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The best power banks and portable chargers for every device in 2025

engadget|Juni 14, 2025

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Dead smartphones aren’t so smart. If you travel, stay away from home for extended periods of time or simply forget to charge your phone occasionally, it might be wise to keep a portable charger in your bag. Over the past few years, I’ve tested over fifty different models to find the best power banks for different life situations. I looked at price, capacity, design and wattage to pick the candidates, then used each one to charge up a slew of different devices to see how they compare. This guide also includes info on what to look for in a battery as well the latest regulations on flying with a power bank. Here are the best portable chargers you can buy right now.Editor’s note: Ankerrecently issued a recallon its PowerCore 10000 power bank (model A1263) due to fire risk. The recall pertains to units sold in the US through Amazon, Newegg and eBay between June 2016 and December 2022. If you have one of these batteries, you cancontact Anker for a replacementor equivalent gift card. None of the batteries we currently recommend in this guide are part of the recall, and we haven’t recommended that model in previous iterations.

What to look for in a portable battery pack

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

Anker’sMagGo Power Bankwas one of the firstQi2-certified productsto come on the market, and the new standard has made the brand’s popular MagSafe/kickstand model much faster. It's easily the best MagSafe battery I've tested.

It brought an iPhone 15 from near-dead to half-full in about 45 minutes. For reference, it took our former top pick in this category an hour and a half to do the same. It’s similarly faster than Anker’s previous generation of this model, the 633, as well. After that initial refill, the MagGo 10K had enough left over to get the phone up to 70 percent on a subsequent charge.

In addition to faster charging speeds, this Anker power bank adds a LCD display to indicate the battery percentage left in the bank, plus the approximate amount of time before it’s full (when it’s refilling) or empty (when it's doing the charging). A strong MagSafe connection makes it easy to use the phone while it charges and the small kickstand creates a surprisingly sturdy base for watching videos and the like. If you twist the phone to landscape,StandBy modekicks in.

The power bank did a fine job of charging our Galaxy S23 Ultra, but the lack of support for Qi2, even on the newest Galaxies and Pixels, means the most popular Android will simply charge at a slower rate — and won't benefit from the zero-effort magnetic alignment. There’s also a USB-C port for recharging, so if you need to fill up something without wireless capabilities, you can.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

TheAnker Nano power bankis impressive for how much charge it delivers in such a small package. It’s the exact size and shape of thelipstick casemy grandma used to carry and has a built-in USB-C connector that folds down when you’re not using it. That means that, in addition to being ultra-portable, you also don’t need to remember to grab a charging cable when you toss it in your bag. There’s also a built-in USB-C port that can refill the battery or be used to fill up a different device with an adapter cable. You also get four indicator lights that let you know how much charge remains in the battery.

In my testing, the 5,000mAh battery provided enough charge to get a depleted Galaxy S23 Ultra back up to 65 percent in about an hour. That’s relatively quick, but the Nano is also small enough that, with an adequately sturdy connection, you can use your phone while it’s charging without feeling too awkward. The charger’s small size also makes it a good pick for recharging earbuds.

For a little more juice and an equally clever design, Anker’s30W Nano Power Bankis a good option for delivering a single charge. It’s bigger in size and capacity (10,000mAh) and includes a display indicating the remaining charge percentage. The built-in USB-C cable doubles as a carry handle, which is a nice touch. That cable is in/out and there’s another USB-C in-out port in addition to an out-only USB-A port.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

The toughest thing about using a power bank is remembering to bring it along. You also have to remember a cable and, if you want to refill the bank itself, a wall adapter.Anker’s 10K Fusionsolves two of those problems with its attached USB-C cable for your device and foldable two-prong plug for charging the bank itself (yes, you still have to remember to bring the thing with you).

Despite the attachments, it’s compact, just a smidge wider than a stick of butter, yet still packs a 10,000 mAh capacity. The 30 watts of power enabled the “Super Fast Charging” message on a Galaxy S23android phoneand got it from five percent to full in just over an hour. In just 20 minutes, the 10K Fusion bumped a near-dead iPhone 15 to 45 percent. Though it slowed down towards the end of the Apple handset's charge.

There’s an additional USB-C port for charging devices that may require a different cable and both it and the built-in connector can be used to refill the power bank. The cable makes a neat loop that looks a lot like a handle, though I’m not sure I’d recommend carrying around any bit of tech by its cord. The onboard display indicates the Fusion’s remaining charge in terms of a percentage and was one of the more accurate readouts I’ve tested. I also like the corduroy texture along the sides — very fidget-worthy.

Our previous pick in this low-capacity category, theBioLite Charge 40 PD, is still an excellent choice — it’s durable, delivers a quick charge and looks cool. I use it often myself. Plus BioLite has an admirablemissionof bringing energy to places where it’s otherwise scarce. But Anker’s new release, the10K Fusionsimply delivers a faster charge and more features at a lower price.

An integrated cable seems to be the hot new feature in portable chargers — and I’m all for it. I can remember times when I’ve had a dead phoneandpower bank, and no way to connect the two. TheBelkin Boost Charge 20K with Integrated Cableis the latest such bank I’ve tested and also one of the more affordable examples.

It can output a maximum of 30 watts, which doesn’t make it the fastest charger around, but it wasn’t a slouch. It charged a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra from near-dead to full in an hour and 15 minutes and bumped an iPhone 15 from five to 87 percent in just over an hour. And the 20,000mAh capacity means it can achieve those numbers around three times over.

In addition to the built-in (and conveniently magnetized) USB-C cable, there are two other ports: an out-only USB-A and an in/out Type C. That means you can technically charge three devices at the same time, but just note that the amount of charge and the time it takes for things to refill will both take a hit.

There’s no digital screen to tell you how much charge remains in the battery, just four indicator LEDs. I’ve certainly found display readouts to be helpful in determining just how much more juice I can squeeze out of a battery, but the lighted pips here are accurate and still useful.

While color options probably won’t make or break your battery pack purchase, I appreciate that the BoostCharge 20K comes in something other than standard black. You can of course get it in that shade, but also in blue, pink or white. The pink of my tester unit was pale and pretty and the matte finish does a good job of staying clean — some black smudges from who knows what in my bag came off easily with some rubbing alcohol.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

Nimble’sChamp Pro batterydelivers a screaming fast charge and got a Galaxy S23 Ultra from five percent to full in under an hour. That’s faster than every other battery I tested except for Anker’s 737, our high capacity pick — and that model costs $30 more. It lent nearly three full charges to both an iPhone and Galaxy device and has enough juice to refill an iPad more than once. The battery pack itself also re-ups from the wall noticeably faster than other models, so it’ll get you out the door quicker.

The company, Nimble, is a certified B-Corp, meaning they aim for higher environmental and social standards and verify their efforts through independent testing. The Champ Pro uses 90 percent post-consumer plastic and comes in packaging made from paper scrap with a bag for shipping back your old battery (or other tech) for recycling.

The unit itself feels sturdy and has a compact shape that’s a little narrower than a smartphone and about as long. The attached adjustable lanyard is cute, if a little superfluous, and the marbled effect from the recycled plastics give it a nice aesthetic. You can charge devices from both USB-C ports simultaneously, and both are input/output plugs.

