Anker 737 Power Bank (PowerCore 24K): problems, parts and running costs

Checked: 2026-10-17

Summary

A 24,000mAh (86.4Wh) USB-C battery that pushes up to 140W into a single PD3.1 laptop and shows live watts, remaining charge and cycle count on a color screen. Owner-reported faults include undervoltage shutdowns, battery-health display drops and a black-screen no-output failure, and the always-on screen drains the pack. At $109.99 it is fair for a 140W PD3.1 laptop owner, while a phone-first buyer pays far less for a lighter bank.

Common problems and fixes

Undervoltage (UVP) shutdown around 30-35% — an October 2025 owner saw the 737 shut off at an indicated 30-35%, then 23% after a C1-C2 reset, and it improved after cycles but cell degradation stayed uncertain. Stop relying on it for important loads and contact support if it repeats; the 24-month warranty covers a genuine fault. [9]
Battery-health display collapse — an April 2024 owner saw reported health drop from 100% to 5%, and one owner could not charge past 64%; this is a display estimate, not a measured cell failure. Cross-check delivered watt-hours and warranty rather than trusting the screen. [10]
Black screen and no output at 98-100% charge — a 2023 owner’s display appeared only while charging and went blank after unplugging, and a C1-C2 reset did not fix it. Treat a persistent case as a return or service issue. [11]
Cable-limited recharge rate — a 2024 owner got only about 50W from a high-power charger with a third-party cable, then about 92.6W with the original short cable. Fix: use a 5A EPR-rated cable before blaming the pack. [13]
Laptop PD negotiation loops — a 2021 Asus ROG Strix G15 cycled between battery and PD with the 737 although a different PD charger worked; check the laptop’s USB-C PD specifications, the cable and the second port. [12][3]
Always-on screen drain — the settings display draws about 0.36W, which Anker says can drain roughly 15% of the pack a day; turn the screen off when not needed. [1]
Heavy and bulky — about 630g and 6.13in long, so it is a bag battery, not a pocket one. Not a fault. [1][4]
Shared 140W ceiling — all ports together are capped at 140W, so three devices do not each get 140W and a high-power laptop can briefly drop as the split changes. [2][3]

Parts and consumables

240W / 5A USB-C EPR cable — needed to reach 140W; Best Buy listed an Apple 240W USB-C cable at $24.99 (Best Buy, October 2026). Replace only when lost or worn. [5]
140W PD3.1 wall charger (Anker A2697) — not included; Anker lists it at $89.99 (Anker, October 2026) for 28V/5A on one port. [15]
Included cable — one 0.6m USB-A-to-USB-C cable ships in the box, and it cannot deliver 140W. [2]

Yearly running cost

Electricity is the only routine cost. A full pack is 86.4Wh; one recharge a week is about 5.62kWh a year at the wall, roughly $1.40 a year at $0.25/kWh, and a daily recharge is about $9.86 a year. Reaching 140W needs a PD3.1 wall charger and a 5A EPR cable, which are optional one-time buys rather than annual consumables. [2]

When it is a good buy

Anker’s own store and Best Buy both listed the black A1289 at $109.99 (October 2026), and Best Buy’s Open-Box Excellent example was $76.99. At $75 or less new it is an excellent deal; $76-$95 is attractive if its 140W PD3.1 is useful; $96-$110 is acceptable for a laptop that can use 28V/5A. Above $110, the Anker A1695 25K 165W at $119.99 adds built-in cables and more ports but caps each USB-C at 100W, so it gives up the 737’s single-port 140W, and a phone-first buyer can spend $49.99 on a 20,000mAh 30W Anker bank. [1][5][6][14]