You’re standing in a crowded airport terminal, frantically scanning the walls for a vacant outlet. We've all been there. It sucks. Usually, you're carrying a bulky wall charger for your laptop and a separate portable battery for your phone, which just adds to the clutter in your bag. The Anker 733 Power Bank—officially known as the 733 Power Bank (GaNPrime PowerCore 65W)—was designed to kill that specific frustration. It’s a hybrid. It is a wall charger. It is a battery.
But honestly, it’s a bit of a chonk.
If you’ve looked at it online, it seems like the holy grail of EDC (Everyday Carry) gear. One brick to rule them all. However, after the initial honeymoon phase of unboxing a $100 gadget wears off, you start to notice the trade-offs. It's thick. It’s heavy enough to occasionally fall out of loose hotel wall sockets. Yet, for a specific type of traveler, it remains arguably the most practical piece of silicon and lithium they’ll ever own.
The Reality of 65W vs. 30W
Here is where most people get tripped up with the Anker 733 Power Bank. You see "65W" plastered all over the marketing materials and you think, "Great, I can fast-charge my MacBook Pro while I'm sitting on the bus."
Not quite.
There is a massive distinction between how this device behaves when it’s plugged into a wall versus when it’s running on its internal battery. When you have the 733 plugged into an AC outlet, it functions as a 65W GaN (Gallium Nitride) charger. That’s enough juice to power a 13-inch MacBook Air or even a 14-inch MacBook Pro at decent speeds. It handles the power distribution intelligently, though if you plug in three devices at once, that 65W gets chopped up.
The moment you pull it out of the wall, it transforms. In battery mode, the maximum output drops to 30W.
Thirty watts.
That is still plenty for an iPhone 15 or 16, a tablet, or even a Steam Deck in a pinch. But if you’re trying to render video on a laptop while running off the internal 10,000mAh cell, you’re going to see your laptop battery percentage stay flat or even slowly drop. It’s a "maintainer" in battery mode for laptops, not a "charger." Understanding this gap is the difference between loving this device and feeling like you got scammed.
📖 Related: What Was Invented By Benjamin Franklin: The Truth About His Weirdest Gadgets
Why GaNPrime Actually Matters
Anker talks about "GaNPrime" a lot. It sounds like marketing fluff, but it’s actually a suite of technologies including ActiveShield 2.0. Essentially, the device checks its own temperature millions of times a day to make sure it doesn't melt your phone or set your bag on fire. Because this thing is cramming a transformer and a battery into one casing, heat is the enemy.
GaN technology allows for higher efficiency. Less energy is wasted as heat, which is why they could make this thing as small as it is—even if "small" is a relative term here. If this were made with old-school silicon, it would be the size of a brick.
The Form Factor Struggle
It weighs about 320 grams. That’s roughly the weight of two average smartphones. In your hand, the Anker 733 Power Bank feels dense. High quality? Yes. But dense.
The fold-out prongs are a godsend for cable management. No extra power cords to tangle. But here is a real-world tip: if you’re using this in an airplane seat or an old cafe with "loose" outlets, the weight of the unit combined with the weight of your charging cables can literally pull the charger out of the wall. I’ve had to prop mine up with a backpack more than once.
The finish is a slick, metallic-looking plastic. It’s part of the Series 7 lineup, which is Anker’s premium tier. It looks professional. It doesn't look like a cheap plastic toy you bought at a gas station.
Port Selection and Greedy Charging
You get two USB-C ports and one USB-A port. In 2026, USB-A feels a bit like a vestigial organ, but it’s still handy for that one random micro-USB device you haven't replaced yet, like an older Kindle or a specific pair of headphones.
- USB-C 1: This is the primary. Use this for your laptop.
- USB-C 2: Good for a phone or tablet.
- USB-A: The "legacy" port for smaller accessories.
One quirk of the Anker 733 Power Bank is how it handles "recharging." It recharges its internal battery while it’s plugged into the wall, but it prioritizes your connected devices first. This is "pass-through" charging. If your phone is at 10% and the power bank is at 10%, it sends the juice to the phone first. Only once the power demand drops does it start topping off its own internal 10,000mAh reservoir.
Is 10,000mAh Enough?
Let’s be real. 10,000mAh isn't "huge" anymore. You can find 20,000mAh or even 27,000mAh banks (the legal limit for planes) for less money.
