Failed While Filming! - Anker Prime 200W Power Bank

Although this tidy little 20,000mAh power bank resolves the issue of my Anker 737 not supporting 12V Power Delivery, in my case it comes with its own more major problems.
It's important to note here that this is a specific unit failure and is hopefully not in anyway reflective of the product as a whole. Mine was faulty. It's gone back. I won't be buying another one. Simple. 🙂
#anker #powerbank #battery

[@michaelpt83]

I have this with the charging base and have no issues, i absolutely love it. You may have gotten a defective unit and I'm sure Anker will replace it for you!

[@BatteryAddicted]

This is my nightmare - buying something as expensive as this and having to go return it. I'd expect Amazon to take it back no question I guess. Thanks for the review. Guess I'll hold onto my 737s for awhile longer before splurging on this. Good to know about the 12v output! Are you planning on reviewing the 250w one? :D

[@siljanjrgensen7073]

You gotta hold the button for 5 seconds and then rapidly press 5 times to do a restart on the unit :)

[@andrei54445]

thank you for this honest review

[@floatingpoint5860]

Cells with highter capacity have almost always higher resistance and therefore can deliver less current. They also tend to overheat much faster.

[@theguru143]

these are suppose to be "gan" technology using new semiconductor tech to prevent that. They just did a horrible job designing these apparently. I just purchased the 737 because this new line is flawed

[@TheDesius]

@@theguru143 I dont think its the product itself. Maybe just worse quality controll. its not like its totally new tech, its still just a powerbank with screen exactly like the 737

[@wantyou1944]

@@TheDesiusdifference cells. 737 is li-ion, new one is Lipo

[@RationallySkeptical]

That's nothing. My Anker Prime 250W arrived DEAD IN THE BOX, unopened! My 737, on the other hand, has been flawless from day 1.

[@steveb013]

hi, so you said that its doesn't work well to charge the mini 3-4 pro batteries in the hub ?

[@jonathaningram4672]

I was wondering if it was because you had a 140 watt charger plugged in first before plugging the lead in to the powerbank, after all you said 100 watts in or out per port but maybe with a live cable a pin crossed to another and blew it internally? I had a 15,000 Mah power bank fail right out of the box charging my phone from Tesco, it wouldn't power down and all the lights kept flashing, got it exchanged the same day.

[@bendono]

Although the 12V profile was originally in the Power Delivery (PD) standard, it has long been deprecated in newer updates replaced by 15V. There are a fixed number of slots available, so by supporting 12V means sacrificing something else.

[@tdcattech]

The latest Anker product I reviewed (C1000) supports 12V on the 30W port but not on the 100W port (according to the manual). 12V is so common, it seems an odd choice to phase it out.

[@crystalrain9016]

Heads up …my 747 died after 20 minutes of use … sent back under warranty…. Anker sent me a refurbished one 😢 informed that this is what they do under warranty ..that’s total crap …

[@g-moI]

It’s really crazy though, didn't u ask for refund ? And buy from elsewhere

[@ML_STUDIO89]

I want buy it but i see your comment i change my mind thank you 😢 #ANKER give fake warranty refurbished 😢😢😢😭😭

[@myv6mustang]

Mine took a few weeks to fail but they sent me one brand new in the box. Bought offf Amazon

[@Vlaid65]

Mine arrived today. it was at zero charge too. but seems to be charging fine atm (only a 65 watt brick).

[@icebear6393]

Just read on the back of my anchor 737 it will support 12 volt power delivery but only through the USBA port so if you could find a USB-A to trick it into 12 volt output it will do it

[@abbasalizadeh8428]

Does your 737 full up your drone batteries? I bought it for my DJI MINI 4 PRO's batteries, when I am out...

[@1410pdt1410]

I have to base as well. When I place it on the base it actually draws power from the bank. Kind of concerning. It shows around 0.4 to 1W when using the base.

[@The.JZA.]

Can you review the Promate Titan 130? It can do 5v, 9v, 12v, 15v and 20v supposedly.

[@giovannimazzocco499]

On the specs of the 737 (written on the box side) USB-C supports 9V, 15V, 20V and 26V. 12V support is only available for USB-A. Did you try with USB-A?

[@jacobsarvis]

Not enough amps (1.5a) for my need (2.25a)

[@VladPokul]

28, not 26, 28*5a=140w

[@moathherbawi]

this message appeared to me when I unboxed it and turned it on. I pressed the power hold for a while and it worked since then. I like how fast it is, but the draining is also so fast.

[@debadreeto]

Just purchased a 737 140W instead of the Anker Prime 200W after quite a long thought around holidays before a long trip and then this video comes in suggestions. What are the chances LOL

[@user-hx4ho7vm3l]

Did you find a solution to this?

