The PowerCore 20000 was Anker’s first power bank to include Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 technology as well as their own “PowerIQ” technology – boosting charging speeds across all devices to the maximum compatible speed – all whilst in a package that’s “30% more compact” than its nearest competitor. This has earned it the top spot in many people’s “Best Power Bank” lists – I’ve featured its smaller brother the PowerCore 10000 (10,000mAh) in my own 5 Essential Tech Accessories list.
Table of Contents
PowerCore 20000 Features
- 2 x full-sized USB ports (outputs), 1 x Micro-USB port (input @ 5V/2A (10W))
- 1 x Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 USB port
- 1 x PowerIQ USB port (5V/1A (5W))
- 20,000mAh battery capacity
- Solid plastic build
- 4 x LEDs to display power bank charge level
- Plane friendly (under the 27,000mAh maximum for planes)
Battery capacity & charging speed
Anker claims that the PowerCore 20000 has 20,000mAh of battery capacity, which is theoretically enough to FULLY charge:
- An iPhone 6S – 7.5 times
- A Samsung Galaxy S6 – 5 times
- A Samsung Galaxy S7 – 4 times
- An iPad Air – 1.5 times
The PowerCore 20000 is compatible with most if not all devices that recharge via USB and will optimise charging speeds via both available ports. It is worth noting though, that the PowerCore 20000 does support Quick Charge 3.0, it does not support OnePlus’ DASH charging or OPPO’s VOOC charging, as these are a proprietary charging method. It will still charge the devices, just not at the speed you may be used to if you use a DASH/VOOC charger.
To charge the PowerCore itself, there’s a 5V/2A MicroUSB input port, which will provide maximum charging speeds for your relatively gargantuan power bank. Whilst the power bank does take a few hours to charge from 0% to 100%, this is to be expected – consider your Samsung.S7 charging via a standard 2A charger (not an adaptive fast charger). It can take a couple of hours to charge! Bear in mind that your S7 has a battery capacity of 3,000mAh compared to the 20,000mAh in the PowerCore 20000.
I’ve found charging speeds to be more than satisfactory – matching the advertised speeds and even recharging some of my phones quicker than their included wall chargers (cough cough 1A iPhone chargers still included in box in 2017 cough cough). QuickCharge 3.0 definitely works 100% with compatible devices, as well as being fully backwards compatible with older generations of QuickCharge (2.0).
Day-to-day use
The PowerCore 20000 has definitely made its way into my Every Day Carry kit. I initially purchased a few of these as trial equipment for work, to provide to field-based/on-the-road technicians who utilise smartphones on a daily basis to obtain their workloads. After the great success I had testing these internally before rolling them out to over 300 field based users, I purchased one for personal use very quickly.
I use my PowerCore 20000 probably every other day. It keeps my personal iPhone 7 Plus topped up whenever I have to travel (mainly use it for phone calls, WhatsApp and navigation), as well as my work mobile (a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge – purely used for phone calls and emails) fully charged at all times. I even find I have more than enough capacity to offer others a quick top up if needs be. I typically only have to charge the power bank itself once every 2 weeks.
Charging speed has never been a problem for me either – I stick my S7 Edge in the Quick Charge 3.0 port and my iPhone in the 1A PowerIQ port. This provides both phones with the best possible charging speed they can handle.
The power bank itself is made of solid plastic – although I initially mistook this for metal. The rounded edges mean that you can throw the device in your bag without the worry that it’s going to rip something or smash something while it rolls around. The LEDs on the top-side of the device work very well (they have a simple function, but I’ve used a few cheap power banks that had the worst battery level indicators!!) providing a great idea as to how much battery you have left out of your 20,000mAh. It’s not a fine-tuned indicator, providing only measures of 25% – but you get to learn how long that last 25% will last you! Don’t expect an LCD screen @ £30.
Summary
The Anker PowerCore 20000 has more than the necessary features for a device of this type – such as the included carry case and micro USB cable – and at around £30, provides you with an exceptional amount of battery capacity. Over the last year or so, Anker have become an incredibly well known brand for providing great quality devices at a wallet-friendly price point.
The PowerCore 20000 is a great addition to any travellers bag, to a commuters pocket or to your glove box! To be completely honest, I’ve lost count of the amount of times that I’ve walked into my front room, only to find my wife using the PowerCore to keep her phone topped up whilst watching YouTube videos. She claims:
I can be more mobile! I can move around and I’m not stuck to a plug. Its perfect for the end of a long day where you’ve used your phone constantly, are low on battery and just want to watch a video, listen to music or FaceTime a friend. By the time I go to bed, my phone is almost fully charged – which is a bonus!
Useful links
Anker’s website: https://www.anker.com/
Product page: https://www.anker.com/products/A1274011
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-PowerCore-Qualcomm-Backwards-Compatible/dp/B01D0WDWL8/
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerCore-20000mAh-Portable-Qualcomm/dp/B00VLNT9KW/
I have one of these too! They are in an incredible bit of kit and a great value for money.
It’s a little on the heavy side but it makes up by offering ridiculously high charge capacity and reliability.