My only qualm was with the four indicator lights. On a second testing round, it dropped down to just one remaining pip, yet went on to deliver a full fill-up plus an additional top off after that. That said, I’m glad the indicator lights under-estimated the remaining charge rather than the other way around, and the accuracy seemed to improve after subsequent depletions and refills.

Capacity: 27,000mAh |Maximum Output: 85W |Ports: One in/out USB-C, two out only USB-A, three wireless pads |Cable: USB-C to USB-C |Number of charges iPhone 15: 5.67 |Charge time iPhone: 5 to 100% in 2h 22m average and 5 to 68% in 35m |Number of charges Galaxy S23 Ultra: 4.46 |Charge time Galaxy: 5 to 100% in 1h 21m average 5 to 46% in 25m |Number of charges iPad Air: 2.78 |Charge time iPad: 5 to 100% in 1h 55m average and 5 to 78% in 1h 11m |Number of charges MacBook Pro: 0.79 |Charge time MacBook Pro: 10-89% 1h 18m

Power banks that can charge a laptop are a category unto themselves. I recently put together a guide to thosehigh-capacity portable chargersandLion Energy’s Eclipse Magmade the cut as the best option for traveling with your laptop — but it’s also great for smaller devices.

The selling point here is supposed to be the three wireless charging pads on its topside, but I found its wired performance to be even more impressive. The 27,000mAh battery translates to about 100 watt hours, aka the TSA’s largest approved capacity for travel. It’s more compact than other 27K batteries, though at two pounds and 8.5 inches long, it’s hardly small. The soft-touch plastic on the exterior is thicker at the angled-off corners, which makes it feel like it could handle a tumble — Lion Energy doesn’t list any sort of mil spec or other ratings for drop endurance so I didn’t subject the tester unit to any rough handling.

Measuring the recharge time of the batteries from the wall isn’t one of the metrics I usually test, but Lion Energy claims a 90 minute refill and my experience lines up with that. It refilled our iPhone 15 five and a half times and the Galaxy S23 Ultra nearly five times. It revived a 16-inch MacBook Pro from 10 percent to 89 percent while it was in use. That works out to about 14 percentage points more than our current command center battery recommendation. The previous pick in this category,Anker’s 737, charged up a Galaxy S22 Ultra slightly faster than the Eclipse Mag refilled a Galaxy S23 Ultra (which have the same battery capacity) but the Eclipse had more charge to give every device.

A double-press of the status button enables wireless charging and more than one device can be charged at once. It also supports pass-through charging, so you can have the battery charging from the wall as you charge your device.

Magnets align with an iPhone’s MagSafe circle to position the phone quickly. Finding the sweet spot for the Galaxy phone takes a little adjustment, but was easy enough. It took nearly three hours to fully charge the iPhone 15 from five to 100 percent, but getting it to 87 percent only took two hours. With any portable battery, the charge rate slows significantly as the device approaches 100 percent — and that’s even more noticeable with a wireless portable charger.

Lion Energy told me the Eclipse Mag is designed for Apple Watches only. Not surprising given the Pixel Watch 2 doesn’t support wireless charging and Samsung recommends you only use its chargers to refill a Galaxy Watch. My Apple Watch snapped into place easily and started charging right away (after I remembered to double press the button to fire up the wireless pads). There's also a pad for wirelessly recharging your AirPods.

At $149, it’s relatively affordable for a lot of power, particularly given the wireless charging feature. I wish it had more than one USB-C port, but I suppose the wireless pads make up for the lack. Overall, it’s a solid choice for long trips or for working away from an outlet for a day or two.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

The TSA’s 100-watt-hour battery limit translates to around 27,000mAh for lithium batteries.Mophie’s Powerstation Pro ACis so massive it necessitates a grab handle and get close to the edge of that max carry-on size. You probably won’t find a larger, acceptable portable power bank — after all, an on-the-go charging brick is pointless if you can’t travel with it. I took this one through security at two airports and no one gave it a second glance.

To power your laptop and the rest of your mobile work setup, the Powerstation has four ports. Three of them are the usual USBs, but there’s also a three-prong AC outlet. Most current devices charge via USB (and doing so is more efficient than using a power adapter between the cable and power bank), but older devices and certain mobile workstation accessories — speakers, lights and printers come to mind — might only power up through a basic wall plug. Just be sure to hold down the status button until the light turns red to turn on the AC port.

The AC plug powered most small appliances I plugged into it, including a small speaker, an HP printer and various LED lights. The 100 available watts isn’t enough to continuously push a charge through the 140W power adapter that ships with the 16-inch MacBook Pro, but via the USB-C port, it was able to charge that laptop from 10 percent to 75 percent in under 90 minutes.

The four lighted LED indicators will tell you when the battery is full. Unfortunately, it’s not the best indicator of when the bank will run out of juice. It charges for quite a while with four and three pips lit up, but then quickly cycles through the last two dots before it dies. So it might be better to just remember how much you’ve used the brick rather than relying too heavily on its indicators.

Smaller devices like a smartphone will get numerous charges; I got nearly five refills on an iPhone 11, and two charges and some change on an iPad. The Powerstation Pro AC was even a little faster at both tasks than ourprevious pickfor a mobile command center. That said, this bank is overkill for a simple mobile device fill-up. At 2.6 pounds, it makes the most sense as a power source when you’re working in the field with multiple components.

TheLion Energy Trekpower bank is pretty similar to the Powerstation Pro AC. It has the same 27,000mAh capacity and three USB ports plus an AC plug. The exterior has a more rugged feel and there’s an LED screen indicating outgoing wattage and remaining charge. Charging times and number of refills was on par with what the Powerstation delivered and the Trek is currently about $30 cheaper too. However, just one of the USB ports is Type-C and the display inaccurately indicated the power bank’s remaining charge, repeatedly saying it had 25 to 35 percent remaining just moments before dying completely. But if those two caveats don’t bother you, this could make a reliable travel companion.

The only thing worse than needing a power bank and not having one is having one but no way to connect it to your device. TheAnker laptop power bank with built-in cableforgoes any clever naming scheme, but makes sure you’re never left without a way to charge your stuff. It has two attached USB-C cables: one attached to the side of the battery that acts as a carrying cable and another retractable cord that extends up to two feet. Both handle in/out functions so you can use them to refill a device or reup the battery itself.

The display tells you the amount of charge remaining in the battery pack as well as the output wattage that’s funnelling towards your devices from each port. When refilling the battery, you can see an estimate of how long it will be until the unit is full. Calculating and displaying info like that takes up a bit of power but, in my testing, the unit outputs the same or a higher amount of charge compared with other 25,000 mAh batteries.

It’s an attractive bank, with matte silver exterior and a smaller display area than Anker’s Prime bank (our previous pick for this category). One of my concerns with that battery was the huge display area which was easily scratched. This newer unit feels more durable.

