Smartphone batteries are steadily getting greater and higher, however I nonetheless want to hold a moveable charger with me. It isn’t as a result of I want one, nevertheless it’s all the time good to have one, simply in case. For practically two years, I’ve relied on an Anker Nano Energy Financial institution (A1259), which has been very dependable. Now, there is a newer model, and I lastly acquired my fingers on it.
There are a number of notable variations between the 2 chargers, starting from design to cable, charging pace, capabilities, and extra. Total, it is a unbelievable charger that I might advocate to anybody, particularly if you’ll find an awesome deal on it. This is what I like and what could possibly be improved (which, frankly, is not a lot).
|
Specs |
Anker Nano Energy Financial institution (A1638) |
|---|---|
|
Capability |
10,000mAh |
|
Charging pace (One port) |
45W (USB-C) 22.5W (USB-A) |
|
Charging pace (two ports) |
15W (USB-C cable) 7.5W (USB-C port) |
|
Charging pace (three ports) |
7.5W per port |
|
Charging pace (enter) |
30W |
|
Cable size |
2.3ft (~70.1cm) |
|
Dimensions |
3.21 × 1.99 × 1.42 in. |
|
Weight |
.51 lb |
|
Colours |
Sprout Inexperienced, Aurora White, Phantom Black |
A brand new look hides its most intriguing characteristic
One of many principal causes I beloved the older Anker Nano Energy Financial institution (A1259) a lot was its design, which I contemplate fairly iconic. It isn’t too cumbersome, and it has a built-in USB-C cable that acts as a loop, making it simple to hold round. It is a fairly sturdy cable, and in my years of proudly owning the charger, the cable has by no means faltered.
The brand new Anker Nano Energy Financial institution (A1638) switches issues up fairly a bit, and I am not totally satisfied that I prefer it. It is nonetheless comparatively small, nevertheless it contains a bulkier design than earlier than. It isn’t fairly one thing you’ll be able to slide right into a pocket just like the earlier mannequin, and it feels a bit like a small brick or a big rock in my hand, weighing roughly 231.3g, whereas the older mannequin weighs simply 215g.
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And whereas I could not care an excessive amount of concerning the new design, there’s truly a very good motive for it: the brand new, retractable USB-C cable not features as a loop and is as a substitute hidden contained in the charger. This fashion, not solely do you get a built-in cable, nevertheless it’s additionally for much longer than the earlier mannequin when totally prolonged, at 2.3 toes, making it rather more helpful.
Anker says that it weighs about the identical as an iPhone 17 Professional Max, which is the heaviest mannequin of the lineup. It isn’t horrible, however it’s kind of of a shock coming from the smaller and lighter A1259.
It is a neat design that’s beginning to seem in additional energy banks, however the draw back is that it makes it bulkier. Frankly, it is a honest trade-off, and Anker claims it is nonetheless 16% smaller than different fashions with retractable cables.
Moreover, the newer Anker Nano Energy Financial institution (A1638) nonetheless has a loop, though it is a extra conventional one connected to at least one nook of the machine.
Quicker charging, identical giant battery
Whereas each chargers characteristic 10,000mAh batteries, the A1638 mannequin helps speeds of as much as 45W. That is nice, as a result of telephones just like the Galaxy S25 Extremely prime out at 45W wired charging. Whereas there are many flagship Android telephones with even sooner charging speeds, the pace bump ought to nonetheless show helpful for these telephones.
For instance, I have been utilizing it to cost the Motorola Razr Extremely 2025, which helps a 68W charging pace. With a 100W+ wall charger, the Razr’s 4,700mAh battery tops up in simply 40 minutes. This is how rapidly the telephone costs from 0% to 100% utilizing each the older and newer Anker Nano moveable chargers:
|
Anker Energy Financial institution |
A1638 |
A1259 |
|---|---|---|
|
0-50% |
22 minutes |
half-hour |
|
0-100% |
49 minutes |
1h 5m |
|
Remaining |
49% |
42% |
As you’ll be able to see, the newer mannequin costs the Razr battery in lower than an hour, whereas I’ve to attend over an hour with the older mannequin. It isn’t an enormous distinction, however any charging pace enhancements are welcome, particularly when coping with bigger batteries.
