Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless review: Your MagSafe battery BFF

One of the best new additions to the iPhone 12 lineup was the introduction of MagSafe. It was one of the features that I was looking forward to, and so far, it's been tremendously helpful in various ways. Don't underestimate the power of magnets, folks!

With MagSafe, Apple opened up a whole new world of possibilities in terms of iPhone accessories. While the most common MagSafe accessories include cases, chargers, and wallets, there is a newer category that has been popping up. That's right — MagSafe battery packs.

I got Anker's PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless a few months back, but I've been putting it to the test recently since things have opened up again and I'm out of the house more. It's become one of my favorite little battery packs to carry with me everywhere I go.

Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless: Price and availability

The Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless is available both from Amazon and directly from Anker's website. It retails for $46, though you can occasionally find it on sale. It only comes in black.

Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless: Behold, the power of magnets!

The Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless is a fairly small battery pack that clocks in at 3.66-by-2.46-by-0.63 inches. Honestly, it's one of my more compact battery packs, and it can comfortably fit into a pocket in my women's jeans, which is saying something. The exterior of the PowerCore Magnetic has a soft-touch, rubberized coating that provides additional grip to prevent slips and drops. This exterior is also quite comfortable to hold and looks sleek. You have the Anker logo on the top/front of the battery, and the back has the magnetic ring to show you where to align it with your iPhone 12.

While the Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless arrives with some charge, you'll definitely want to charge it up fully before taking it out since it is only 5000mAh capacity. Anker provides a USB-C cable to charge it with, and the charging input is set at 11W. Since it's not a huge battery, it doesn't take too long to fully charge it — I just left it alone for about two to three hours, and it would be full from zero.

When you attach the Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless to your iPhone 12 through MagSafe (either naked or with the best MagSafe-compatible iPhone 12 Pro cases), the hold is actually pretty strong. It may not be as strong as, say, the PopSockets PopGrip with MagSafe, but it does take a bit of force to remove. Because Anker's MagSafe battery pack is a bit smaller, it doesn't have as big of a footprint on the back of the iPhone like mophie's snap+ juice pack mini. This could be of significant importance for iPhone 12 mini owners, as Anker's battery won't be blocking the camera or hanging off the mini.

With the 5000mAh capacity, Anker claims that the PowerCore Magnetic can provide 1.2 charges for iPhone 12 mini, 0.95-0.97 charge for an iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro, or 0.75 charge for an iPhone 12 Pro Max. Considering the size, this is a great little battery pack to have around just to make sure your iPhone is topped off and lasts until the end of the day.

The magnetic wireless charging output of the Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless is limited at 5W. This is just the nature of wireless charging in general with most third-party accessories, unfortunately. Still, it's fine for topping off your device to make it last to the end of the day, honestly. I took this particular battery with me to Disneyland a few weeks ago, and it ensured I had enough juice to get through the full day. However, if you want to use this to charge a non-MagSafe device, you still can — it can work as a regular wireless charger, albeit very slow and not recommended, or you can use the USB-C port for 10W output.

Again, I've had the Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless for a while but only really started to put it to use as I've been out of the house more recently. Its small size makes it super easy to fit into my women's jean pockets (the pain), it has enough juice to get me through the day, and it's MagSafe compatible! Honestly, what's not to like here?

Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless: Limited wireless charging output

One of the negatives of the Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless is the fact that wireless charging is limited at 5W output. This is a limitation that pretty much applies to all third-party accessories, though, so it can't be helped. Until Apple allows third-party accessory makers to get the fastest possible wireless charging, it's just something that we'll have to endure. But for what it's worth, even though 5W is a bit slow, it definitely tops off your device, and it's convenient since you don't need a cable.

The other thing I noticed with the Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless is due to its thickness, it's not pocket-friendly when it's on your phone. While it slides in your back pocket if need be, you need to be careful with it since it can snag along the edges. Also — it's thick, so it may not be the most comfortable thing to have in your pocket while sitting down. When I used this at Disneyland, I just ended up holding my phone with it when necessary.

Lastly, it's a little pricey considering that it's only 5000mAh. But you are paying that for the convenience of MagSafe. Otherwise, you can grab other 5000mAh non-magnetic battery packs for less.

Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless: Competition

Another well-known brand that has a MagSafe batter pack is mophie, with the snap+ juice pack mini. Like Anker, this one packs in 5000mAh of power, but it differs by being slighting thinner while being taller. It also has a textured fabric exterior, USB-C input and output, but a slightly weaker magnet. It does have 7.5W wireless charging output, so it's slightly better than Anker's, but also a few dollars more expensive.

But if you are looking for something that is more affordable, there are some magnetic battery packs from lesser brands on Amazon. Just search for "MagSafe battery pack" or something similar. While these off-brands may be cheaper, we don't have personal experience with them, so we can't vouch for how good they are over the long term.

Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless: Should you buy it?

• You want a compact MagSafe battery pack
• You need to top off your iPhone 12 throughout the day
• You trust the Anker brand

• You want the fastest possible charge
• You prefer a slimmer profile
• You don't have an iPhone 12

The Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless is a nice and compact battery pack with MagSafe capabilities, which makes it perfect for iPhone 12 owners. It's small enough to take with you everywhere, so you can top off your device whenever you need to without the need for cables. However, the wireless charging is limited at 5W, but you can use the USB-C port for 10W output too.

However, since the battery pack is a little thicker, it may be a little bulky when going into your pocket while attached to your iPhone 12. It's also a little pricey for only 5000mAh capacity, but again, you're paying for the convenience of MagSafe.