When we think about power banks or portable chargers, Anker comes to mind simply because of their reliability and trusted build quality. Anker has recently refreshed their PowerCore series with the new PowerCore III Sense 10K and PowerCore III 10K Wireless.
Unboxing
In the PowerCore III Sense 10K box, you will find the following:
- PowerCore III Sense 10K power bank
- Anker USB-A to USB-C cable
- Pouch
- User manual
In the PowerCore III 10K Wireless box, you will find the following:
- PowerCore III 10K Wireless power bank
- Anker USB-A to USB-C cable
- Pouch
- User manual
Design and build quality
The PowerCore III Sense 10K power bank has a fabric-like finish on the top and a smooth matte plastic on the back. There are 4 different colours you can choose from – Sun-kissed Coral, Steel Blue, Winter Sage, and Venetian Red. The unit I have is the Steel Blue colour variant.
The PowerCore III 10K Wireless power bank has a textured finish on the top with an anti-rubber rubber ring to keep phones steady when charging wirelessly. The back has a smooth matte finish which seems to pick up fingerprints more easily than the PowerCore III Sense 10K.
One interesting design aspect about the PowerCore III 10K Wireless is that is has a hook like thing at the corner of the power bank. That hook like thing is actually a phone stand which you can prop your phone up at 70º – 80º angle. You can charge your phone while charging if you set the phone in landscape mode.
Comparing both power banks, they are about the same size – height is about the same as an iPhone 11. The PowerCore III 10K Wireless is slightly thicker. With regards to build quality, both power banks feel really well built and the buttons are all responsive and tactile.
Both power banks also come with pouches in the packaging. The pouch that comes with the PowerCore III 10K Wireless is made of a stretchy mesh-like material, while the one that comes with the PowerCore III Sense 10K is a smooth silk-like fabric.
Tech specs
Both the PowerCore III 10K Wireless and PowerCore III Sense 10K are rather similar, only that the PowerCore III 10K Wireless is capable of Qi-wireless charging. Both have a single USB-A and USB-C port. The USB-C port is capable of delivering 18W of power and has Anker’s proprietary PowerIQ 3.0 technology which offers high-speed charging to a wide range of mobile devices. The USB-A port on the other hand, supports charging speeds of up to 12W.
For the PowerCore III 10K Wireless, the wireless charging speed is up to 10W. Both power banks is able to be fully charged via the USB-C port in just 4.5 hours if you use at least a 18W power adapter such as the Anker PowerPort III Nano.
Functionality
Anker states that you can charge your iPhone 11 with the 18W USB-C port to 50% in 30 minutes. For my testing, both power bank averaged around 42 minutes to get my iPhone 11 from 3% to 50%.
Wireless charging with the PowerCore III 10K Wireless took longer due to its 10W cap, I got my iPhone 11 to 50% in about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Conclusion
It’s hard not to like the Anker PowerCore III Sense 10K Wireless and PowerCore III 10K Wireless. They have great build quality, exude a premium design, and have trusted charging technologies so that you can feel safe charging your phone without worrying about any battery health impacts.
Currently, only the PowerCore III Sense 10K is available for purchase in Singapore and it retails for S$69.90. It is quite expensive for a 10,000mAh power bank, but Anker do offer a 18-month warranty period which should sweeten the deal.