Anker A1383 Power Bank: problems, parts and running costs
Checked: 2026-10-17
Summary
The Anker A1383 is a 20,000mAh power bank whose limits are functional, not defects: it cannot pass charge through while recharging, two USB-C ports throttle each other, and the short built-in cable is not replaceable [3][4][6]. There are no running costs at all — no subscription, no consumables, just the price of the 65W charger you need to hit the 1.5-hour recharge [1][2]. It is a good buy at the $69.99 Anker direct price for anyone who needs laptop-class 65W output [1][4].
Common problems and fixes
- No pass-through charging — the bank cannot charge a device while it is itself recharging; Charge-Test and SmartGadgetKit both confirm it. No fix; plan around it. [4][5]
- Dual USB-C output throttles — the 87W total is a shared budget: when both USB-C outputs are used together one port drops to 5V/3A or 9V/3A, and the official manual lists splits such as 45W + 42W or 60W + 22.5W. Fix: give the laptop the built-in cable or the USB-C port on its own. [4][10]
- No full 45W Samsung charging — PPS is capped at 3.3-11V/4A, so a Samsung Galaxy Ultra tops out around 38W instead of the full 45W mode. No fix on this bank. [4]
- Percentage-only display — the LED shows battery percentage, not wattage or per-port detail. No fix. [3][4]
No direct owner threads were located in the research; these points come from hands-on reviews, and no failure-rate data exists for this model.
Parts and consumables
No replaceable parts or consumables reported. The built-in cable is the one wear item and it is not user-replaceable; no repairability or parts information beyond the standard 18-month warranty was found [6][9].
Yearly running cost
Recurring costs: none beyond the initial purchase — no subscription, no consumables, no proprietary ecosystem [2]. The one extra purchase is a 65W USB-C charger, required for the fastest 1.5-hour recharge and not included with the bank [1][2]. A dollar-per-year figure does not apply.
When it is a good buy
- $69.99 at Anker direct (also Newegg’s Anker store) — good value for laptop-class 65W output, the built-in cable and measured 83-89% usable capacity [1][4][8].
- TechRadar’s 2025-05-30 review listed $69.99 at Anker, £49.99 in the UK and AU$119.99 in Australia; Charge-Test listed it around €50 in Germany [3][4].
- Anker Singapore listed it at $89.99 (sale, against a $139.90 reference) but sold out at check time (October 2026) [2].
- At or below about $60 it is a strong value; $61-75 is good value at the direct price; $76-90 is fair; above $90 it is weak unless the 87W-plus-built-in-cable combination is specifically needed [1][4].
- INIU P51L-E1 — the better choice when you only charge phones and want a smaller 22.5W bank [3].