 | 5.000 mAh | 4.13 | 2.62 | 0.521 | 0.31 |
| Anker 633 | 10.000 mAh | 4.21 | 2.62 | 0.71 | 0.48 |
If you’re looking for a lightweight and small magnetic power bank with a capacity of 5.000 mAh, then go for the Anker (621) magnetic battery (the successor of the Anker 521). If you’re looking for more charges at the price of weight and size, then go for the Anker 633 magnetic power bank.
Please mind that this review is about the Anker 521 magnetic battery that was originally called Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K. I’ve added info about the other models for completeness.
Why I bought the Anker 521 magnetic battery
As mentioned above, I rarely make it through the day with a single charge on my iPhone.
As I’m a Minimalist, I always strive to get rid of things, especially things, that I need to carry and that would prevent me from traveling light.
Eliminating the cables for everyday charging was the reason I originally switched from my Anker 10.000 mAh slim power bank to the Apple Smart Battery Case for an everyday use power bank.
And that was also the reason why I bought the Anker 521 magnetic battery: To be able to charge my iPhone on the go without using cables. like this:
Features of the Anker 521 magnetic battery
Compatibility of the Anker magnetic batteries
As mentioned, I’ve used the Anker 521 magnetic battery with an iPhone 12 Pro Max, an iPhone 13 Pro Max and now use it with my new iPhone 14 Pro. Anker mentions in their specs, that their magnetic batteries works with all MagSafe compatible iPhones except for the iPhone Mini. From a photo I found on the Internet it looks like that the camera of the iPhone Mini is a little too big for the the Anker magnetic battery.
MagSafe compatible
The Anker 521 magnetic power bank is MagSafe compatible and thus allows you to charge your iPhone wirelessly while it’s magnetically attached to the back of your iPhone. I used and use it with various iPhone Models in a MagSafe compatible iPhone case from moment.
I wondered how strong the magnets were and tried to shake the power bank off the iPhone’s back a few times. I failed. The magnets are pretty strong.
But as with all attachable MagSafe accessories, if you try to put the iPhone with the power bank attached into a tight. it may come off.
Capacity of 5000 mAh
The Anker 521, Anker 621 and Anker 622 magnetic power banks have a capacity of 5.000 mAh. Anker claims it would charge an iPhone 12 Pro Max from zero to roughly 75%.
So I did a real-world test for this review and wirelessly charged my iPhone 12 Pro Max for precisely one hour. I didn’t put the iPhone to flight mode or disabled any services I’d use during a typical day.
The iPhone’s 12 Pro Max battery went from 30% to 50% during the hour, and after an additional hour, the battery was at 70%.
After two hours of charging the iPhone’s battery by 40%, the power bank’s LEDs indicated that it still had around 25% of its charge.
So I guess you can charge an iPhone 12 Pro Max by around 60% in a real-world scenario if you charge it wirelessly.
If you use another iPhone model, you may get more than the estimated 50%-60% because the batteries of these models have a different capacities than the battery of the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Out of curiosity, I also tried to charge an iPad Pro 11 2018. The Anker 521 magnetic power bank could charge it from 30% to 67% before it was empty.
Please note that the three different models I mentioned before supply different wireless charging power:
| Anker 521 5.000 mAh | 5W |
| Anker 621 5.000 mAh | 7.5W |
| Anker 622 5.000 mAh | 7.5W |
| Anker 633 10.000 mAh | 7.5W |
You may be able to squeeze a bit more out of the power bank if you attach a USBC to lightning cable to the power bank and charge your iPhone with a cable.
But that’s not what I was looking for, so I didn’t test it.
Two Way USB-C Charging
If you need to charge a non-MagSafe compatible device, you can attach it to the USB-C port of the Anker magnetic batteries that you use to charge the power bank itself. This way, the power bank will charge other devices as well.
According to my tests, using the magnetic charger and the cable on the Anke 521 magnetic battery, you can’t charge two devices at once. As soon as you attach a cable, the device on the cable takes precedence
Speaking of charging the power bank: To charge the Anker 521 and Anker 622 power banks, Anker recommends using a 12W power adapter, while for the Anker 633, you should use an 18W power adapter.
Anker 521 LED Indicators and their functions
All the Anker magnetic batteries have four LED status lights that indicate how much charge the power bank has left. One status light approximately equals a charge of 25%.
