Anker is a mainstay in both the Allen home and AndroidGuy’s office. The company consistently makes products I want to use and add to any tech bag I have. The latest chargers from Anker, the A1636 and A1636, are no exception. The new 30W USB-C chargers are an outstanding companion to any smartphone or tablet. What sets these apart from some of the competition? Dedicated charging options for both input and output. Let’s see how we put them to the test in this review.
Design
The Anker A1636 and A1637 could look like any charging bank when you first remove them from their boxes. Two things immediately set these apart: the LED status display and built-in AC plugs. On top of that, you get an integrated USB-C cable for charging your peripherals. The rest of the units are fairly common rectangular bricks for housing the internal battery packs.
Speaking of the battery packs, the A1636 contains a 5,000mAh battery while the larger A1637 doubles this capacity to 10,000mAh. Each supports 30W fast charging of devices with both the USB-C cable and the USB-C port. This is only for a single connection, and connecting multiple devices will lower this for each.
Daily Usage
When it comes to using these things in the “wild” both the A1636 and the 1637 perform great. The capacity of each can charge an iPhone at least once, while the larger Anker pack can do it at least twice. The larger A1637 can also recharge a 13-inch MacBook to around 50 percent in an hour. That’s fantastic flexibility in something the size of either of these battery packs.
The smaller A1636 won’t get you very far with that MacBook, but you can easily fully recharge your phone and even top off a tablet with it. Its even compact design makes it perfect to travel with or throw in a purse for daily use. I can see this being a true lifesaver for someone with a USB-C device while riding public transit like a subway or bus system.
When you need to recharge the Anker 30W power banks, you have several ways to accomplish this thanks to Anker’s engineering team. You have three different mechanisms to charge back the A1636 and A1637. Both USB-C inputs and outputs are bidirectional, capable of not only charging your portable smart devices, but they also allow input back into each power bank. Finally, you have the integrated AC prongs that fold out of the banks. This leaves you with no reason or situation where recharging these Anker chargers an issue.
Lastly, the LED display on both the Anker A1636 and A1637 adds a bit of functional flare that I like. Anker has been doing this since last year on certain models, and having that glanceable information is much easier to decipher than the older LED dots. Knowing at a granular level of how much juice you have left in the battery pack is the evolution of these types of products that we needed.
Final Thoughts
Anker has built its fortunes off the legacy of charging devices. The new Anker A1636 and A1637 mark the next lineage of this portfolio. The addition of the LED displays and fold-away AC jacks make this the new wave of power banks the company needed. Each allow for 30W of maximum output, quick recharge, and integrated USB-C outputs to make these all-around stars that need to be packed in your next travel gear.
The smaller 3-in-1 charging block is available for $40 and the larger model is full retail of $45. Both are currently on sale for the launch via with $10 off. Hit our links below to snag yours now from Anker directly or Amazon. Each has five color options: Black, blue, pink, purple, and white.
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