This 25,000 mAh model is a great alternative to the 27.5K Prime model, delivering slightly less charge but selling for $80 less as well. It’s also a better deal thanAnker's popular Powercore bank, which is the same price as the laptop bank but doesn’t have built-in cables.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

Plenty of battery packs are built to withstand drops and other abuse, but very few are waterproof or even water resistance. It makes sense; water and electrical charges aren’t good companions. TheNestout Portable Chargerbattery has an IP67 rating, which means it can handle being submerged in water for a number of minutes, and Nestout claims a 30-minute dunk in a meter of water shouldn’t interfere with the battery’s operation. I couldn’t think of a likely scenario where a power bank would spend a half hour in three feet of water, but I could see a backpacker traversing a river and submerging their pack for a few minutes, or a sudden downpour drenching all of their gear. So I tested by dropping the battery in a five gallon bucket of water for five minutes. After drying it off, the unit performed as if it had never been wet.

The water resistance comes courtesy of screw-on caps with silicone gaskets that physically keep the water out, so you’ll need to make sure you tighten (but don’t over tighten) the caps whenever you think wetness is in your future. The company also claims the battery lives up to a military-standard shock/drop specification which sounds impressive, but it’s hard to pin down what exactly that means. I figured it should at minimum survive repeated drops from chest height onto a hard surface, and it did.

As for charging speeds, it wasn’t quite as quick as our recommendation for a mid-capacity bank. The Otterbox charged an iPhone 14 Plus to 80 percent in about an hour and the Nestout got the smaller iPhone 11 to 80 percent in the same amount of time. Another thing to note is that the supplied cable isshort, just seven inches total, so you’ll likely want to use your own cord.

Nestout also makes accessories for its batteries, which I found delightful. A dimmableLED worklightsnaps on to the top of the battery while a small tripod holds them both up. The portablesolar panelreminded me of a baby version ofBiolite’s camping panels. Nestout’s version refilled the 15,000mAh bank to 40 percent in under three hours, which sounds slow, but is actually fairly impressive considering the compact size of the panels. This is also a blazingly hot summer, so I’d expectbetter performancein more reasonable weather.

A few companies now make phone cases that double as batteries. TheJuice Pack from Mophieis the first one I’ve tested, so it’s hard to call it thebestin its category, but I found a lot of reasons to recommend it. The case splits in two, making it easy to put on, but once installed, the phone feels secure in its protective sheath. I was surprised by how little bulk it adds; it’s a little longer at the bottom and a little thicker at the back, but I doubt anyone would even guess the case was also a battery.

I tested the model that fits theiPhone 15, but the iPhone 16 version is now the most current and the design has actually been improved. The case now has magnets so you can use accessories (though not wireless charging).

When my tester iPhone 15 started to die, I long pressed the back button (a short press indicates battery level) and the charging bolt symbol immediately kicked on. It took about an hour and 45 minutes to get the phone from ten percent to 65 percent before the battery depleted. Compared to other batteries capable of delivering a partial charge, that’s not terribly fast. But it provides a few extra hours of life and it’s always there when you need it.

The Juice Pack presents a couple drawbacks, though, with the biggest being that it prevents wireless charging. When it is time to recharge from the wall, a USB-C cable goes into the Juice Pack at the bottom edge, right where the phone’s port is. Power is directed first to the phone then switches to refilling the case battery. But, as I mentioned, the latest version of the case now allows for magnetic accessories.

The other downside is the fact that it’s a case. Depending on which you buy, a case will only work with an iPhone 16, 16 Pro or 16 Max, or one of the phones in the 15 series. It won't lend a charge to any other device that may need it. Also, like the Model T, the Juice Pack comes in any color you want, as long as that color is black. Some people won’t care, but others will probably lament the lack of personal expression. Still, if you often find yourself forgetting to charge your phone and you also forget to bring an extra battery, this is a good lifeline.

Travelers — both international and domestic — will likely appreciate the clever design of theInfinaCore P3 Pro. It’s a compact square in the shape of a coaster and a little over an inch thick. There’s a Qi2 wireless charging pad on one side as well as a built-in, two-prong wall adapter at the edge. Those prongs fold down, not only to make it easier to pack the brick, but also to allow for three (included)international adaptersto slide over the plug. That makes it ready for travel to countries with type G (UK, Saudi Arabia), type C (Europe) and type I (Australia, China) plugs.

The built-in plug lets the P3 Pro act as both a portable charger and a wall adapter. Because the brick is rather large, I worried it would fall out of the wall, but the standard prongs stayed firmly attached to my outlets at home (I, sadly, haven’t gone on any international trips, so I couldn’t test the adapters.) There are also two USB-C ports on the side, one for fast charging from the battery and one for in/out power transfers. There’s also a USB-A slot and a (very) small carry strap.

The display shows the remaining charge as well as the amount of charge currently being output. It has a 10,500mAh capacity, which filled an iPhone 15 once with about 25 percent left over. After filling a Galaxy S24 Ultra, the battery had about 33 percent remaining. That’s a little less charge than I would have expected for the listed capacity (most 10K banks I’ve tested deliver more). It’s also a touch slow in filling an iPhone, taking over three hours to fill one wirelessly, and nearly two hours to fill it with a cable. The speed on the Galaxy refill was better, clocking in at a little over an hour to go from four percent to full.

At the list price of $200, the P3 Pro really only makes sense for an international traveler who wants a wall adapter, wireless charger and power bank in one. But if you can find it on sale, grab it. It’s a clever design that works decently and comes with a99-year warranty.

Nearly every rechargeable power bank you can buy (and most portable devices) contain a lithium-ion battery. These beat other current battery types in terms of size-to-charge capacity, and have evenincreasedin energy density by eight fold in the past 14 years. They also don’tsufferfrom a memory effect (where a battery's lifespan deteriorates due to partial charges).

You may have heard about lithium ion batteries overheating and catching fire — a recent Hong Kong flight was grounded afterjust such a thing happenedin an overhead bin. Current restrictions implemented by theTSAstill allow external batteries rated at 100Wh or less (which all of our recommendations are) to fly with you, but only in your carry-on luggage — they can’t be checked.

Recently, Southwest Airlines was thefirst in the industryto take that rule one step further. Now, flyers on that airline must keep power banks in clear view when using them to recharge a device. If the portable charger isn’t actively in use, however, it can stay in your carry-on bag in the overhead bin.

Power bank manufacturers almost always list a battery’s capacity in milliamp hours, or mAh. Smaller batteries with a 5,000mAh capacity make good phone chargers and can fill a smartphone to between 50 and 75 percent. Larger batteries that can recharge laptops and tablets, or give phones multiple charges, can exceed 25,000mAh and we have aseparate guidethat covers that entire category.

Unsurprisingly, the prices on most batteries goes up as mAh capacity increases, and since batteries are physical storage units, size and weight go up with capacity as well. If you want more power, be prepared to spend more and carry around a heavier brick.

You might think that a 10,000mAh power bank could charge a 5,000mAh phone to 100 percent twice, but that’s not the case. In addition to simple energy loss through heat dissipation, factors like voltage conversion also bring down the amount of juice that makes it into your phone. Most manufacturers list how many charges a battery can give a certain smartphone. In our tests, 10,000mAh of battery pack capacity translated to roughly 5,800mAh of device charge. 20,000mAh chargers delivered around 11,250mAh to a device, and 25,000mAh banks translated to about 16,200mAh of charge. That’s an average efficiency rate of around 60 percent.