As I’ve outlined in the chapter about the power bank’s capacity, one of the status lights was still lit after charging my iPhone 12 Pro Max wirelessly by 40%.
Further, the power bank has a blue power light. It’ll start blinking if you charge the power bank itself. Once you turn on the power bank and charge your iPhone, it’s continuously lit.
On/Off Switch
One feature I liked is the on/off switch. To start charging the iPhone wirelessly, you need to press the button once to turn it on until the blue LED light turns on. That will prevent accidentally charging your iPhone.
Charge your Airpods wirelessly
Though this Anker wireless battery pack won’t magnetically stick to your AirPod case (or the other way round), you can charge your Apple Airpods wirelessly. Just place the power bank on a flat surface and put the AirPod case in the middle of the charging area.
The light of the AirPod case will briefly turn on to indicate that the case is now charging.
What’s in the box?
The package content of the Anker 521 magnetic battery corresponds to that of many other power banks. It contains:
The Anker magnetic batteries do not come with a power adapter. Personally, I don’t mind. I have an Anker 4 port desk charger with two USB-C ports that I can use to charge the power bank at home. To charge it on the go, I use a small Anker Nano Charger.
The Apple magsafe power bank vs. the Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5k
I added this chapter because Apple also released a MagSafe compliant power bank for the iPhone. When the Apple power bank details became public, people quickly pointed out that Apple’s battery pack only had 30% of the capacity compared to the Anker magnetic power banks.
Yes, the Apple battery pack has a capacity of 1560 mAh. But that’s just half of the story.
To compare the Anker magnetic power banks with the Apple power bank, you have to consider the current that’s used to store the power. If you multiply the mAh with the current and divide it by 1000, you get the watt-hours (Wh). And this is the only metric you should use to compare power banks.
The Anker wireless power bank uses a current of 3.7V, while Apple uses a current of 7.62V. So, this yields 18.5 Wh of the Anker MagSafe battery pack compared to 11.13 Wh of the Apple power bank. These two numbers are even in the fine print on the two power banks.
So the Apple MagSafe battery pack’s capacity is 60% compared to the Anker battery pack.
I don’t have the Apple battery pack, but if I ever get it, I’ll happily compare it to the Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K.
The Verdict
The Anker 521 magnetic battery is what I wanted. A portable and lightweight power bank for everyday use that allows me to charge my iPhone wirelessly on the go. I’d buy it again.
I won’t upgrade the Anker 521 model to one of the newer models because for traveling, I rely on the 26.800 mAh power bank from Anker, and you’ll find a Anker PowereCore 26.800 review in the blog.
Juice-Up 10k Mag 15W Wireless Magnetic Power Bank |10,000mAh UM1111BLK
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UltraProlink Juice-Up 10K Mag is a premium 15W wireless magnetic power bank for phones such as iPhone14, iPhone13, iPhone12 which are mag-safe enabled. The design also supports non magnetic phones in the flat-bed position. This gadget is a must-have travel essential. The power bank itself can be charged via Type C port or 8pin iPhone connector port. Use a minimum 20W Wall Charger with Power Delivery the Type C-C Cable provided in the box. The unit should be fully charged within 1.5-2.0 Hours depending on how much battery is depleted.The unit supports protocols such as PD, PPS QC3.0. The battery strength of the power bank is indicated through the Digital Display.
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At UltraProlink.com, we provide world-class shipping to all our customers that includes inspection, fast on-time delivery, top quality packaging, insurance for the package, and timely communication at each stage of shipping. We completely understand that once you buy merchandise online, the biggest question usually is Where is my stuff? well at UltraProlink.com, we address that concern by promising you Hassle Worry Free Shipping. This means that once you have bought a product at our site, we take care of everything so you don’t have worry about anything. Each order we receive will be processed within 48 hours, and you will hear from us at every step of the way- i.e.- when the order is placed, processed, shipped, and delivered. And of course, any questions along the way just contact our Customer Support and we will resolve your problem right there. We have partnered with most of the top courier and logistics partners to assure that you receive your order on time and safely with full courtesy and attention. Kindly refer to our detailed Delivery Policy here.
The best MagSafe battery packs for backup power whenever your iPhone needs it
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- The best MagSafe battery packs make wireless, on-the-go charging secure and convenient.
