Review: Anker PowerCore 5000 Slim Charger

Anker PowerCore 5000 Slim

9

Power

8.5/10

Design

9.5/10

Build

9.0/10

Pros

  • Very Slim and Small Design
  • Strong Structure with a Rubber molding covering the entire power bank
  • 2 Amp Output Charging and Input Charging

Cons

  • The capacity will most likely last a Single Day
  • Can Heat Up during charging
(Last Updated On: November 23, 2020)

We’ve reviewed other slim portable chargers in the past such as the Jackery Air 6 and the Viivant slim power bank. Both of which were great at doing what slim power banks do best, by being very portable providing and just enough powering capabilities to be useful.

Now there’s this Anker PowerCore Slim 5000 portable charger that is another runner-up as a slim power bank. Slim chargers are a part of portable charging tech that is growing fast because people want to be able to use a charger that is super portable and easy to use.

In most cases, slimness is defined as being very portable and having an easy-going user experience.

Let’s see if this PowerCore Slim is a slim power bank that can deliver a powerful charging experience while on the go.

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Power

Power Capacity:

Like most slim power bank chargers, this one isn’t meant to provide an immense amount of power. The power capacity is 5,000mAh but the actual Output power capacity that you’ll receive will be 4,000mAh.

It’s a pretty good conversion rate considering that other power banks of similar sizing have poorer conversion ratings with their capacities falling thousands of mAh below their original capacities. Even so, with PowerCore Slim’s 4,000mAh, you can expect to charge many smartphones once or twice depending on what smartphone you have.

If you plan on charging an iPhone 5, then you’re most likely going to get two full charges; but charge something like the Galaxy S7 Edge and you’re going to be left with 1 full charge and just a little bit more power to spare. For a tablet, we don’t see the logic of charging something like an iPad with this power bank.

If you do charge a tablet, you can expect it to charge halfway through. Overall, you can expect the usage of this power bank to last all of a single day or quite possibly for two days if you’re using it scarcely.

You’re not exactly purchasing this charger for its powering capabilities, instead, it’s the amazing portability. Which we’ll get to in the Design section.

DevicesAnker PowerCore 5000 SlimPhone CapacityAnker PowerCore 5000 Slim Left Over Capacity after One Charge

# of Full Charges for the Device
iPhone SE4,000mAh1,624mAh2,376mAh

2.4 Full Charges
iPhone 64,000mAh1,810mAh2,190mAh

2.2 Full Charges
iPhone 6 Plus4,000mAh2,915mAh1,085mAh

1.3 Full Charges
iPhone 6s4,000mAh1,715mAh2,285mAh

2.3 Full Charges
iPhone 6s Plus4,000mAh2,750mAh1,250mAh

1.4 Full Charges
Samsung Galaxy S64,000mAh2,550mAh1,450mAh

1.5 Full Charges
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge4,000mAh2,600mAh1,400mAh

1.5 Full Charges
Samsung Galaxy S74,000mAh3,000mAh1,000mAh

1.3 Full Charges
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge4,000mAh3,600mAh400mAh

1.1 Full Charges

Output  Charging – 5V/2.0A

pic-3

The output charging speed of the PowerCore Slim is quite fast, and we’re surprised because slim power banks are basically your cylindrical portable chargers but they’ve just been flattened out.

The fast possible charging speed that you can get is 5V/2.0A and as a result, most smartphones will be able to charge at their max speed, as long as they’re not Quick Charge compatible smartphones (Quick Charge devices charge at their fastest rate with Quick Charge tech).

This power bank does not use Quick Charge tech and will not charge your Quick Charge compatible devices accordingly. However, if you’re connecting any smartphone, it will charge as fast as it can at its standard rate. This goes for iPhones and Android smartphones.

For tablets, the charging speed is close to the charging limit of tablets at 5V/2.4A. If you were to charge a tablet with this power bank, then it’d be faster than 1.0A Output, so you can expect to charge near its max speed.

We’re really glad to see a relatively fast charging speed implemented with such a small power bank charger and we here at Charger Harbor hope to see more slim devices use a faster-charging speed than 5V/1.0A; just like this PowerCore Slim has done.

Input Charging – 5V/2.0A

Input charging is another aspect that surprised us. The usual case for small portable chargers is that they either have slow Output charging and slow Input charging, or they have Fast Output charging and Slow Input charging.

That’s not the case here, instead, the Input speed is 5V/2.0A, which is the same as the Output charging speed. As a result, if you use a wall charger that has an Output of 5V/2.0A or higher, then this slim power bank will be able to charge to full in 3 hours.

If you’re using a slower wall charger that has a charging rate of 5V/1.0A, then you can expect a full recharge in 5 hours. We recommend taking advantage of the 2 Amp recharging rate, because you may be able to use the charger again in a single day if it charges fast enough.

Design

Size and Weight:

The form factor is the main reason why this power bank is made. It’s a flat power bank that is easy to hold and place nearly anywhere to be as portable as possible. The slim charger is 5 inches long, 2.5 inches wide and 0.4 inches in thickness. It’s also lightweight at 4.2 ounces.