More manufacturers are making power banks with wireless charging. Not hassling with cables is nice, but it’s important to note that wireless charging isless efficientthan plugging in your phone. Outside of MagSafe options, wireless portable chargers historically didn’t make the cut for our top picks for this guide for that reason. TheQi2wireless charging standard arrived last year and improves performance for wireless charging, including for portable banks. Currently, iPhones are the only handsets that support the new tech, but as it’s an open standard, expect Google, Samsung and others to adopt it for future phones. In my testing, I’ve noticed an uptick in the performance of non-Qi2-enabled batteries as well, so you'll now see wireless options on this list.

Since Apple ditched the Lightning cable andadoptedUSB-C, we’re getting closer to a standard for charging connections — and all of our picks have at least one such port. But plenty of other devices use older interfaces, like USB-A and microUSB ports, plus Lightning for older iPhones. You can find cables with just about any combination of those connections, so when you’re picking out a battery, just check that one end of your preferred cord will fit.

Most battery packs have more than one charging port, which gives you different charging options. You’ll typically see at least one port labeled “in/out,” which means you can use it to both charge the bank and charge your gadget. While USB-A output ports can power up cell phones and other small devices, they can’t charge larger devices. Plus, they aren’t as fast as USB-C ports overall. That’s something to keep in mind when you’re deciding which ports and charging cables to use to connect your phone to the pack.

There’s even more variation among USB-C ports themselves, with different ports on the same device supporting different power transfer rates. What that means in practical terms is an iPhone will charge just fine plugged into a power bank’s 18W port. But to properly charge, say, a MacBook or similar laptop, it’ll need the extra juice supplied by a 100W port (which larger power banks can offer). Power banks with more than one port can also charge multiple devices at the same time, but speeds and the overall charge delivered will be lower.

You’ll also want to consider your charging cable. For anything larger than a smartphone (and to access fast-charging capabilities) you’ll want to use USB-C ports and cables. But not all cables are created equal, even when they have the same USB-C plugs on the end. If you want power delivery from a 100W USB-C power bank port, you’ll need a 100W-rated USB-C cable. Luckily, power banks capable of delivering 100W tend to include a compatible cable. For any devices that don’t, we’ve tried and likedAnker’s 100W USB-C cable. For smaller devices, we used this60W cable from Nimbleand we don’t recommend bothering with cables under 60W. For around $20, higher-capacity charging cables will make sure you’re not wasting time with connections that limit your potential power transfer.

For the most part, these rechargeable batteries have a squared-off, brick-like design, though many nod towards aesthetics with attractive finishes and detailing. While that doesn’t affect how they perform, it’s a consideration for something you’ll interact with regularly. Some portable power stations include extra features like MagSafe compatibility, a built-in wall plug or even a kickstand. Nearly all have some sort of indicator to let you know how much available charge your power bank has left, usually expressed with lighted pips near the power button. Some of the newer banks take that a step further with an LED display indicating remaining battery percentage.

Before we even put our hands on a battery pack, we did extensive research. We considered brands Engadget reviewers and staff have tried over the years and we checked out customer ratings on retail sites like Amazon and Best Buy. Then we get our hanHere’s the full list of power banks we've tested, which range from small wireless banks to large, multi-device batteries.

Apple MagSafe Battery Pack(5,000 mAh)

Anker 521 Magnetic Battery(5,000 mAh)

Mophie snap+ PowerstationMmini(5,000mAh)

Anker MagGo Power Bank (6.6K)(6,600 mAh)

Anker 633 Magnetic Battery(10,000mAh)

Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K)(10,000 mAh)

UGREEN 10,000mAh Magnetic(10,000mAh)

EcoFlow Rapid Magnetic(5,000mAh)

Anker 511 Power Bank(5,000 mAh)

Anker 313 Power Bank(10,000mAh)

Biolite Charge 40 PD(10,000mAh)

Satechi Quatro Wireless bank(10,000mAh)

Anker 10K Fusion power bank(10,000mAh)

Otterbox Fast Charge(15,000mAh)

Mophie Powerstation Pro(20,000mAh)

Nestout Portable Charger(15,000mAh)

Mophie Powerstation Pro XL(25,000mAh)

UGREEN Power Bank 25,000mAh 145W(25,000mAh)

Anker 737 Power Bank(25,600 mAh)

Zendure Supertank Pro(26,800mAh)

Mophie Powerstation Pro AC(27,000mAh)

Lion Energy Eclipse Mag(27,000mAh)

Anker Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank(27,650mAh)

Anker laptop power bank with built-in cable(25,000mAh)

Belkin Boost Charge 20K with built-in cable(20,000mAh)

We're continuously updating this guide as companies release new products and we test them. We remove some products as we find picks that are more worthy of the best portable charger designation. We also add updated specs and prices where necessary.

For testing, I used each battery with some combination of an iPhone 15, an iPhone 14 Plus, an iPhone 11, a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, a Galaxy S23 Ultra, a 5th-gen iPad Air and an M1 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro. I charged one phone battery at a time, even though some packs are capable of multiple-device charging. I charged the phones and tablets from between zero and five percent until they were 100 percent full (or until the power bank was dead), and didn’t use the phones or tablets while they charged other than to power them on and enter the unlock code. In the case of the MacBook, I used it while it was charging (it’s my work computer).

I used the charging cable included with each power bank to charge the Galaxy S22 Ultra, MacBook Pro and the iPad Air. For the iPhones, I used the USB-C to Lighting cable that Apple provides. In the case of the lower-capacity power banks that didn’t include a cord or included one with USB-C to USB-A connectors, I used this60W-rated USB-C to USB-C cable.

For reference, here are the battery capacities of each device we used for testing:

16-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro: 27,027mAh

I noted the times for each charge and the number of charges each bank provided. I also paid attention to things like ease of use and overall design.

Anker’sPrime bankwas our previous pick for the best premium power bank, but I thought it worked best with the expensive (yet very convenient) base. Considering it also doesn’t have any built-in cables, we decided to bump the Prime battery from its position and replace it with theAnker Retractable Cable Laptop Bank. There’s still plenty to like about the Prime battery: it’s solid, attractive and tells you just how much charge it has left with its onboard display. When you add the optional base, you not only get a convenient drop-and-go way to recharge, it also acts as a charging hub with three additional USB ports.

I was curious to try out the first power bank from EcoFlow, a company that primarily makes larger power stations and whole-homebackup batteries. The first offering in the brand’s Rapid series is aQi2-enabled magnetic charger with a 5,000mAh capacity. It looks quite nice with shiny silver accents and soft-touch grey plastic on the MagSafe-compatible front. There’s a little pull-out leg that sturdily displays your phone as it charges and the attached USB-C cable lets you refill devices directly, then tucks out of the way when it’s not in use. But it didn’t outperform our top pick in the MagSafe category, in terms of both charging speeds and the amount of charge delivered.