- You’ll want to keep in mind charging speed, size and weight, and magnet strength when choosing a battery pack.
- Our picks include battery packs from Apple and trusted third-party brands like Anker and Belkin.
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As we rely more and more on our smartphones, it’s become more of a necessity to ensure that you can charge your phone from anywhere. While portable power banks are a common accessory, the more recent introduction of wireless MagSafe battery packs presents a simpler solution for on-the-go charging.
If you use an iPhone 12, 13 or 14 model, your phone is equipped with Apple’s MagSafe technology that allows you to charge your device without the hassle of needing a cable and outlet. Though MagSafe charging is typically less efficient than charging via cable, the simplicity and added convenience makes the investment more than worth it.
Our list of MagSafe battery packs includes some of the best options available today, as well as other quality choices that are geared more toward style or budget.
Apple MagSafe battery pack
If you’re an Apple purist, the Apple MagSafe battery pack is an easy choice. With Smart features like reverse wireless charging (allowing you to charge your phone and the battery pack at the same time) and an iOS-integrated battery widget showing the pack’s charge status, this battery pack is definitely the most sophisticated on the market.
Importantly, as an official Apple product, this pack is able to take full advantage of MagSafe technology, providing 15W wireless charging with precise magnetic alignment. While it only is available in white and is on the more expensive side, its Smart features and ease of use make it a worthy investment.
Anker 622 Magnetic Battery (MagGo)
Anker’s 622 MagGo is one of a few options on this list that includes an integrated kickstand that you can use to prop your phone up while attached — a feature that certainly sets it apart in terms of functionality, beyond the fact that the battery pack itself is a reliable choice for regular, Pro, and Max iPhone 12-14 models (it’s not recommended for the mini due to its size).
The strong magnet provides perfect alignment every time both horizontally and vertically, and has LED lights on the base to indicate remaining battery life. In three pastel shades as well as classic black and white, this is an excellent option that won’t add too much bulk to your phone while charging.
Moft Snap Stand Power Set
This modular power bank set serves as a MagSafe battery, wallet, and stand, all within a sleek faux leather package. Compatible with all iPhone sizes in the 12-14 series (including Mini and Max models), this power bank provides a seamless experience overall. The wallet can hold up to three cards and can be magnetically detached from the battery pack base — meaning you can use the wallet and stand on its own if you don’t need the battery for charging.
An additional feature of note is that the stand allows for either vertical or horizontal magnetic orientation while in use, making it ideal for video streaming or standard vertical use. It also supports pass-through charging, so your phone will be charged primarily when charging via the breakaway magnetic USB-C cable.
Anker 633 Magnetic Wireless Charger (MagGo)
The Anker 633 MagGo, compatible with all iPhone 12 and 13 models, is a great dual investment for both a portable power bank and an at-home charging stand. The stand will charge the battery and your phone simultaneously (prioritizing your phone with pass-through charging), and you can orient your phone horizontally or vertically while in use. You can also adjust the stand’s viewing angle up to 40° to your preference, a small detail but one that certainly adds to the luxury experience this product provides.
The feature that sets the Anker 633 apart, however, is the stand’s Qi-enabled base that allows you to wirelessly charge your Airpods case. The battery pack comes in black and white as well as a pale blue, and the stand will match the color you choose for the pack.
OtterBox Wireless Power Bank for MagSafe
The OtterBox wireless power bank includes much of the same appeal as the company’s high-quality cases, namely the protective-but-not-bulky design made of grippy textured plastic. The power bank has LED lights at the base to show its remaining power, and can be used as a standalone corded power bank if needed to charge Airpods or other small devices. You can even use it to charge your Airpods wirelessly, provided you have Apple’s Wireless Charging Case.
Casely Power Pod
It also comes with a separate magnetic adhesive ring, which will allow you to use the Power Pod with phones that have wireless charging compatibility but aren’t equipped with MagSafe charging, so you can have the benefit of the signature MagSafe magnetic snap into place when charging.
Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic 10k MAh Power Bank
This Belkin power bank is about as large as the iPhone itself, so while it’s not a power bank like some of its competitors it provides a higher charging capacity. It supports pass-through charging and can be used as a standard wired power bank to charge another device (like your Airpods) while your phone charges via the MagSafe magnets. It’s a highly functional power bank, and is ideal if you’ll be unable to plug your phone in for a long period of time — think layovers or weekend trips.
