As much as I love the conveniences of MagSafe, if I’m going to connect an accessory to the back of my iPhone and make it even thicker, it needs to serve more than one purpose. There’s only so much space I have in my pocket and bag, and a case is already adding a good amount of thickness.
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The Anker 622 Magnetic Battery, luckily, does the work of both a stand and a charger, while managing to be less than an inch thick. Maybe you’ve seen it on your social media feeds, or maybe like me, you’re always looking for a better charger to keep in your bag when you travel, but based on my time with the charger, the Anker Magnetic Battery could very well do the trick for a lot of people. Here’s how it works, as both a charger and a stand, and whether you should consider attaching it to the back of your phone.
Anker Magnetic Battery
Recommended
$50 $70 Save $20
- Less than an inch thick
- 5,000 mAh battery
- USB-C port lets you charge anything over a cable
- Stand only folds to one angle
Price, availability, and specs
The Anker 622 Magnetic Battery Pack currently costs $49.99 and comes in black, white (Dolomite White), green (Buds Green), purple (Lilac Purple), and blue (Misty Blue) varieties. Regardless of what color you pick, the external battery pack ships with a USB-C to USB-C cable for charging the battery itself, and other devices if you so desire.
At only 5,000mAh, the battery isn’t the largest — Anker’s own 633 Magnetic Battery has a 10,000mAh capacity — but it’s plenty for keeping your phone powered long enough to get home after a long day of travel, or charge a little over 50%. The fact that the battery is only about 0.5-inches thin probably contributes to that limited charging ability, but it’s also what makes it something you might consider keeping on your phone long-term.
As a charger
Slow but still useful
The Anker Magnetic Battery is decidedly middle-of-the-road as a charger. Charging speeds max out at 7.5W, and some combination of charging speed, battery capacity, and general chemistry mean that your phone and charger will consistently get warm while wirelessly charging. Not enough to overheat anything, but enough to make it noticeable while holding your phone with the battery attached.
The Anker Magnetic Battery is decidedly middle-of-the-road as a charger.
Starting from when my phone dropped to 20% battery (typically when switching on Low Power Mode is prompted), I was able to slap on the Magnetic Battery and get back to 90% in around three hours. Recharging the battery back itself takes about two and a half hours using a 30W charging brick and the USB-C cable that came with the battery pack. You can also check how full the battery pack is by looking at the five white LED lights that act as a status indicator for the battery.
Since Anker included a USB-C port on the side of the Magnetic Battery, using it to charge other things that don’t have wireless charging is very easy. Insert the appropriate cable, press the button on the side to make sure there’s still charge in the battery, and then plug it in to whatever you need to power. Wired connections take priority over wireless ones, so you won’t be able to charge two devices at once, but it’s certainly helpful to have another way to use the external battery.
As a stand
Limited options
Do you want a stand that can only be set at one angle? With the Anker Magnetic Battery, that’s all you’ll get. Despite looking like it might be completely adjustable, the battery pack has one setting: a 45-degree angle that’s great for watching video, but not always the best for video calls. Sometimes you want your phone to be a little more vertical, especially if you’re already propping it up closer to eye-level. You don’t get that option on Anker’s external battery.
The thin and soft origami-style fabric that makes up the stand is sturdy enough to support a phone, but not sturdy enough to not accidentally knock over if you’re not careful.
The thin and soft origami-style fabric that makes up the stand is sturdy enough to support a phone, but not sturdy enough to not accidentally knock over if you’re not careful. Peeling the back cover down to fold it into shape is also way harder than it should be. It’s the one thing about the battery pack that feels slightly less premium, which is unfortunate since it’s also one of the main selling points of the product.
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These are ultimately quibbles, because it does the job of propping up your phone at a good angle 90% of the time, I just felt like an even better option was so easily in reach with a few more magnets and better weight distribution.
Pocket-lint approved
Amid the onslaught of products that get recommended, infomercial-style, on social video feeds, it’s hard to go wrong with an external battery pack. Limitations on battery capacity and viewing angles aside, the Anker Magnetic Battery is a fantastic option, especially at only $50.
It’s stylish enough to not be an eyesore on your phone, and capable enough to save you when it matters, and you need a charged phone most.
It’s stylish enough to not be an eyesore on your phone, and capable enough to save you when it matters, and you need a charged phone most. That’s all you can really ask for out of an external battery pack and the virality online is more than earned at this point. It’s a great external battery for most people.
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