Anker® Astro E1 Review

I am a regular traveler, flying all over the world on a regular basis. I carry multiple mobile electronic devices, from mobile phones to tablets and laptop computers. Airports, air carriers and their aircraft vary on power stations. 

Airports vary with power stations provided for their passengers. Many airports offer SOME kind of option. Most are free. Some charge for usage. The ones that are free…well...let’s put it this way: the majority of the traveling public does not know the rules of etiquette of traveling. When it comes to the free charging stations, they are being used like the best toy in a preschool class; everyone wants a chance with it, but the one kid is hogging it and won’t share. I’ve seen one dude take up 3 of 5 outlets on this one tree, one to charge his iPad, on for his iPhone, and the last for his MacBook. The other 2 were being used properly by two other passengers. Asking his to give up *ONE* outlet was like asking a boy to share his toy with his younger sister. I ended up striking an arrangement with him. We can share my multiport USB charger, so he can charge his iPhone and I can charge my phone. 

Airplanes and carriers provide different options for travelers, all dependent on the aircraft they use, the routes they fly and even the class of service you purchased. United offers USB options and outlets on their planes, however plane and route vary on what you get. Southwest does not offer any power options. In economy section, they usually offer power outlets under the seat, however, going back to the traveling public, they rush out of the seat row without giving you a chance to unplug the outlet, and they snap. Every time. I’ve been through dozens of chargers and headphones as a result of impatience.

I was told by a buddy to check out Anker’s 2nd Gen Astro E3 Ultra Compact 10000mAh Portable Charger (http://amzn.to/1aOrW3h). This thing was a game changer. I was able to charge and keep a full charge on my phone for the long haul flights. I’d get to my hotel and charge it up for my flight home. In both cases I was able to entertain myself on the flight with mobile games and movies without having to worry about a dead battery. The portability of this is limited to when you are in one area and not really comfortable for pockets or purses.

When I was home, I found myself going out on a less-than-full charge and having a dead phone by the end of the night. For more everyday purposes, I purchased an Anker® 2nd Gen Astro Mini 3200mAh Lipstick-Sized Portable Charger (http://amzn.to/1DDVyeX). This is very lightweight and designed to fit in pockets and purses.

When I was offered the opportunity to test the Astro E1, I jumped on it. Since I did not purchase the item and was received via the Power User program, I will not review the shipping speed or method.

The Astro E1 comes in a cardboard box. Unlike high end cell phones that come in plastic materials enough to even make an oil tycoon blush, this packaging is designed the same way but with recyclable cardboard. Not only is it cheaper for the manufacturer (and thus for us) but better for the environment. 

Included with the E1 is a warranty card and a pull card explaining what PowerIQ™ is. No manual is included. For me, this device is ungodly simple to use, and the vital information is printed on the back of the white shell. If you want a manual, it is found on Anker’s website. Again, less paper means happy trees, and happy trees keeps the hippies at bay.

Also included is a 2 foot microUSB charging cable. I saw an angry reviewer on Amazon give this product a one star review, arguing this product says it supports Apple products, yet this product doesn’t. This product DOES because of PowerIQ™, I’ll talk about that later. Technically, this product does not come with a phone charger. It comes with a microUSB charging cable to charge the E1. It just so happens that nearly every new mobile device EXCEPT Apple uses the standard MicroUSB type, and that you can use the E1 charging cable with your device as well. If you are an Apple user, you must use your iPhone/iPad charging cable in addition to the USB cable.



Product exterior – The E1 is slightly more than HALF the WIDTH, slightly longer than the LENGTH and slightly THICKER than deck of playing cards. It feels a little less than double the weight of a deck of playing cards. It has a sheer black plastic finish, from which from experience gets easily scratched. I am unsure of the durability of this product, however it feels more durable from basic drops than some other similar chargers I have seen in the stores. Compared to the Astro Mini, the E1 is exactly twice the size.

Description of use – To use the E1 is ungodly simple. To charge the E1, you plug the larger standard USB port into any 1A or higher wall charger and stick the MicroUSB end into the port labeled “Input”. There are 4 Blue LEDs on the side. When they all light up blue and stop flashing, the E1 is fully charged. To use on your phone, you reverse the cord; put the standard USB end in the port labeled “IQ” and the MicroUSB end into your phone. Apple users, to charge your phone from the E1, use your iPhone cable. 