Each fashions additionally differed within the quantity of capability that they had left after offering the Razr with a full cost, with a distinction of seven%. In fact, this is also because of the age of the older charger, leading to a decreased capability. Due to this fact, do not count on two full costs on telephones with bigger batteries, however you’ll nonetheless get a good second cost.
In fact, you’ll be able to cost a number of units directly, which can also be handy, however the charging pace is considerably decreased, particularly when charging three units concurrently. Due to this fact, I might solely make the most of this selection as a final resort.
And if you do not have a very quick wall charger with you, you should use the A1638 as a form of middleman, charging it with no matter wall adapter you might have whereas charging your smartphone with the facility financial institution for sooner speeds.
In relation to charging each energy banks themselves, that can take considerably longer, given their capacities and the truth that they prime out at 30W enter. The A1638 takes a bit longer to achieve a full cost, taking slightly below two hours to go from 0% to 100%, whereas the older A1259 mannequin takes solely an hour and a half.
Nonetheless, this might as soon as once more be a results of decreased capability thanks to 2 years of utilization, however it’s a vital distinction. That mentioned, I really feel it hardly issues when these are used as backups; subsequently, I can go away them to cost in a single day and never have to fret about charging them once more till they’re depleted.
Verify your cost
The older mannequin got here with a helpful show that confirmed how a lot time you had left to cost. The newer mannequin has this too, however the show is definitely rather more helpful. It shows the port you are utilizing and the quantity of cost it is offering (or receiving) in real-time, permitting you to watch the way it fluctuates as you cost a tool for an prolonged interval.
You can too cycle by means of completely different screens to view the battery well being of the facility financial institution, the variety of charging cycles it has undergone, and its battery temperature/charging efficiency. Anker says its ActiveShield security system conducts 6 million every day temperature checks “to forestall overheating and lengthen battery life.”
Given how lengthy I’ve owned the A1259 mannequin, I consider that extra show info could be useful in assessing its efficiency through the years.
Each are nice
For those who’re in search of a conveyable charger and your telephone does not help MagSafe or Qi2 magnetic charging, then you’ll be able to’t go flawed with the Anker Nano Energy Financial institution (A1638). Naturally, I might advocate the newer choice, primarily because of its sooner charging speeds, longer built-in USB-C cable, and extra helpful show. In case your telephone helps sooner charging speeds, this is without doubt one of the higher choices to benefit from these speeds.
That mentioned, the older Anker Nano Energy Financial institution (A1259) stays an awesome selection, because it presents the identical battery capability, a built-in USB-C cable, and a show to observe your charging progress. And provided that some flagship telephones like the bottom Galaxy S25 help 25W to 30W wired charging or much less, this will probably be a very good choice.
Fortuitously, each chargers are repeatedly on sale, and you’ll already seize the newer mannequin for 33% off, whereas the older mannequin is $10 cheaper proper now. You can too await Black Friday to see if their costs will dip additional, but when you are going to purchase one thing throughout vacation gross sales, both of those chargers must be in your listing.
FAQ
What are the primary variations between the Anker Nano A1259 and A1638 energy banks?
The A1259 energy financial institution has a slimmer design, whereas the A1638 is shorter and bulkier. The newer mannequin comes with sooner 45W charging in comparison with 30W charging on the older mannequin. The A1638 additionally comes with an extended, retractable USB-C cable, whereas the A1259 has a set cable that doubles as a loop.
What are the charging speeds of the Anker Nano Energy Financial institution (A1638)?
The USB-C cable and port each help as much as 45W of output, whereas the USB-A port helps as much as 22.5W. Output drops when charging a number of units concurrently, bringing the USB-C cable all the way down to 15W and the USB-C port to 7.5W. When all three ports are used, every port will output solely 7.5W.
How sturdy is the retractable USB-C cable within the Anker Nano Energy Financial institution (A1638)?
The retractable USB-C cable within the Anker Nano Energy Financial institution (A1638) is able to extending as much as a size of two.3 toes. Anker says that ihe cable can face up to 20,000 bends and 20,000 pulls, that means you need to go fairly a very long time earlier than experiencing any issues.
How lengthy does it take to cost the Anker Nano Energy Financial institution (A1638)?
The Anker Nano Energy Financial institution (A1638) helps as much as 30W of enter. Given the massive capability battery, this implies it would take slightly below two hours to completely cost the facility financial institution.