Mophie Snap Juice Pack Mini
For a low-profile battery pack that’s.friendly, look no further than the Mophie Snap Juice Pack Mini. It’s thinner and smaller than some of its competitors, and has a nice fabric finish to add texture. It also conveniently comes with a magnet adapter to enable magnetic wireless charging on iPhones and Androids that are not MagSafe-enabled.
This battery pack is the smaller version of their larger power bank sold directly through Apple, and is a nice alternative to the larger model as a more portable option while still providing a full phone battery’s worth of charge. For true 15W wireless charging, however, you’ll want to opt for the larger Mophie Powerstation, which has the same pass-through charging capabilities as the Snap Juice Pack Mini but with the addition of an adjustable stand and tripod socket as supplemental accessories.
Belkin Magnetic Wireless Power Bank 2.5K
With a strong magnetic connection and unfussy design, this portable MagSafe power bank from Belkin is ideal for a quick charge in a pinch. Due to its smaller size, its battery capacity and charging speed are lower than the Belkin BoostCharge listed above, but for iPhone Mini users (or those looking to spend a minimal amount of money on an easy-to-use charging bank) it does the trick.
Anker 521 Magnetic Battery
A wallet-friendly version of Anker’s 633 MagGo (included on this list above) is conveniently available in the Anker 521 magnetic battery. The Anker 521 is available in purple, green, and blue in addition to basic black and white, and is slightly smaller in size, making it ideal for iPhone Mini models. With short circuit protection, temperature control, and built-in foreign object detection, this is a high-quality choice at a reasonable price.
FAQs
Are MagSafe battery packs worth it?
Charging through a MagSafe battery pack doesn’t generally provide the same charging efficiency as using a cable, but the benefits of carrying fewer cords make them a Smart and simple choice. Especially if you are someone who relies on their phone for work, content creation, or streaming, a MagSafe battery pack will likely come in handy to ensure that your device maintains its battery throughout the day.
Can MagSafe battery packs be used to charge Airpods and Apple Watches?
Yes, you can use a MagSafe battery pack to charge Airpods and Apple Watches like any other Qi wireless charger, however your Airpods will need to be charged while in a wireless charging-enabled case. If you don’t have one, you can use most wireless battery packs as a standard wired power bank.
What should I look for in a MagSafe battery pack?
Depending on your expected use, you could select any number of options for a wireless battery pack. For example, if you just need a quick charge to keep in your bag for commuting, you may not need a larger battery capacity like the Anker 622 MagGo and may choose a smaller, lighter option like the Mophie Snap Juice Pack Mini.
If your primary use of the pack is for travel, a higher battery capacity (and thus a larger battery pack) will likely be your best choice. Beyond your basic usage habits, you might also consider the charging speed (does the pack provide 15W charging?) or compatibility (will the battery pack obscure my phone camera while in use?).
Do I need a MagSafe case to use a MagSafe battery pack?
It’s safe to assume that your phone case will need to be MagSafe compatible in order to use a MagSafe battery pack to its proper charging capacity. If your case is thin enough, however, it may not need to be officially MagSafe compatible in order to charge via Qi wireless charging with one of these packs — though, in order to achieve MagSafe’s signature 15W wireless charging, you’ll need to use a proper MagSafe case or remove your iPhone case for charging.
ROMOSS Magnetic Wireless Power Bank PD 20W Fast Charge 5000mah Wireless Magsafe Powerbank
Strong Magnetic Attachmentful and Slim Design
-only 0.53 inch ThinMake the iPhone 13 Last Two Times Longer
Provide your iPhone 13 with 19 hours of extended use
Small But Powerful
20W fast charge can be charged up to 55% battery for iPhone 13 in 30 mins
15W wireless fast charge can be charged up to 18% battery for iPhone 13 in 30 mins
Can be fully recharged by 18W fast recharged in 1.2 hours
Although a Wireless Charger,Wired Charging also Supported
Built-in Bi-Directional type-C ports charge non-wireless devicesType-C InputOutput | Wireless Charging Indicator | Battery Level Indicator
International Safety.Certified Battery Cell and IC
10 protection system to ensure your safety
Over charge,current,reset,discharge,temperature,volage,anti-reserve,power-surge,short-curcuit,FRI protection.
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