TheBlade 2 from Baseushas a unique, flat shape that’s just a little wider than an ereader — which may make it easier to slip into a low profile laptop bag. It charged a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra considerably faster than any other battery bank we tried, getting it from four percent to full in just over an hour. It then filled the phone back to 62 percent from dead on a second charge in about a half an hour. But $100 is a lot for a standard power bank that holds fewer than two full charges. But if you can find the Blade 2 on sale, snap it up.

Anker’s6.6k MagGois pretty similar to our top pick for a MagSafe-compatible battery pack. It supports the Qi2 charging standard and props up your iPhone so you can use it or enable StandBy mode while powering up. This one even lets you set the viewing angle from 30 to 65 degrees. It was speedy in getting an iPhone 15 up to 50 percent in about 40 minutes. But for the added bulk, it doesn’t have as much capacity as the 10K MagGo, holding just enough juice for a single full charge plus about 5 percent. But it is $20 cheaper, which may be key for some.

TheMophie snap+ Powerstation Miniis terribly well-built. It feels premium with a rubberized contact point for the MagSafe charging pad and a stand that runs the entire width of the bank itself, making it extra sturdy. It’s compact, too, but only carries a 5,000mAh capacity, which gets you a partial charge on most newer or larger phones. Our currentMagSafe/iPhone pickhas double the capacity, a stand and a digital display — for just $20 more than the Powerstation Mini.

A slew of terms are used to describe power banks, including portable batteries, portable chargers, external battery packs and even, somewhat confusingly, USB chargers, which is what wall chargers are often called. They all mean the same thing: a lithium ion battery that stores a charge so you can refill a smartphone, tablet, earbuds, console controller, ereader, laptop, or just about any other device with its own built-in, rechargeable battery.

There’s little difference between the terms, so the specs you’ll want to pay attention to are capacity (expressed in mAh), size and weight so you can find the right balance between recharging what you need and portability.

Power stations, on the other hand, are distinct. These are bigger units (often around the size of a car battery) that can be used to charge multiple devices multiple times, but notably, they can’t be taken on airplanes.

Not exactly. The real enemy of a battery’s longevity is heat. The faster you charge a battery, the more heat is generated. Modern phones have features that keep the battery cool while charging, like physical heat shields and heat sinks, as well as software features that slow down processes that generate too much heat. Phone manufacturers are keen to promote a phone’s fast-charging abilities, so they had to figure out ways to make faster charging work.

While there aren’t long-term studies on what fast charging does to a phone, astudy on EV batteries(which use the same general concept of charged lithium ions flowing from one side of the battery to the other, absorbing or releasing a usable charge) showed a very slight decrease in capacity over time with only fast charging — though what actually made a larger difference was how hot the battery itself was, due to ambient temperatures, when it was charged.

In short, fast charging could beslightlyharder on your battery than normal charging. But the safeguards most smartphones have make that difference fairly negligible. To really ensure you’re taking the best care of your battery, limiting heat exposure overall is one of the best things you can do.

That depends on the size of the bank and the size of your device’s battery. A small 5,000mAh battery isn’t strong enough to charge laptops, but a portable charger with a 20,000mAh capacity will give your computer a partial refill. You also have to consider port compatibility. If your device has a USB port, you’ll be able to easily find a cable to connect it to a battery. If your device has a more unique port, such as a DC port, you won’t be able to use a battery. Devices with an AC cable and plug can be charged, and sometimes powered (such as in the case of a printer or speaker), by largerlaptop batterieswith AC ports.

Spotify is adding the ability to remotely download playlists to secondary devices

engadget|Juni 14, 2025

Spotify is rolling out a new feature that lets Premium subscribers remotely download playlists to additional devices. For instance, a user could initiate a download on an iPhone for an iPad or for a backup phone ahead of a trip.

That's all fine and good, and useful in limited circumstances. The big news here, however, is that this functionality also works with smartwatches, with integration for Wear OS devices and Apple Watch models. Nothing ruins a good walk or run like forgetting to download a playlist, so this lets people square that away whenever they think of it, even when the secondary device is out of reach.

Spotify is also introducing a new "Manage Downloads" button to assist with the aforementioned feature. This button accompanies playlists and provides a list of devices in which a particular batch of songs has been downloaded. That way folks can be sure they aren't reaching Spotify's five-device limit the company places on downloads.

This stuff is rolling out right now for users across the globe. It could take a few weeks to reach everyone. A version of this tool has previously been available for Apple Watch users, but this is the first time something like this will be available to those in the Wear OS ecosystem.

Spotify has been busy lately. The platform recentlyopened up an audiobook shop for iOS usersand unveiled adedicated Following feed for podcasts.

The best Apple deals you can get right now: Save on AirPods, iPads, MacBooks and more

engadget|Juni 14, 2025

It’s obvious that Apple products are some of the most sought-after in the tech world — that means sales are fewer and farther between than other gadgets, and they’re often the first things to sell out when discounts do arrive. But it would be a mistake to assume you’re doomed to always pay full price on things likeiPads,MacBooksandApple Watches. Apple deals to exist, if you know where to look.Engadget keeps track of deals like these on a regular basis, so we can help you there. Below, we’ve collected the best Apple deals you can get right now on items like AirPods, MacBooks, iPads and more. Arguably the biggest caveat to note about Apple sales is that you’re almost never going to see discounts directly at Apple.com. Unless youshop refurbished, you’ll always pay top dollar at Apple's site, though and for some things (like iPhones), that might be best. But for everything else Apple makes, you'll find the best discounts from retailers likeAmazon,Best Buy,Walmart,Targetand others.

The AirPods Pro 2 remain Apple’s best set of wireless earbuds, as they offer the full set of Apple-focused features, strong ANC, onboard volume controls, a comfy in-ear design and a warm sound profile that most should find agreeable. They can evenwork as a hearing aid. Their six-hour battery life still isn’t the best, though, and you should only get them if you’re all-in on Apple hardware. But if that’s the case, we consider them thebest wireless earbudsfor iPhone owners. This discount ties the best price we've seen since the holiday season. Also atBest BuyandTarget.

Apple AirPods 4 for $99 at Amazon ($30 off): Apple’s wireless earbuds don't have the best sound quality or battery life, and this entry-level model lacks wireless charging, Find My tracking and onboard volume controls. But it still gets you tons of Apple-friendly features — from fast pairing with iCloud devices to spatial audio to hands-free Siri — and its lightweight design should fit most ears better than previous AirPods. If you truly hate the feeling of headphones that jut into your ear canal, they sound a bit cleaner and more balanced than most open-back alternatives. Just keep in mind that this design won’t block much outside noise. Also atBest BuyandTarget.

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC for $149 at Amazon ($30 off):This variant of the AirPods 4 adds ANC, a wireless charging case and Find My tracking support. They keep the same open-style design, so the ANC isn't as effective as what you'd get with a pair that fully seals off the ear canal, but it makes the earbuds more useful in noisy areas all the same. We gave this pair ascore of 86in our review. Also atWalmart,Best BuyandTarget.

The newest iPad Air is a minor update; the only big addition is a more powerful M3 chip. However, we still recommend the Air over the base model in ouriPad buying guide: Its display is more color-rich and better at fending off glare, its speakers are more robust, it works with Apple’s best accessories and its performance should hold up better in the years ahead. This deal ties an all-time low. Also atBest BuyandTarget.

