Review: ESR MagSafe Power Bank

We want slim phone but, equally, we want battery life. Something has to give. And usually it’s the battery. As a result, battery packs have been pretty ubiquitous. A few years ago, though, they were always tethered by a wire, and where to put the bulk battery pack whilst you were using it was always a feet of supreme juggling, especially when you wasn’t using your phone and needed to put it away in your pocket, now along with an even thicker power bank and a metre long cable.

Nothing really changed until Apple introduced MagSafe – a magnetic, clip-on connectivity system for iPhones. And to prove its usefulness, they created their own MagSafe battery pack. No cables needed, it simply snapped to the back and instantly started charging your phone.

Apple no longer makes it, and other manufacturers have stepped in with their own alternatives. After trying an Anker model, I’m now trying the latest from ESR. Not only does it have a massive capability but it has the latest Qi2 charging technology – more of that in a bit.

During this review I’m going to compare the 3 MagSafe battery packs that I have – the Apple, Anker and ESR.

Capacity & Size

The Anker has a 5000mAh capacity, the ESR 1000mAh, and the Apple a mere 1460 mAh. However, according to The Verge, this is not the best way to measure it.

The MagSafe Battery only has a 1,460mAh battery, but that number isn’t comparable to other batteries because it can push through more volts (7.62V). So the MagSafe Battery’s rated 11.13Wh (Watt-hours) is the number that actually matters. Meanwhile, Anker makes a 5,000mAh battery with wireless charging. It’s rated at 18.5Wh, so the differences are smaller than they first appear. 

If we’re using this same comparator, then the ESR is 36Wh.

However, I called this section “capacity and size” for a reason – you can buy a 10,000mAh Anker battery pack so saying the ESR “is better” in this case is a false comparison. Indeed, it’s in the bulkiness that you see the difference.

The Apple battery pack is 114g and 12mm thick. The Anker is the same thickness and 141g. The ESR is 213g and 18mm thick. If you plumped for the 10,000mAh Anker battery that would be 218g, so capacity appears to be pretty similarly linked to the eventual thickness.

Connectivity & Speed

All 3 batteries use MagSafe to attach to the back of your phone and have speeds of 5W, 7.5W and 15W (for Apple, Anker and ESR respectively). Apple kept the speed of its battery down to reduce heat, and heat is something often commenting on for the faster Anker. However, neither can go quicker than 7.5W anyway, due to their older Qi technology. The ESR doubles that, though, allowing for much faster charging. That doesn’t seem to translate to heat either, as I had no issues with this whilst using it.

The Apple Battery Pack makes use of a Lightning connector, which is one way – you use that to charge up your pack. Both Anker and ESR use USB-C and it’s two way, so you can connect your battery to your phone via a cable if you wish – this gives you an even quicker charge but also makes them compatible with non-MagSafe phones as well.

Apple placed their charging port on the bottom, making it tricky to charge it up whilst connected, whereas Anker and ESR sensibly added theirs to the side.

Packaging & Build

The ESR battery comes in a smart box but, unfortunately, inside it’s housed a large plastic blister pack to hold everything. Most companies have moved away from such un-necessary plastic packaging, so this is disappointing. The battery itself is then in a plastic bag. You also get a USB-C cable (complete with plastic tie) as well as various leaflets, most of which are pointing you to going online. There’s a brief manual though.

For me, this packaging could be half the size of(which reduces costs for ESR too). I don’t think there’s any need to include a USB-C, so a better made (paper-based) container, without the need for the cable, could have been a lot more compact.

So, it contains what you need but, is generally pretty disappointing all round.

For the battery itself, it’s a big lump of black plastic (other colours are available!). Whereas the other batteries I’ve mentioned have some soft-touch surfaces (particularly on the magnetic side, where it touches the phone) this is just all hard plastic. It seems well built though.

One thing that often gets forgotten about is how strong the magnets are – especially important when it’s a lot bigger. All 3 of my MagSafe batteries hold onto the back of the phone well, but it’s when you try it on something else that you can often see the difference. Next to my desk is a metal cage that I keep cables in. I always stored my Apple battery on this, which held tight. I was always disappointed in the Anker as it would just slide off with seemingly no hold at all. The ESR isn’t as strong as the Apple, but it does stay in place, so it far better than the Anker in that respect.

Features

The ESR has a USB-C port on one side, power button on the other and a row of status lights on the bottom to indicate charing level. And that’s it.

If you want a built-in stand you’ll have to pay another £13 for a different model, which also includes an LED screen on the side to give more detailed status information. In this case, the stand is a kick-stand, but I prefer the folding fabric version that’s included on the Anker. So, if you do need a stand, that’s an additional cost that you need to factor in.

Price & Conclusion

The ESR has an RRP of £49.99 (and with a 25% off voucher available on Amazon at the moment). That compares to an RRP of £59.99 for the equivalent 10,000mAh Anker battery pack(but selling at £39.99 as I write this).

So, features aren’t top of the list with the ESR but when we reach for a battery pack, the capacity and speed is probably our top priorities and this has them both. Its only downside is how bulky it is as a result, but no so more than any other one. If ESR ever produce a 5,000mAh version, then that would be even more tempting.

As well as black, it comes in white, blue and titanium.

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