[@johnporter4189]

Put both ends of a single usb c cable in the 2 usb c ports for 4 seconds, that will reset it then charge up as normal

[@prestwickpioneer3474]

Same happened to me today with the 27650 version.

[@TristonS27X]

Are you planning on reviewing the 250w one?

[@user-ww9yw4zi8m]

Atleast it never EXPLODED and BLOWS YOUR BALLS OFF :o

[@siannes4599]

Good day tdcat tech 👍🏾 did anker ever suppy you with a refund or replacement?

[@tdcattech]

I returned it to Amazon and was refunded.

[@NAPELAKAPU]

Where did you get the voltage analyzer?

[@tdcattech]

If you search USB Voltage Tester on Amazon, you'll get plenty that look very similar or exactly the same as this one (with the usual random brand names).

[@hanshogne]

Did you figure out what went wrong?

[@chrisjfawcett]

Can you charge the powerbank through both USB C's at the same time to reduce charging time?

[@tdcattech]

No. Just one socket for input.

[@LogoSecretLovell]

…that may be only for the 250w version”

[@siannes4599]

Anker has usually skipped the 12v mode as it is optional, anker has recently started including the 12v mode with the new prime chargers.

[@CardiovascularCarePartne-kl7ej]

Wondering if there are faults with the Usb C port hardware. Had mine 2 months, hardly used and suddenly won't charge on cradle as it believes it is still having power drawn from it. It also kicks into another protection mode. Have tried the art to port rest that does nothing. Should be a very nice product but after watching this along with my own experience has left me wary of Anker for the first time.

[@maresking22]

Mine is doing the exact same thing did you ever get it figured out?

[@billuebele769]

@@maresking22mine is also doing the same. Won’t charge on the magnetic base and the C1 throws a low voltage warning.

[@buzzluxx1042]

Same for me thankfully I'm still in the exchange window

[@hwj1822]

This happens to me too after 4 month of use (20x charging). I left it there on the Pogo-Pins for 14 days, and the Port USB-1 was suddenly defect after do nothing with it in this time. Low voltage warning! But the other port USB-2 ist fully working. Now I have a send-back-ticket. It seems, something is wrong with this model!

[@zacharycompton5624]

I like the bag to put my cables in.

[@exploring_thailand]

Does the 737 not charge the drone batteries at all?

[@tdcattech]

They do but, in my experience, not reliably. Sometimes I just get an under voltage warning and they refuse to output anything. Not sure if this is because DJI is expecting 12V which the 737 can’t provide.

[@eric131313]

Well on positive side this thing has protection working 😅

[@USBANGELcom]

🎉🎉🎉 PD fast charger manufacturer based in Shenzhen looks forward to your cooperation with you.

[@4damula]

I will not buy Anker anymore . They are the best until they break. I been through 2 737. And my order power core quit working two. Every Anker I own broke in under a year

[@roocatuk3719]

Mine turned into a brick after a few days of using it, comes up with a error for low temperature and a error code e113. now it will not charge or recharge any devices. Returning it to amazon :

[@thegrindizreal5896]

Mine turns up tommorow i was hopeing to pair it with the asus rog ally but im really skeptical now lol😅 hope i havent just ordered a faulty unit from amazon since i bought on refurbished unit through amazon to save a bit of coin

[@bc_usa]

Oh it's definitely a paper weight at best. 😮

[@xaerothehero]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="665">11:05</a> Can't be sure ofc, but THIS action is probably not recommended, and could have killed it. Touching the positive side of a battery onto the bottom and the chassis of the power bank, WHILE it's plugged in and charging. (possibly also touched the charging pins)

[@inachu]

I have one and have no issues with it.

[@kylie6583]

It could be the power bank you are using to charge it. Charge it through mains power and see how you go.

[@inachu]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="380">6:20</a> yes it is a expander

[@thirdnormalform]

What's the battery chemistry? That's what matters for long term reliability.

[@ericklein5097]

The other model (737?) has Lishen 21700 cells. LR2170LA I believe. I would check the channel ChargerLab. They do EXCELLENT teardowns on this kind of stuff. I would almost bet the house that this is going to be the same. None of the the other ones (LFP, LTO, etc) have the energy density to be practical. Compound that with the fact that a 4S discharging at 100W is going to see a max of about 9A and if you were to try 200W you'd be at 18A so a Molicel/Lishen/Samsung power cells is absolutely necessary. You need one that can support at least 25 or 30 amps.

[@1410pdt1410]

I am having same issue. Anker wants me to "send a video" and all this other stuff before they question it.

[@artbrutnewyork]

Was the issue ever resolved?

[@bc_usa]

Yes he got a refund.

[@Slashingthrough]

Guess send it back and hope the next one doesn't have this problem. Bad quality control again from Anker.

[@Geoffwhite18]

It says in/out on both ports. They should replace the power bank for you no questions asked.

