PowerCore Fusion 5000: The next evolution of the portable battery (review)

A portable charger may be the most important tech accessory that one can have in their bag. We are more reliant on our smartphones than ever before. The portable charger market is saturated with affordable options that keep your phone juiced up at optimal levels. There is seemingly little room for innovation when it comes to the portable battery. Anker defies these odds with the PowerCore Fusion 5000.

QUALITY BUILD FROM A REPUTABLE COMPANY

If you don’t know about Anker, it’s time for you to remember that name. Anker is the global leader in charging technology. Most people don’t really care about the brand when it comes to tech accessories. However, I’ve bought and used enough cheap tech products to understand that quality matters when it comes to something as simple as charging your phone. Anker may not always be the cheapest option, but you can count on its quality. I have yet to encounter a bad Anker product.

THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF USB TECHNOLOGY

The PowerCore Fusion 5000 is a hybrid portable charger that doubles as a wall charger. I’m a firm believer that the best products are the ones with features that you didn’t realize you needed until you use that product. The PowerCore Fusion 5000 is no different. The most tedious part about any portable battery is charging the battery itself. You have to find an adapter that will plug into the wall which normally doesn’t come with the portable battery. It’s just one extra piece that you have to carry in your bag in case you drain your portable battery. I don’t know how many times I’ve left my portable battery at home because it was charging in the corner of the room.

The PowerCore Fusion 5000 cuts the middle man and functions as a wall charger and a portable battery. Charging the portable battery is as easy as plugging it into the wall. You can expect this battery to fully charge from empty to full in about 2.5 hours. If you’re in a location with no outlets, there is a micro-USB port as an additional charging option. Here’s where the PowerCore shines. The battery supports pass-through charging meaning it can charge itself and charge devices at the same time. If you have the PowerCore plugged into the wall and another device plugged into its USB port, it will charge the plugged device before beginning to charge itself. Nothing like killing two birds with one stone.

The PowerCore Fusion 5000 as its name states, has a max capacity of 5000 mAh. I have an iPhone 8 Plus and I get almost two full charges with this power bank. This may not seem like a lot, but you have to remember that you can easily charge this battery by plugging into any outlet. This gets rid of the need for huge battery capacity. If you really need the capacity, just invest in another portable battery and carry both on you. You’ll need a wall charger anyways to charge any portable battery so you might as well carry the PowerCore Fusion that doubles as both.

The PowerCore Fusion 5000 comes with a standard micro-USB cable and a pouch to carry the portable battery. This portable battery is relatively small but a bit chunky. To put into perspective, it fits in the palm of my hand and is pretty light at 186 grams. There is two standard USB Type A ports which allow you to charge two devices at the same time. There are three blue circle indicators that display how much battery is left on the portable battery.

How to buy: Amazon $25.97

The PowerCore Fusion 5000 is the best portable battery I have ever come across. The dual functionality of being a wall charger and a portable battery is freaking genius. The battery capacity isn’t as large as other portable batteries, but it makes up for it in the ease of charging. Go ahead and toss your iPhone wall adapter and carry this bad boy instead. You won’t regret it.