Samsung 25W Wireless Portable Battery review: The need for speed

Samsung’s latest Galaxy flagship phones offer some seriously impressive charging speeds. You can push up to 25W, given the proper accessories. While many people think of a wall charger as their go-to option, Samsung is ready to give power banks some time in the sun. Let’s put the brand’s top power bank to the test in this Samsung 25W Wireless Portable Battery review.

See also: The best 10,000mAh power banks you can buy

What you need to know about the Samsung 25W Wireless Portable Battery

• Samsung 25W Wireless Portable Battery (10,000mAh): $79 / £69 / €79
• Samsung 25W Portable Battery (10,000mAh): $49 / £39 / €49

This is Samsung’s premium 10,000mAh power bank, from the build materials to the charging speeds. The Samsung 25W Wireless Portable Battery packs a pair of USB-C ports and a rubber Qi charging pad on the front panel. You can tap into rates up to 25W with either charging port, and the pad tops out at 7.5W of wireless juice. It supports USB Power Delivery PPS and Power Delivery 3.0, along with both Quick Charge 2.0 and 3.0.

The power bank itself is metal, with the previously mentioned rubber charging pad to keep your devices from sliding around. It’s a good size to slip into a backpack or purse at 152.4mm x 69.6mm x 12.7mm, but it’s rather heavy to carry in a pocket. Samsung also includes an eight-inch USB-C cable in the box in case you need one.

Learn more: Here are the best Samsung Galaxy chargers

Like many power banks, the Samsung 25W Wireless Portable Battery uses a series of four LEDs to let you know how much juice is left. It also has an orange LED that lets you know the bank is charging. If you ever want to check the remaining charge, you can press the small button next to the lights.

What’s good?

The Samsung 25W Wireless power bank is easily the best if you’re loaded up on Samsung devices. It’s one of very few to support USB Power Delivery PPS, which means you can tap into Samsung’s best speeds. You won’t quite reach the 45W cap on the Galaxy S20 Ultra, but 25W is suitable for everything from Galaxy Buds to the entire Galaxy S21 series. Top speeds aren’t just limited to Samsung, either, as this is one of the few banks that will rapidly charge the Pixel 6 series (albeit not at the 30W maximum). I also consistently saw 17W speeds while charging my iPhone 12 Pro.

Beyond Samsung’s impressive charging speeds, this power bank feels excellent in hand. The metal feels durable, and you don’t have to worry that it will pick up scuffs and scratches. Samsung could have only used rubber for the Qi charging pad but instead covered the entire panel in a soft, sticky material. It should keep pretty much any device locked in place while you get charged up.

I appreciate that Samsung chose two USB-C ports rather than include a USB-A port. It’s all about charging as quickly as possible, and USB PD PPS delivers better results than a USB-A port would provide. The 7.5W wireless charging is also reasonable, even if it’s not as fast as more traditional wireless chargers.

What’s not so good?

The positives far outweigh the negatives when it comes to Samsung’s 25W Wireless Portable Battery. However, the results of charging my Surface Laptop 3 left something to be desired. I was able to tap into the Quick Charge 2.0 standard, though I only saw speeds around 8W. Quick Charge 2.0 should reach higher speeds — its 36W capabilities could max out this bank’s 25W limit — although I expected my laptop to use Power Delivery anyway. Overall, I wouldn’t suggest Samsung’s 25W Wireless Portable Battery for anything much larger than a small laptop or tablet, but that’s the case for many banks without higher battery capacities.

While each USB-C port is capable of up to 25W charging, it appears as though they share that 25W when you attempt to use both. I plugged in my Galaxy S21 and iPhone 12 Pro simultaneously and found that my speeds dropped to around 8-12W. The amps didn’t change, but the average volts fell from approximately 9V to about 5V.

The Samsung 25W Wireless power bank is also surprisingly heavy for its size. Not uncomfortably so by any means, but you’ll certainly notice the extra 317g in a small bag or a pocket. By comparison, Anker’s PowerCore III Wireless is just 245g for the same 10,000mAh capacity with 10W wireless charging.

Samsung Super Fast wireless power bank charging results

Samsung 25W Wireless Portable Battery review: Should I buy it?

If you’re already entrenched in the Samsung Galaxy ecosystem, this is a great power bank to pick up. Even if you’re not so committed to Samsung, the 25W Wireless Portable Battery is a good companion for iPhones, Pixels, and more that require more demanding charging standards. Samsung’s hefty metal construction feels built to last, and the rubberized front panel keeps your phones, wearables, and more from sliding around. Although the $79 asking price is quite steep, Samsung’s all-around package is one of the best on the market.

See also: Our guide to the best phone charging accessories

Of course, there are plenty of other fish in the sea of power banks. We briefly mentioned the Anker PowerCore III Wireless ($49), and it’s truly an excellent alternative. It’s more affordable, yet it keeps the same capacity and boosts the wireless charging speeds. However, you won’t get the same wired charging options due to the lack of USB PD PPS. You can also check out Mophie’s Powerstation PD XL ($25). It’s far more affordable and compact, though you won’t get USB PD PPS support.