Anker PowerCore II 10000 Ultra Slim Power Bank Review

Anker’s new line of PowerCore batteries called the PowerCore II series have become massively popular since their release. We were highly positive of the Anker PowerCore Elite 20000 in our review and loved the overall design and its quick charging speeds. In this article we’ll be taking a look at the successor of the beloved Anker PowerCore 10000, which was our second overall pick for Best Power Bank in 2020 and is one of the best selling power banks in the world. Will the Anker PowerCore II 10000 score as highly as its predecessor? Let’s find out in this review.

Design and portability

The Anker PowerCore II 10000 looks to be slightly bigger than its previous version. It’s taller and wider, but significantly slimmer, making it much more comfortably shaped for in your pocket. It’s similar in shape and size to a smartphone, and the great advantage of this is you can stack it under your phone while charging it. The only other power bank we’ve come across that allowed for this as well was the EasyAcc 6000 Ultra-Slim. However, the integrated cable of the EasyAcc 6000 made it somewhat uncomfortable to hold the power bank and phone together firmly, as the cable did not allow for optimal flexibility. With the Anker PowerCore II 10000, this is not a problem at all with the cable being separate.

Just like the Anker PowerCore Elite 20000 , the PowerCore II 10000 also features a rubberized layer on the casing, which was a design element we really loved. It not only gives the power bank a polished premium look, but also provides for more grip when holding and makes it less likely to slip away when laid down on a table. Moreover, it provides better protection when dropped on the floor. Overall, the Anker PowerCore II 10000 feels like a very durable unit and built to last a long time.

Features

With the click of a button the four battery indicators will show how much juice is left in the power bank. On the front of the power bank, we find the PowerIQ output which has a distinct blue trim, just like we saw in the PowerCore Elite 20000. The output is fitted with Anker’s signature PowerIQ charging technology providing you with the most efficient charge for your device. Also—a thing we don’t see very often in Anker power banks, is its Quick Charge functionality. It supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 and is even backwards compatible with older QC versions. So if you have a device that supports Qualcomm Quick Charge, you’ll be able to charge your phone in just over an hour.

The Anker PowerCore II 10000 is not fitted with a flashlight and does not support pass-through charging, meaning you can’t charge a device while the power bank itself is charging. However, these are trivial features that most people don’t look for in a power bank. If you really find pass-through charging to be an important feature, you can take a look at some of our reviews of Jackery and RAVPower power banks.

Power

For a power bank the size of an iPhone, it has an impressive battery capacity. With 10,000mAh you’ll be able to charge most devices at least twice, and some even three times. Thanks to its Quick Charge functionality, it also charges blazingly fast. A Samsung Galaxy S7 is charged in about one hour and thirty minutes, meaning it charges more than one percent of battery per minute. And although iPhones don’t support Qualcomm Quick charge functionality, their batteries are usually of smaller capacity than Android phones, which means an iPhone will be fully charged rather quickly as well. An iPhone 7 is charged within one hour and ten minutes, making it one of the fastest charging power banks we’ve come across. Moreover, the Anker PowerCore II 10000 is able to charge the iPhone 7 roughly three times in total.

Unlike the PowerCore Elite 20000, the PowerCore II 10000 may not be an ideal pick to charge tablets with. 10000 mAh just isn’t enough to fully charge a moderately sized iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab. However, it can definitely provide you with about 30 – 50% extra juice for your tablet if needed, and does it quite fast thanks to its PowerIQ smart charging technology.

Normally, a 10,000mAh power bank will be charged in approximately ten hours with a 1A adapter, and about twice as fast with a 2A adapter. The Anker PowerCore II 10000 supports Quick Charge functionality and thus can be charged in roughly four hours, which is insanely fast for a 10,000mAh unit. Unfortunately, a Quick Charge wall charger is not included with the device. However, this is the case for most power banks and the QC 3.0 wall chargers on Amazon sold separately are quite affordable.

Conclusion

There wasn’t much wrong with the original Anker PowerCore 10000. However, the Anker PowerCore II 10000 does everything its predecessor did, but just slightly more refined. It charges faster, is shaped more practically for your pocket and phone stacking, and has a rubberized coating for better grip and protection. It’s amazing how Anker manages to keep improving products we thought were already perfect. One thing we do miss however is another charge slot. But all in all, the Anker PowerCore II 10000 is a top-notch power bank and highly recommended for short trips, commutes, traveling or just for at home when you don’t want to be tied to an outlet.

Technical Specifications