Apple iPad (A16) for $299 at Amazon ($50 off): The latest base model iPad comes with a faster A16 chip, 2GB more RAM and 128GB of storage as standard. It earned ascore of 84in our review — if you only need an iPad for roaming the internet, watching shows and doing some lighter productivity tasks, it's a good starter tablet. Also atBest Buy,WalmartandTarget.

Apple iPad Air (13-inch, M3) for $699 at Amazon ($100 off): We gave the 13-inch iPad Air areview score of 89when it was released in March. It has a bigger and slightly brighter display than its 11-inch counterpart; otherwise, the two slates are the same. If you plan to keep your iPad hooked up to a keyboard, the extra screen space is lovely for taking in movies and multitasking for work. Also atBest Buy,TargetandB&H.

Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro) for $399 at Amazon ($100 off): The iPad mini is exactly what it sounds like: the smaller iPad. This latest iteration has an improved A17 Pro chip — which is enough to support Apple Intelligence — along with 128GB of storage in the base model and Apple Pencil Pro support. As before, you’d buy it if you value the smaller 8.3-inch display and want a tablet you can more easily hold with one hand. We gave it ascore of 83in our review. This deal ties the 128GB model's best price to date, but models with more storage are also $100 off. Also atBest BuyandTarget.

Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, M4) for $899 at Amazon ($100 off): The iPad Pro is more tablet than most people need, but it’s theultimateApple slate for those who can stomach its price tag. It’s wonderfully thin, its OLED display is one of the best we’ve seen on a consumer device and its M4 chip can handle virtually anything you’d ever do on an iPad. It’s also the only Apple tablet with Face ID, plus it has a better speaker setup than the iPad Air. We gave it ascore of 84in our review, with the only real drawback being how expensive it is. Also atBest Buy.

Apple iPad Pro (13-inch, M4) for $1,099 at Amazon ($200 off): The 13-inch iPad Pro has all the same specs as the 11-inch model, only it's bigger and more expensive. It may be worth the extra cost if you plan to multitask regularly or just want more screen space for enjoying movies. Also atBest Buy.

The latest MacBook Air is the top pick in our guide to thebest laptops, and it earned a score of 92in our review. It's another spec bump, but that's not a bad thing — the design remains exceptionally thin, light and well-built, with long battery life and a top-notch keyboard and trackpad. Now it's a bit faster. (Though we'd still love more ports and a refresh rate higher than 60Hz.) The deal applies to the base configuration with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Also atBest BuyandB&H.

Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M4) for $1,049 at Amazon ($150 off): The 15-inch MacBook Air is nearly identical to the smaller version but features more robust speakers and a more spacious trackpad alongside its roomier display. Also atBest BuyandB&H.

We consider Apple’s flagship wearable to be thebest smartwatchyou can buy, period. It's amostly iterative update, with faster charging, a slightly slimmer design and a marginally larger display than the prior Series 9. That said, it's still a comprehensive fitness tracker, and no other smartwatch can integrate as neatly with iPhones and other Apple devices. Just keep in mind apatent disputehas locked it out the blood oxygen detection features found on those older models. Also atBest Buy,WalmartandTarget.

Apple Watch SE for $169 at Amazon ($80 off):Those on a tighter budget can opt for the Apple Watch SE and know they’re getting the core Apple wearable experience with few compromises. We consider it to be the best smartwatch for newbies. This deal matches the lowest price we've seen in 2025. Also atWalmartandBest Buy.

The highest-end option in Apple’sconfusing stylus lineup, the Pencil Pro supports pressure sensitivity, wireless charging, tilt detection, haptic feedback and support for Apple’sdouble tap and squeeze gestures. It’s a lovely tool for intricate sketching and note-taking, but the catch is that it’sonly compatiblewith the M4 iPad Pro, M2 and M3 iPad Air and most recent iPad mini. Also atBest Buy,WalmartandTarget.

Apple Pencil (USB-C) for $69 at Amazon ($10 off):This more affordable Apple Pencil doesn’t support pressure sensitivity, but it still makes for a useful stylus for the basics. If you’re a casual note-taker and can live without wireless charging, you’ll save a few bucks by picking this one up. Also atBest Buy,WalmartandTarget.

Apple AirTags (4-pack) for $75 at Amazon ($25 off):We think most iPhone owners will appreciate how easy it is to keep track of things like wallets, keys or handbags with a set of AirTags. TheseBluetooth trackersmonitor the location of your belongings so you can check in on them using the Find My app. Those with newer iPhones can also use UWB technology to get turn-by-turn directions to find their stuff when the AirTag is within close range. Also atWalmart.

Follow@EngadgetDealson X for the latesttech dealsandbuying advice.

Wikipedia cancels plan to test AI summaries after editors skewer the idea

engadget|Juni 14, 2025

Wikipedia is backing off a plan to test AI article summaries. Earlier this month, the platform announced plans to trial the feature for about 10 percent of mobile web visitors. To say they weren't well-received by editors would be an understatement. The Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) then changed plans and cancelled the test.

The AI summaries would have appeared at the top of articles for 10 percent of mobile users. Readers would have had to opt in to see them. The AI-generated summaries only appeared "on a set of articles" for the two-week trial period.

Editor comments in the WMF'sannouncement(via404 Media) ranged from "Yuck" to "Grinning with horror." One editor wrote, "Just because Google has rolled out its AI summaries doesn't mean we need to one-up them. I sincerely beg you not to test this, on mobile or anywhere else. This would do immediate and irreversible harm to our readers and to our reputation as a decently trustworthy and serious source."

"Wikipedia has in some ways become a byword for sober boringness, which is excellent," the editor continued. "Let's not insult our readers' intelligence and join the stampede to roll out flashy AI summaries."

Editors' gripes weren't limited to the idea. They also criticized the nonprofit for excluding them from the planning phase. "You also say this has been 'discussed,' which is thoroughly laughable as the 'discussion' you link to has exactly one participant, the original poster, who is another WMF employee," an editor wrote.

A Wikimedia Foundation spokesperson shared the following statement with Engadget:

“The Wikimedia Foundation has been exploring ways to make Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projectsmore accessible to readers globally. This two-week, opt-in experiment was focused on making complex Wikipedia articles more accessible to people withdifferent reading levels. For the purposes of this experiment, the summaries were generated by an open-weight Aya model by Cohere. It was meant to gauge interest in a feature like this, and to help us think about the right kind of community moderation systems to ensure humans remain central to deciding what information is shown on Wikipedia.

For these experiments, our usual process includes discussing with volunteers (who create and curate all the information on Wikipedia) to make decisions on whether and how to proceed with building features. The discussion around this feature is an example of this process, where we built out a prototype of an idea and reached out to the Wikipedia volunteer community for their thoughts.

It is common to receive a variety of feedback from volunteers, and we incorporate it in our decisions, and sometimes change course. We welcome such thoughtful feedback — this is what continues to make Wikipedia a truly collaborative platform of human knowledge.

