Anker 2nd Gen Astro E5 16000 mAh battery pack review ( Model AK-A1208011 )

Disclosure: I received this product free on a Facebook giveaway.  There was no requirement to post a review.

Anker was doing a Facebook promotion where you could enter to get a free product, they did this a few days in a row and I was successful on the day they were giving away the Astro E4.  When the product arrived, I unpacked it and looked over the manual.  The box and manual stated it was the E4 model, but when I flipped the device over it was the 2nd Gen Astro E5 with 16000 mAh capacity.  Of course, I am not complaining but I did contact Anker to let them know about the situation.  I guess it was an early Christmas gift with a bonus for me!

Left : Carrying Pouch, Right : USB Cable
Center Top : Product Box, Center Bottom : Anker 2nd Gen Astro E5

I compared the Anker product to a RAVPower Deluxe 15000 mAh, and they have pretty much the same weight (about 1 oz difference) but the Anker was thinner/longer.

Left 2 items : RAVPower Deluxe 15000 mAh and carrying pouch
Right 2 items: Anker 2nd Gen Astro E5 and carrying pouch

To test the current output (rated at 3A) I connected two of my DROK USB testers as follows:

- Port 1: Two Nexus 7 tablets, measured at 1.1A
- Port 2: Two Motorola phones, measured at 1.5A

Based on my test the Anker battery pack was able to support a total of 2.6A, unfortunately I didn't have the right mix of devices to see if it could support 3A but considering it supported 2 tablets and 2 smart phones this should be more than enough for the average user.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Design: The battery pack is slim and long, which is good (especially if you plan to put it in your pocket ) but the case is a shiny plastic which is a fingerprint magnet.  The blue LEDs that reflect capacity/charging are small and not distracting.

Ease of Use: Just like other battery pack I have tested, this one is simple to use.  Plug it into a charger to charge it or plug your devices into this pack to charge them.  The charger has 4 blue LEDs on the side to reflect charger level (25% per LED) and it blinks to show it is charging.

Other factors: The charger comes with a cloth carrying pouch which can hold the charger itself and the USB cord.  The charger also has LED flashlight which you can activate by long pressing the power button.  I have found these flashlights useful personally, even if you don't know of a reason to have one at least you have it if you need it.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a high capacity external battery pack, the Anker device is a great option to consider.  It is a solid and good looking device, and due to the high capacity and 3A output it should be able to handle multiple devices with no problem.

Product Page: http://www.ianker.com/product/A1208011