👉 See also: When were iPhones invented and why the answer is actually complicated
So why settle for 10k?
Because of the "one-device" philosophy. If you carry a 20,000mAh battery, you also have to carry a separate 65W wall brick. Now you have two things in your bag. Two things to remember to charge. Two things to lose. The Anker 733 Power Bank is for the person who wants to minimize their mental load. You use it as your daily wall charger at home or in the hotel. When you walk out the door, you just unplug it and take it with you. It’s always charged because it’s always being used.
Most people never actually charge their dedicated power banks until the night before a trip. Then they realize it’s dead right as they’re leaving for the airport. This hybrid design solves that human error.
The Competition and the Price Tag
At its launch, this thing was pricey—hovering around $99. Even now, it stays at a premium. You’re paying for the convenience of the hybrid design.
There are competitors, sure. Brands like Baseus and Ugreen have 2-in-1 chargers. Some of them are even cheaper. But Anker’s warranty and their track record with battery safety (ActiveShield) usually justify the "Anker Tax" for people who are plugging $2,000 laptops into these things.
Is it perfect? No.
I wish it had a small OLED screen like the newer 737 or the "Prime" series banks. Those screens tell you exactly how many watts are going in and out. The 733 just has the classic "circle of LEDs." It’s a bit "last gen" in that regard.
Also, the 10,000mAh capacity is actually "rated" capacity. In reality, due to voltage conversion (going from the internal 3.7V battery to the 5V, 9V, or 20V your phone needs), you’re getting closer to 6,000-7,000mAh of actual usable energy. That’s about 1.5 to 2 full charges for a modern iPhone.
✨ Don't miss: Why Everyone Is Talking About the Gun Switch 3D Print and Why It Matters Now
Who Should Actually Buy This?
If you are a digital nomad or someone who works in coffee shops three days a week, the Anker 733 Power Bank is basically made for you. It’s for the person who hates cables.
If you are a hardcore gamer with a power-hungry gaming laptop (like a Razer Blade or an Alienware), don't bother. 65W won't even keep those machines alive under load, and the 30W battery mode is a joke for those specs. You’d be better off with a dedicated 140W wall charger and a massive 27,000mAh battery.
But for the "iPad Pro plus iPhone" crowd? It’s arguably the most efficient way to travel.
Things to Check Before You Buy
- Your Laptop’s Minimum: Some high-end laptops require a minimum of 45W or 60W to even acknowledge a charger is connected. Since this drops to 30W on battery, check if your laptop will actually "sip" power at 30W.
- The "Gap" Issue: If you plug in a second device, the first device will momentarily stop charging while the chip reallocates power. This is normal. Don't freak out and think your cable is broken.
- Physical Space: Because it’s tall, it might block the second outlet on a standard wall plate if the outlet is oriented vertically.
The Longevity Factor
Batteries are consumables. They die. The Anker 733 Power Bank uses high-quality lithium-ion cells, but because it spends so much time plugged into a wall (often at 100% charge), there is a theoretical risk of faster degradation compared to a battery that sits in a drawer. Anker claims their power management prevents overcharging stress, but physics is physics. If you plan on keeping this for five years, expect the battery capacity to take a hit eventually.
However, even if the battery dies, you still have a world-class 65W GaN wall charger. It’s a rare tech product that has a "useful" failure state.
Actionable Next Steps
If you’re leaning toward picking one up, do these three things first:
- Check your bag dimensions: Ensure your tech pouch can handle a device that is roughly 4.3 inches tall and 2.5 inches wide. It doesn't fit in small "pancake" style organizers.
- Verify your cable wattage: Don't use a cheap, thin cable with this. To get the full 65W in wall mode, you need a cable rated for 100W (E-Marker chip). If you use a standard cable, you might be throttled to 30W or 60W regardless of what the brick can do.
- Compare with the Anker 735: If you realize you don't actually need the "portable battery" part and just want a small wall charger, the Anker 735 is much smaller, cheaper, and offers the same 65W output. Only get the 733 if you specifically want to ditch your standalone power bank.
The Anker 733 Power Bank isn't the "ultimate" device because it's the most powerful—it’s the "ultimate" because it’s the most convenient. It simplifies the morning "did I pack my charger?" anxiety, and honestly, that's worth the premium price tag.