What makes this product unique is PowerIQ™. Competitive models have ports specifically designed for Android devices and Apple Devices or are marketed for a specific device. Sure, they will charge the device but the charge may not be sufficient and thus take significantly longer to charge. If you are using the device very heavily, you will find yourself in a negative charging situation, where you are drawing more power from the phone than can be recharged from your external charger, thus damaging the battery. PowerIQ™ solves this problem by determining the proper charge needed (or Amperage, “A”) so you can use this universally and safely on any device you own.

When looking for an external battery, one of the most important thing to look at is the capacity, measured in mAh. The E1 capacity is 5200 mAh. Most mobile phone batteries are anywhere from 1500-3000 mAh. So in theory, if you want to fully charge your dead HTC One M8, which is has a 2600 mAh battery, you need an external battery with a capacity of 2600. Now in practice you won’t be able to get a full charge at that rate. Factors such as battery life, background processes, usage, mobile connectivity and radio transmissions will all affect that number and demand more juice. You would need to get a higher capacity battery pack. The downside of going larger capacity, however, is having a battery pack that is bigger and heavier.

As stated earlier in my review, I use these charging products mainly when I travel, but I did test these on 3 devices:

HTC One M8 (2600 mAh)
Test 1
Start: 8:40pm, 6% Remaining on Phone, 100% on E1
End: 12:30pm, 100% on phone, 0% on E1
Light to moderate use on phone during charge

Test 2
5:45pm: 8% remain on phone, 100% on E1
8:42pm: 100% on phone, 25% on E1
No use on phone; Airplane mode on, Wi-Fi turned on.

Apple iPhone 5s (1570 mAh):
2:17am: 7% Remain on phone, 100% on E1 
4:35am: 100% on phone, 75% on E1
No use, Airplane mode on, Wi-Fi turned off.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (7000 mAh)
10:30am: 30% remain on tablet, 75% on E1
12:30pm: 100% on tablet, 0% on E1

Anker promises this: "Add two charges to an iPhone 6 or 5s, at least one full charge to a 6 Plus, Galaxy S5, Note 4, Nexus 5 and other smartphones, or even an 80% charge to an iPad mini"

My HTC One is comparable to a Galaxy S5, so my tests with the iPhone and HTC One agree with Anker’s promise. My Tab 10.1 is older and doesn’t play nice with any wall charger except the supplied Samsung one. Not only did the Galaxy Tab recognize the E1, the E1 gave it nearly a full charge. I can say this device works exactly as specified, granted the devices have healthy batteries and the device is not being used while charging.  

I have looked at the specs of many competitive external batteries sold at stores like Walmart and Target, and have found price ranges on both sides of the spectrum. The average price for a comparable product is $10-20 higher than Anker. Within the Anker Family, I feel this device is a tough sale next to the 2nd Gen Astro (http://amzn.to/1GRXzSM), as with all things being equal, for $4 more, you can get 23% more charging ability. 

I have found comparable or 5000 mAh batteries at lower price, however I was not able to test them. What separates this product from the others is that this item is guaranteed to work with any device, through PowerIQ™, as long as you have the right cable for it. In addition, they have a 30 day guarantee, an 18 month warranty and lifetime support. If you are the “once and done” kinda person, this is the perfect product for you. The E1 is perfect for those who are always on the go and can’t or won’t be tethered to a wall outlet. The supplied cable is light, thin and short enough to not make me look like I am strapped with a bomb. It’s light enough to not weigh me down. For women, it can fit in neatly in any purses, even clutches. For men, it fits fine in most pants (Hipsters and Emos, fitting the E1 in your pants is the least of your worries.) The battery capacity is large enough where I know I won’t ever be without a dead phone battery. If you start your day early on a full charge, use your phone heavy throughout the day and use this bad boy at some point, you can definitely make it to the end of the day with your phone still on. Granted it might be close to dying, but you don’t have to worry about a dead phone.

Disclosure: I received an Anker® Astro E1 5200mAh External Battery (http://amzn.to/1CG3pop) for test and evaluation by Anker. For FTC purposes, I promise that my review is fair and honest.