As shared inour latest poston the community discussion page, we do not have any plans to continue the experiment at the moment, as we continue to assess and discuss the feedback we have already received from volunteers.”In the "discussion" page, the organization explained that it wanted to cater to its audience's needs. "Many readers need some simplified text in addition to the main content," a WMF employeewrote. "In previous research, we heard that readers wanted to have an option to get a quick overview of a topic prior to jumping into reading the full article."

The organization didn't rule out future uses of AI. But they said editors won't be left in the dark next time. "Bringing generative AI into the Wikipedia reading experience is a serious set of decisions, with important implications, and we intend to treat it as such," the spokesperson told404 Media. "We do not have any plans for bringing a summary feature to the wikis without editor involvement."

Update, June 13, 2025, 12:52PM ET:This story has been corrected to note that Wikipedia never actually started its AI summary test. The plan was announced, but cancelled before it took place. A statement from the Wikimedia Foundation has also been added, and the headline has been updated as well.

How to buy the Nintendo Switch 2: Stock updates for Walmart, Target, Best Buy and more

engadget|Juni 14, 2025

You can finally buy theNintendo Switch 2in the US. The$450 consoleofficially went up for sale on June 5, and several retailers have offered it both online and in-store in the week since. Whilemillions of peoplehave been able to snag the device, online inventory dried up fairly quickly at most stores last week and remains difficult to find today. Therehavebeen restocks atTargetandBest Buyin recent days, but those didn't last long, and the latter required in-store pickup. You may also be able to grab abundle at Costcoif you’re a member there. Otherwise, it's slim pickings as of our latest sweep.

Broadly speaking, people had a bit more luck on launch week by venturing to a physical retail store. We can’t guarantee you’ll still be able to snag a Switch 2 the old-fashioned way, but it’s worth checking if a local Target, Best Buy, Walmart or GameStop — the four official retailersNintendo listson its store page — still has consoles in stock. Either way, if you're still on the hunt, we’ve rounded up all of the latest information we could find on how to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 and where you can pick one up.

Best Buybegan selling the Switch 2 at its retail locations on June 5. It previously said it wouldn'tsell the handheld at its online store during launch week, but it made additional consoles available on June 11 around 12PM ET. That restock lasted for the better part of an hour and required in-store pickup, but the device is now sold out again.

Walmartalso began online purchases at midnight ET on June 5, but the console alone and theMario Kart Worldbundle are out of stock as our latest update. Both SKUs briefly returned around 11:30PM ET on June 6, but we haven't seen much in the week since. Naturally, the world's largest retailer is also selling the console at its brick-and-mortar locations, though the companyhas notedthat quantities are limited and inventory will vary by location.

Targethad the Switch 2 in stores on June 5 and restocked its online inventory for at least a couple of hours starting around 3:30AM ET on June 6. It then had another restock on June 12 around 2:30PM ET, but that appears to have died out in less than an hour. It still looks to be fully sold out as we write this, but you should see if there's any stock at the stores closest to you just to be safe.

GameStophas advertised in-store availability, though exactly how much stock your local store may have will vary by location. Online, the device has been unavailable for the past week, with the listings for the base console andMario Kartbundle now pointing to a "Find a Store" page. We saw a$625 bundlethat includesMario Kart World, amicroSD Express cardand a few other accessories pop up a bit more frequently than the standard SKUs, but it's no longer listed (and it was kind of a raw deal anyway).

You may still have some luck at certain membership-based retailers. AMario Kart Worldbundle atCostcothat includes a 12-month Switch Online subscription has gone in and out of stock since launch day.Sam's Clubhas had a bundle without the Switch Online sub as well, though it's out of stock now. We also saw the console atBJ'searly on June 5, but it's no longer live there.

Verizonbriefly had the Switch 2 available on launch day, but that's dried up, and only those with Verizon service were able to order.

Amazonhasn't had any form of Switch 2 listing on its website, nor has it listed first-party Switch 2 games likeMario Kart World. The company didn't take pre-orders for the Switch 2 either, so it's unclear if and when it will sell the device.

Newegghas listed the Switch 2 on its site for several weeks, but it's given no indication as to when it'll begin sales. It previous showed a couple listings from a third-party seller, but at massively inflated prices.

With all of these stores, we've seen theMario Kart Worldbundle available in greater quantities online than the base console, which costs $50 less. But given thatMario Kartis theSwitch 2's biggest launch gameand retails for $80 on its own, that may not be the worst thing.

Nintendo, meanwhile, is only offering the Switch 2 viaan invite system. This requires you to have been a Switch Online member for at least 12 months and logged at least 50 hours of Switch 1 playtime as of April 2. It can't hurt to sign up if you meet the criteria, but don't expect it to bear fruit immediately — it's taken weeks for many people who registered in April to receive their invite.

You can find a list of every Switch 2 retail listing we could find below. Just be aware that this is meant to be a reference, not a rundown of everywhere the device is available right this second.

Where to buy Switch 2 +Mario Kart Worldbundle:

Sam's Club(membership required)

Nintendo is selling a number of Switch 2 accessories alongside the console, fromits (pricey) Pro Controllerto cases to cameras for the newGameChat feature. Most of these became available on June 5. The same goes for games likeMario Kart Worldand the Switch 2 version ofThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.Another big Switch 2 release,Donkey Kong Bananza,won't be available until mid-July but is still up for pre-order now.

As of Friday afternoon, just about all Switch 2 games are broadly available. Stock for the accessories remains a little spottier, but most devices are still available at multiple retailers. Nintendo's official Switch 2 carrying cases have bee the main exceptions, so you may need to look to third-party alternatives if you want some protection for your console right away.

Samsung microSD Express Card (256GB) for Nintendo Switch 2 ($60)

Costco($75, membership required)

Hori Nintendo Switch 2 Piranha Plant Camera ($60)

Joy-Con 2 Wheels (set of 2) ($25)

Switch 2 All-in-One Carrying Case ($85)

Switch 2 Carrying Case and Screen Protector ($40)

Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set ($120)

Nintendo GameCube Controller for Switch 2 ($65)

Nintendo(Switch Online required)

How to turn off Google’s AI Overviews in web searches

engadget|Juni 14, 2025

Google’s AI Overviews do not save me time. For one, I work for a tech blog and am therefore professionally curious as to whether or not the generated answers are correct, so I spend a few ticks figuring that out. (Answer: Sometimes,but not always!)

Then things get existential as I contemplate how long a self-cannibalizing system can sustain itself — if the AI gives answers pulled from websites that survive on visits from readers, what happens when no one visits those sites because AIcribbedthe answer? Will I still get to write for websites if websites die from traffic starvation? It’s a lot to think about when all I want is TSA’s latest lithium-ion battery regulations.

Curiously (and unhelpfully) the first result when you Google “How to turn off AI Overviews in Chrome” doesn’t actually answer the question. Theentry, from Google Support, discusses turning the feature off back when AI Overviews were experimental and handled through Google Labs. Navigate a little further down that page and you’ll see:

Note: Turning off “AI Overviews and more” in Search Labs will not disable all AI Overviews in Search. AI Overviews are part of Google Search like other features, such as knowledge panels, and can’t be turned off.

Thankfully, I work with intelligent people and one of them supplied me with a simple method of ensuring each search performed in a Chrome browser bypasses the AI Overview and uses results from the Web tab only. Here’s how you too can avoid wasted time (andenergy) so you can search like it's 2024.