[@tdcattech]

I returned it. Amazon refunded it within 12 hours of the package being picked up at my door which is great service from Amazon. I wonder how many of these are going back?

[@Geoffwhite18]

@@tdcattech I love the no hassle amazon returns!

[@greegp7400]

On my anker only upper is 8n/out bottom is only out 😅 I have 140w 24000 24k

[@richardcharrington6145]

i had exactly same problem

[@tremorflow3614]

I had an issue with my brand new 737. Charged it up fine. Left it for a week, went to get it for a trip and absolutely nothing. No ports work out or in for charging. Basically a dead unit. Tried the recommended reset putting a type c to type c in and out to rest and still nothing. I bought the 737 from a local store here in SE Asia that told me to contact Anker which I did. They told.me because I'm not in the U.S. that they will not do anything other than a partial 15% refund. The partial refund of course went to the store that I bought it from in SE Asia. That is the end of Anker anything in my life and I tell people never to buy their products.

[@bestestimesreborn]

Hehe EcoFlow. It's Bluetti lol

[@tdcattech]

😂

[@anthonywilliams7686]

nine never exceeded 37C when charging so I guess you have a faulty unit. Whilst it didnt charge at the full stated rate it was only a couple of amps down and did not decrease in rate untill close to a full charge.

[@smithamith7795]

Mine doesn’t charge after 6 months and 60 cycles

[@greegp7400]

Warranty is 2 years so , they replace it , but yes expensive stuff and die. I have 140w 24000 i hope will work

[@MrCorgun]

Thanks for the video 👍👍

[@scottw595]

Had two both failed.

[@robfrazier9865]

Bought 2 of the 250W primes and both arrived zero volts - completely dead! One actually failed right out the box and wouldn’t accept a charge. Anker said they will replace. 🤷

[@renmedia]

That was Bluetti not EcoFlow. And the charge speed dropped due to heat.

[@tdcattech]

Yes, I corrected myself a few moments later in the video. 🙂 Why do you think this is heat related? The 737 charges at the same temps and maintains 100W or more.

[@renmedia]

@@tdcattech I have no ideea, but for sure is thermal throttle. Not ok, but something going on there.

[@charlieespeleta5616]

read the instruction

[@DroneManMurphy]

Ohhhh no! My exact battery is scheduled to be delivered by UPS tomorrow! Perfect timing with your video! 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤔😳😂 Coincidentally my Bluetti EB38 unit just had to be sent back with a similar “Short” issue and I have never had that issue before with any of my devices. I wonder if it’s those “Chinese/Russians” taking it out on us for world events? 🤣 Noooo, I’m kidding about that. Hopefully you will be able to get yours replaced quickly. 👍

[@tdcattech]

As I mention in the video, I’m sure that this is not a common problem. There will always be some faulty units. I hope yours is a good one! 👍🏻

[@theguru143]

it absolutely IS a common problem unfortunately. I've seen many reviews and videos that this new "gan" line of theirs isn't typical Anker quality. @@tdcattech

[@bc_usa]

​@theguru143 Strange because this is the first negative I have seen on this unit and I did alot of research before I bought all 3 ankers and they're doing fine.

[@shaiuken7150]

The anker 737 was great, but it bricked on me Trying to contact the alliexpress shop atm

[@greegp7400]

Aliexpress sale fake 😂

[@shaiuken7150]

@@greegp7400 fr? But I bought an anker product I got a refund and switched to ugreen

[@rypin]

Now is working?

[@tdcattech]

No. Returned to Amazon. Dead. 💀

[@rypin]

@@tdcattech then i so scary T_T Because I want to buy this powerbank but I scary that I have trouble like you and i must send return powerbank :

[@tdcattech]

As I mentioned in the vid, I’m sure this is just a defective unit. It happens.

[@bc_usa]

​@tdcattech Then why don't you prove it by buying another one? It would make sense to do a follow up video testing another unit.

[@aliensstolemybeer5362]

I had a anker 737 fail on me after only 65 cycle charges according to the onscreen display. Sent it back straight to anker and they replaced it within four days. It's been ok so far but we'll see what happens.

[@kazmirzleszno]

I had the same thing with mine. open it and disconnect the links. Maybe this will help.

[@kazmirzleszno]

You did what I did. You have connected charging to the C2 port. In the manual, this port is called OUT, not IN. There has been a conclusion

[@tdcattech]

?? It literally states IN/OUT on the charger. Does the manual conflict with this? Either way, this shouldn’t cause a problem with this type of port. There are many examples where a cable carrying power might be connected to an output only PD port.

[@chrisjfawcett]

@@kazmirzleszno Could you let me know how this discussion concluded? I am not getting any of the outputs Watts I should be and I think I might have charged it through the 2nd USB C port

[@kazmirzleszno]

​@@chrisjfawcett​@chrisjfawcett the manufacturer tells me to show proof of purchase and they don't want to talk. I showed them the problem. the manual clearly shows that port C2 is the output port.