Very similarly designed to a smartphone, this power bank feels like you’re holding onto a second smartphone because it’s able to fit into your pocket along with your smartphone, while your phone is being charged. That’s the beauty of this power bank, you can keep charging your phone while using it comfortably.

pic-1

Anker PowerCore II Slim 10,000mAh Power Bank Review

A Slim Power Bank that has Meticulous Details

It has a very ergonomic design that is great to simply hold in a single hand while holding your phone in the other hand. Or if you’re talking on the phone, you can simply stack the slim power bank’s flat side against your smartphone. By doing so, it creates a very comfortable and seamless experience.

Compare it to holding one of Anker’s mini power banks such as the PowerCore+ Mini. Sure the Mini is small but it isn’t designed in the way of being used right alongside your smartphone.

The covering of the power bank is made of rubber, and this is another great feature because it provides grip to your hands and your phone. The bad thing is that the rubber covering can get smudges and stains quite quickly.

Also, since the slim charger is incredibly easy to hold and use, we recommend using a small charging cable because if you’re using a long charging cable, then it’s going to be an obstruction. By using a small cable, the power bank and your smartphone will be more in harmony during charging.

pic-4

Functional Components:

All the functional parts are on a single side. There, you have the Micro-USB on the edge, the USB Charging port in the middle, then there are 3 White LED Power indicators, and next to it is a power button.

The power button is mainly used to check the power capacity of the power bank because once you connect a device to the Slim 5000 it begins charging. If a device is not connected to the charger, then it will automatically shut off. So overall, the power button is mainly to check the power capacity.

The 3 LED power indicators are just enough to know how much power is left in the charger.

During the charging of your device, the LED power indicators blink depending on the capacity that’s left on the charger. When your device is fully recharged and not drawing a current, it will turn off. Also, when the power bank is done recharging, the LEDs turn off.

So the PowerCore Slim 5000 is what you’d expect from a slim portable charger. There are indeed other slim power banks like the Viivant Slim but the PowerCore does a great job at providing better design choices that make the user experience better in some ways.

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Build

Structure and Material:

Small power banks tend to have a robust build quality because their compact size allows the materials and pieces to be centralized into one location. The PowerCore Slim is no different with its well put together body structure.

Most of the power bank is enveloped in rubber and this is quite a good thing because it’s able to keep everything together and protected through the rubber layering. The limited functional parts is another plus since there are fewer pieces that can get damaged, this means the charger can be in more constant use.

Tech:

As for Safety tech, Anker has not specified what safety tech they have implemented; the power bank does have certifications such as CE and RoHS and we think that there is indeed safety tech implemented with it. However, the power bank does tend to get warm if you’re charging a device that can take a high amount of Amperage.

Reliability

So, this power bank should not be relied upon for its power. Yes, we realize that power banks are made to provide power but in this case, power is the second most important thing. It’s the design and portability that’s the most important.

PowerCore Slim’s design is flat and small, which is just like holding onto a smartphone. You can charge a smartphone while placing it in your pocket or talking on the phone with it an ergonomic design that is contoured to stack up against your smartphone very smoothly.

As for the powering strength, the power capacity is enough to charge a smartphone either once or twice. This is a daily kind of use portable charger, meaning that it can power devices up to a single day but you’re going to have to recharge it nearly every night.

Slim-power bank chargers are paving the way for a better portable energy future. Normal cylindrical power banks are good but for a charger to be in the shape of our smartphone?!? The user experience can only get better.

EasyAcc 10,000mAh Slim Power Bank with Quick Charge

Summary:

Power:

It isn’t the most useful part of the power bank but it is the most used and we’re surprised by how good it is. It has an alright conversion with the real power capacity being 4,000mAh. There’s enough power that will last you either 1 day or 2 days before needing to be recharged.

The Output and Input speeds are both 5V/2.0A and this comes as a surprise but a welcoming surprise at that. Most smartphones will be able to charge at their max speeds and the power bank can be fully recharged in 3 hours if you’re using a 2 Amp wall charger.

Design:

The main attraction for the PowerCore Slim, with the keyword being “Slim”. The size and weight of a power bank, the charger can be placed in your pocket while it’s charging your smartphone or you can be talking on the phone with the power bank stacked against your phone.

Its amazing ergonomic design and rubber covering are what makes it awesome to hold and the automatic charging and turning off capabilities are what makes it awesome to use.

Build:

The build, like most small portable chargers, is quite good. the rubber encasing makes it solid. The slim charger can get warm if it’s charging a device in need of high amperage.

Reliability:

Of course, this charge is reliable in the way that it’s slim and portable. The power capacity is small but enough to last for a day and the charging speed is better than most small power banks.

Specs of the Anker PowerCore 5000 Slim:

  • Power Capacity: 5,000mAh
  • Output: 5V/2.0A
  • Input: 5V/2.0A via Micro USB Input
  • LED Power Indicators: 3 LED Power Capacity Indicators
  • Size: 5 x 2.5 x 0.4 inches
  • Weight: 4.2 Ounces

Conclusion:

Slim portable chargers aren’t a new kind of power bank category but they seem new because they’re just getting started on becoming known. This is a good thing though because they may very well be the future of portable chargers.

This PowerCore Slim is a strong example of what a slim power bank is capable of at its apex. With its good Output power capacity, fast Output and Input charging, and awesome design that makes it easy to use.

This slim charger has done an amazing job at being easy to use while still allowing the user to use their smartphone easily.

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