Click the three dots in the upper right corner of your Chrome browser

Go toSettings>Search engine >Manage search engines and search

UnderSite search, click theAddbutton

EnterShortcut: https://www.google.com/

EnterURL: {google:baseURL}search?udm=14&q=%s

Then, (hat tip toTom’s Hardwarefor helping me figure this bit out) set the search type to default by clicking the three dots next to the shortcut you just created and clickingMake default.

Now, go Google “the best laptop power banks” and click on the Engadget entry (usually one to four results down) and spend a few moments looking at the ads (and the picture of my desk) before you move on so I can still have a job in 2026.

In that sameTom’s Hardware article, Avram Piltch links to theextensionhe built, which is a super easy way to hide the AI Overviews from sight. It’ll still generate the response, you just won’t see it. I prefer the Web method above, to avoid any unnecessary machine processing on my behalf, but the extension is easier and keeps you on the familiar “All” search results tab with knowledge panels, video results and the like.

To turn off the AI Overview for Chrome on your phone, I’ll direct you to the fine folks attenbluelinks. Just open the link in your phone’s browser and follow the steps for Android or iOS.

A Minecraft Movie is coming exclusively to HBO Max on June 20

engadget|Juni 14, 2025

Don’t throw all your popcorn at the screen, butA Minecraft Moviebegins streaming exclusivelyonHBO Max (which used to be Max, which used to be HBO Max)on June 20. The big studio adaptation of the best-selling video game of all time was something of asurprise hitfor those unfamiliar with the game’s mammoth audience.

Movie adaptations of video games can be really hit or miss.The Super Mario Bros. Movieset the box office recordfor the highest-grossing video game movie of all time andwas a fun, if safe, movie. On the other end of that spectrum isBorderlands, which was a massive letdown and a box-office failure. With that spotty track record, we were pleasantly surprised whenA Minecraft Movieturned out to be…pretty good, actually.

The movie stars Jack Black as Steve, the original player character from the video game, who ends up transported into the voxel world ofMinecraft, while Jason Momoa stars as an egomaniacal former gaming superstar. The movie will also debut on the HBO linear cable channel on Saturday, June 21, at 8PM ET.

The spiritual sequel to the Pebble smartwatch is on track to ship in July

engadget|Juni 14, 2025

Eric Migicovsky, the creator of Pebble who'sreviving the e-paper smartwatchwith a new company called Core Devices, shared that the first new smartwatchesare coming next month. The Core 2 Duo watch is on track to ship to pre-order customers in July and the pricier Core Time 2 is still on track to launch this year.

The $149 Core 2 Duo is "near mass production" according to Migicovsky, and should land in the hands of all pre-order customers during July or August. If you pre-ordered, you'll be able to confirm your order and shipping details later in June. Migicovsky says he's also aiming to have "working engineering samples" of the $225 Core Time 2 "within the next month."

Both the Core 2 Duo and Core Time 2 carry over the basic functionality of Migicovsky's original Pebble smartwatch, using either black and white or color e-paper displays, with health tracking, access to notifications and the ability to use the back catalog of classic Pebble watch faces and apps. The major difference between the two watches is that the Core Time 2 has a slightly larger screen, a metal frame and a built-in heart rate monitor.

Core Devices is also opening up a beta program to test early watch hardware and its new Android and iOS companion app for syncing notifications and watch faces. You can sign-up to join the beta testvia a Google Formand interestingly, Migicovsky writes that the new app will also be compatible with older Pebble hardware like thePebble Time SteelandRoundor thePebble 2.

The Internet Archive modernizes its GeoCities GIF search engine

engadget|Juni 14, 2025

The Internet Archive made it easier to search for '90s-era GIFs.GifCitiescontains millions of animations from the decade of flannel shirts and Soup Nazis. The GIFs were pulled from old GeoCities webpages, which (mostly) bit the dust in 2009.

The new version of GifCities is much easier to search. You can now search semantically, based on the animation's content. In other words, it's much more likely to bring up the topic or scene you're looking for by describing it. In GifCities' old version, you could only search by file name. (If you're feeling masochistic, you can still access that version under a "Special search" tab.)

The updated GifCities also now uses pagination. That's a good thing, as the old version's infinite scrolling could make for slow browsing. You can also create and share "GifGrams." As the name suggests, these are custom e-greetings made from those ancient GIFs.

The Internet Archivelaunched GifCities in 2016to celebrate its 20th anniversary. If you're too young to know, GeoCities was the quintessential early internet web-hosting service. A precursor to social media, it was full of embarrassing fan pages, personal photo albums and "Under construction" GIFs. (You'll find plenty of the latter in this search engine.) Yahoo pulled the plug on most of GeoCities in 2009. (Disclosure: That's Engadget's parent company.) However, the Japanese versionsurvived for another decade.

If you're of a certain age, you'll likely enjoybrowsing the archive. (Or, learn what passed for internet humor before you were born!) Just note that many results are NSFW. I made the mistake of searching for "Mr. T," and I will now leave you to douse my eyes with bleach.

23andMe founder Anne Wojcicki will regain control of embattled DNA company after all

engadget|Juni 14, 2025

In a surprise twist, 23andMe founder and former CEO Anne Wojcicki is set to regain control of the DNA company's assets,according to a press releasefrom 23andMe. In May, a company called Regeneronbought 23andMe for $256 millionin a bankruptcy auction, but Wojcicki's nonprofit, TTAM Research Institute, was able to reopen bidding with an "unsolicited offer" of $305 million,The Wall Street Journalreports.

A bankruptcy judge agreed to reopen bidding on 23andMe under the condition that Regeneron top Wojcicki's proposed price by at least $10 million, according toWSJ. Regeneron declined, leaving 23andMe in TTAM's control assuming the judge approves the deal. A hearing to consider the new deal is set for June 17, 2025.

Regeneron had previously planned to keep on all of the company's employees and continue offering consumer DNA testing kits. Besides answering customers' questions about their ancestry, 23andMe's genetic data is valuable as a way to identify possible health risks, and in the case of Regeneron, as a tool for identifying drug targets.

It's not completely clear what Wojcicki intends to do next, but 23andMe's announcement includes a list of customer data and privacy protections TTAM Research Institute has agreed to, including continuing to allow customers to delete their data and opt-out of research, establishing a Consumer Privacy Advocacy Board and promising to "not sell or transfer genetic data" in the event of another bankruptcy — unless the buyer agrees to the same privacy protections.

Maintaining control of the company's assets has been Wojcicki's plan since 23andMedeclared bankruptcyin March 2025. She originally resigned as the company's CEO to make a bid on the company.

"I am thrilled that TTAM Research Institute will be able to continue the mission of 23andMe to help people access, understand and benefit from the human genome," Wojcicki says. "We believe it is critical that individuals are empowered to have choice and transparency with respect to their genetic data and have the opportunity to continue to learn about their ancestry and health risks as they wish."

23andMe had a turbulent few years prior to declaring bankruptcy, suffering a data breach in 2023 that impactedmillions of customersand mass layoffs in 2024that affected 40 percentof the company's staff.

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