[@kazmirzleszno]

​@@chrisjfawcettIt needs to be dismantled and repaired.

[@chrisjfawcett]

@@kazmirzleszno Thanks for your response. Surely the manufacturer should confirm if port C2 can be used as an input and an output??? Surely thats the first thing thats needed

[@70soul35]

I had exactly the same situation after taking it out of the box, it didn't react, only when I connected the cable to charge it first showed me 50% and then it charged from 0%

[@tdcattech]

How is it working now?

[@70soul35]

Everything works fine now, I also have a charging base, only one problem is the 20,000... actually does not count towards the 20,000 battery capacity of the devices you charge. For example, the phone and iPad give a total of 10.5k capacity and I charged the phone from 40% to 97%, the iPad from 50% to 97% and the power bank went from 100% to 58%. I will add that charging base, when you insert a lightning cable into the port, reduces the speed of wireless charging, which may even be good if you do not care about speed as quickly as possible and it will increase the health of the power bank over time.

[@70soul35]

I thought that I would be able to charge my iPad and iPhone almost twice on this power bank, at this point I'm wondering if it might be worth buying the 27000 (but is huge!)... it has Bluetooth and a dedicated app.

[@leighhaynes]

Mine was the same, arrived completely flat and wouldn't turn on. On first connection it briefly showed 50% before starting charging from 0%. I guess this it what it does when first initialising. It then continued to charge fine at 65W (limit of my charger).

[@70soul35]

​@@leighhaynes I also bought a larger one (27650) everything works fine on both, except for a slight error when I press the power button twice (I don't remember if you mentioned it in your video, an orange dot appears on the screen and in Anker this technique can be used to charge devices with lower voltage) but later when I put it on the charging base I have to remove it and put it back again to start charging.

[@avt65]

Just don’t trust Anker products. Just returned a 737 where the button needed to be repeatedly pressed to function. I wasn’t impressed by the speeds charging an iPad and iPhone either. Seen too many problems to consider again.

[@technoklutz]

At least their safety protocol kicked in! 😂😂😂

[@tdcattech]

😃 Absolutely. Well done Anker for letting your products fail in a calm and controlled manner.

[@steph_nyc]

Just bought one. Lets see if im God's favorite or will end up having troubles 😂

[@user-to1ut2rh7k]

Same as mine doesn charge now😢 after 4months

[@FATL0L0]

Mine came drained when New

[@bc_usa]

They all do.

[@LucWijdeveld]

I have just had it for 2 days, first fully charged (with an Anker 45 watt fast charger). Then I charged my Samsung Tab S9 Ultra, the tablet indicated: it charges super fast. Also washed from 37% to 100% in 25 minutes. It works perfectly here otherwise. You can also adjust the display sharper. I think you had a bad copy, can happen

[@ricoviii1]

Haha shit overheats can't even do what it says on the box

[@mollyrobben7470]

🤬🤬🤬 my 737 crashes my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra!!!

[@charlieespeleta5616]

and your not supposed to charge on the second usb type c, first type c is the input

[@tdcattech]

Can you direct me to where this is stated? The only hint of this I can find is a listing of what is being shown on various parts of the display. But this is describing what is happening at that moment and does not indicate the sole purpose of the the port. Anker would never design a charger like this. Can you imagine the return rate.

[@sinepari9160]

There is an in/out, and the other is just out.

[@leighhaynes]

Both are labelled in/out see @16:50

[@siannes4599]

These super high output power banks are turning out to be pretty sketchy...I'll stick to my 20W INIU 20'000.

[@tdcattech]

Great when they work. Very handy but I agree, a little sketchy. Good word for it 😄

[@theguru143]

I almost bought that thing, but after just a little research I realized it was the worst product that Anker has ever released. I went with the 737 and it's associated charger instead. Either their engineers were replaced with idiots or they really screwed the pooch on this product. I'll stay away from their "gan" products for a while

[@samuelsulaiman]

Does the 737 a good product?

[@theguru143]

I've had it now over a month and I have no complaints thus far. Just know that to charge it fast you have to purchase the separate wall charger. I didn't mind that too much because now I can charge multiple devices from that WHILE charging the 737 and use the 737 when I don't have the option to be plugged in@@samuelsulaiman

[@Hitokiri926]

What makes it the worst product? Serious question since I’m looking at power banks

[@fellowirishartists]

Unfortunately you put a power in into a power out only port and fryed it! You need to read the manual before using next time 😂😂😂

[@xaerothehero]

That's incorrect. Both ports are in/out. It even says so in the manual. maybe you should read the manual before commenting?

[@Random_4400]

Rubbish.

[@Griffinsgameroom]

Wow, I always thought Anker made a good product. @anker screwed the pooch here!