Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim) Spiel

by Rian

It is quite unusual for a manufacturer to include readable description such as (10k, Slim) in its product name, but part of me thinks it is at least comprehensible than some random numbers we see on some generic electronics. For clarification purposes, I would like to add the one I’m discussing in this post is the slim version that is launched in 2025 with no screens or stands. It’s purely a power bank that is slimmer than the previous 5k one.

The difference, I believe, with this battery to the others is Anker knew why people would want to use the power bank of this capacity and why people find it annoying. In my use case, I don’t use power banks so often. It is for emergency purposes. However when I do finally need one, lithium ion batteries often do not hold charge after few weeks or months of disuse. So I was on the lookout for a power bank that could do passthrough charging, preferably with MagSafe. That way, when I’m not using the battery as a battery, I could use it as a MagSafe charger. Unfortunately, many of the products I could find already had reviews saying it generates too much heat to be used as a day-to-day charger. Suffice it to say, so far MagGo did not heat up while charging a phone.

As a MagSafe power bank, being slimmer and lighter is always an advantage as it will be attached to the phone while using. Magnets are strong enough to hold tight while on the move. While charging from the battery, the bank still generates quite a bit of heat. As I understand it, there is a temperature regulator for safety. Again, the device being attached to the back of the phone, any temperature higher than room temperature can be noticeably uncomfortable — to put in my two cents, it is uncomfortable to my hand.

In all likelihood, this power bank will be my go-to MagSafe charger while I’m traveling. I prefer not to carry an extra, but when I am planning a trip, it never hurts to have a back up plan. And MagGo can do both, a charger and a battery. It is, of course, not without a fault. But I believe it is also a question of compromises one willing to make for wireless charging, as it tends to be slower and heats up the phone and/or the battery.