Acer Predator Power Bank

The Acer Predator branding is quite well known for its lineup of high-performance gaming desktops, laptops, and monitors. In recent months they’ve also expanded the brand to include its new gaming tablet (the Predator 8), a fully-decked immersion cocoon of a gaming station (the Predator Thronos), and—the tamest among these additions—a portable power bank.

Relative to everything else in the Predator line, one could be forgiven for thinking Acer’s Predator Power Bank is quite boring. In many respects, that’s fair; power banks are everywhere, everyone and their dog has got one, and they all essentially do the same thing anyway. What’s so special about Acer’s take on the portable charger market?

It’s definitely not the specs. At a rated capacity of 3600mAh @ 5v, this is possibly one of the most anemic power banks we’ve ever seen. It’s a few milliamps shy of being able to fully recharge a OnePlus 6T just once, and definitely wouldn’t be able to bring a Samsung Galaxy Note 9 up to full. It sports a single USB-A port for charging whatever’s plugged in to it, and a micro USB port for charging itself. Too bad about the lack of any USB-C ports, but Acer did see fit to fit an array of LEDs and a power button to indicate charge level.

Many phones themselves feature batteries with capacities in the 4000-5000mAh range. In fact, with the Acer Predator power bank fully charged, it could only carry my Moto E4 Plus—which boasts a whopping 5000mAh battery—from 0% to 67% and took 2 hours to do so (the power bank doesn’t support any form of quick charging technology).

To be fair, the math checks out; 67% of 5000mAh is 3350mAh, which—if you take into account energy wasted to heat and resistance—comes out to roughly about a 93% efficiency against Acer’s rated capacity of 3600mAh. You’d at least be getting close to what’s advertised on the box, which is more than what could be said of many cheaper, unbranded power banks.

If you’re planning on packing this as part of your everyday commute though, beware; despite its low capacity, the Acer Predator power bank is not as compact as one would think. Measuring in at 150.2mm x 78.6mm x 20.2mm and 244g, it’s a pretty hefty piece of tech to be carrying around.

Something the Acer Predator power bank does have going for it is a built-in kickstand for holding a device while charging it. This is a small yet incredibly useful addition that definitely helps Acer’s product stand out in the sea of power banks. It has 5 angles of adjustment with the steepest at 70° and flattest at 45°. Anyone who regularly whips out their phone to watch videos while killing time at a cafe or restaurant will quickly appreciate this excellent design choice.

On the subject of design, Acer’s Predator motif is very prominently featured on the power bank, which remains consistent across the entire Predator line of products. Its gunmetal finish and aggressive, chamfered edges make it an attractive choice for anyone into the whole industrial gamer aesthetic. The power bank is clean of any branding save for the Predator logo, which is embossed in metal on the front and printed onto the kickstand at the back.

All in all, contrary to initial appearances, the Acer Predator power bank does more to differentiate itself from the rest of the pack than it seems. The lack of a USB-C port is regrettable, though for some people this may be forgiven by its striking design and understatedly useful kickstand—which makes us wonder why more power bank manufacturers haven’t thought of this.

In the Philippines this powerbank is provided as a bundle for select Acer laptop buyers and there are no news yet if it will be sold in retail.