error Explora las consecuencias de un error de una manera honesta y emocional.
Christine Jeffs profundiza de manera experta en la ética y la responsabilidad emocional en el campo médico.
Elizabeth Banks brilla en un papel desafiante que equilibra la vulnerabilidad y el desapego.
Los dramas médicos suelen ser sensacionalistas y dramáticos para crear conflicto; errorSimplemente no es nada. Escrita y dirigida por Christine Jeffs, quien adaptó la novela homónima de Carl Shuker, la película evita los tropos médicos de fantasía por algo muy real y emocional. error Es exhaustivo al examinar lo que sucede cuando ocurre un error médico y las consecuencias que surgen porque algo sale mal. Al hacerlo, Jeeves explora la ética y la responsabilidad moral y emocional con una mirada compasiva y matizada.
Error (2024)
salida
Cristina Jeffs
fecha de lanzamiento
7 de junio de 2024
el libro
Christine Jeffs, Carl Shuker
el calumnia
Elizabeth Banks, Fern Sutherland, Simon McBurney, Rena Owen, Mickey Sumner, Joel Topick, Matthew Sunderland, Byron Cole
la duración del espectáculo
101 minutos
En una cirugía de emergencia, la cirujana experta Liz Taylor (Elizabeth Banks) le indica a su registrador Richard (Richard Crouchley) que opere a un paciente con sepsis. Estresado, corta demasiado profundamente y crea otra emergencia médica que el personal debe solucionar antes de llegar al fondo del problema. Es un momento de una fracción de segundo, pero cambia las vidas de Liz y Richard, quienes deben lidiar con las consecuencias, las preguntas de los padres del paciente y la burocracia médica. Todo esto sucede mientras el hospital se prepara para informar públicamente sobre el desempeño de sus cirujanos.
Un error nos hace pensar en las consecuencias y en lo que nos debemos unos a otros
error Dedica la mayor parte de su tiempo de ejecución a considerar la responsabilidad que nos debemos unos a otros como seres humanos. Si bien el hospital mismo (y Liz, bajo la protección de Richard como su supervisora) quieren protección contra responsabilidad, el guión de Jeeves profundiza en la narrativa desde un ángulo personal. La película nunca cambia desde el punto de vista de Liz, mientras se embarca en un viaje emocional y inestable que la encuentra cuestionando lo que le debe como cirujana a su paciente, pero también la responsabilidad que tiene para con su personal. Su confianza, alguna vez inquebrantable, se pone a prueba, y la película describe poderosamente esta vulnerabilidad.
Pero más que nada, error simpático. Liz no es retratada como una villana insensible, ni los padres del paciente son hostiles en su incesante búsqueda de la verdad. Mientras Liz navega por el sistema médico y por el desagradable Jefe de Cirugía (Simon McBurney), descubre que su deseo de protegerse a sí misma, a Richard y a su propia decisión no es tan simple como las respuestas en blanco y negro que se le exigen. Incluso la simple verdad no es fácil, y la película se da cuenta de que enfrentarla significa hacerse responsable, independientemente de lo que esté en juego.
…La película es decidida en su descripción de las emociones mientras profundiza en su humanidad.
error Explica que incluso frente a la burocracia médica, perder la humanidad nunca debería ser una opción. Si la humanidad se pierde, no habrá esperanza para nada. ¿A quién le respondemos si no a nosotros mismos? A través de una desgarradora serie de eventos, Jeeves demuestra que es una cineasta tan capaz de generar intensidad y tensión como lo es de crear una preparación con repercusiones convincentes. La película me dejó aturdido al final, pensando en todas las preguntas que planteaba. Puede que las respuestas no sean fáciles, pero la empatía y la comprensión no deben darse por sentadas.
Fue fácil para mí error Ser frío y calculador; Liz se manifestó así al principio, sólo para mantener sus sentimientos a raya. Pero la película está decidida a retratar las emociones mientras profundiza en su humanidad. Es tenso de principio a fin y su tono serio es consistente. Esto puede hacer que la película sea un poco difícil de superar emocionalmente, aunque sólo sea porque se estanca mucho y nunca da tregua. Y luego, error Implacable y apasionante. Mis ojos nunca abandonaron la pantalla, así que quedé hipnotizado por todo.
Elizabeth Banks es excelente en un papel que no es fácil
“Error” se beneficia de su capacidad para aportar matices y profundidad a Liz.
No hay duda de que Banks es una actriz capaz y lo ha demostrado una y otra vez en sus papeles anteriores. Pero su interpretación de Liz es quizás uno de sus papeles más desafiantes hasta el momento. Liz ha pasado por mucho errorLos bancos tuvieron que caminar sobre una delgada línea entre la vulnerabilidad emocional y el desapego. El personaje finalmente se desmorona cuando una cosa lleva a la otra y el estrés de la situación aumenta, pero la actriz logra hacernos sentir mal por Liz y al mismo tiempo quiere que ella haga las paces.
Es un papel lleno de matices que Banks logra perfectamente, capturando la experiencia de Liz de una manera que nos hace sentir todo lo que está pasando. Al igual que la película en sí, las emociones de Liz son una lenta acumulación que entra en erupción como un volcán antes de que las cenizas se depositen a su paso. El reparto secundario (McBurney es particularmente bueno como el antagonista de la película, que se interpone entre Liz y ella) también es excelente y ayuda a construir el mundo de Liz. error Es un camino sinuoso y pedregoso que resalta la desconexión a menudo hueca asociada con la práctica médica, pero conserva su humanidad y relevancia en todo momento.
error Se estrenó en el Festival de Cine de Tribeca de 2024.
En medio de un nuevo plan para informar públicamente sobre el desempeño de los cirujanos, la vida de una talentosa cirujana se desmorona cuando sus colegas comienzan a acercarse más, e incluso su pareja, una enfermera del hospital, le da la espalda.
Positivos
Christine Jeffs captura brillantemente los matices que requiere la historia de la película.
Elizabeth Banks ofrece una actuación cautivadora que añade profundidad a Liz
La película aborda temas pesados con gracia.
El error convence de principio a fin.
contras
El tono de la película suele ser serio, sin pausas intermedias.
Samsung has launched two new power banks in India. One comes with a 10,000mAh battery capacity, while the other comes with double the capacity at 20,000mAh. The smaller one has a maximum power output of 25W, while the bigger one can offer up to 45W of power. You can find their prices below.
Samsung’s 25W 10,000mAh and 45W 20,000mAh power banks now available in India
The new 10,000mAh power bank from Samsung is priced at INR 3,499 in India. The 20,000mAh power bank costs INR 4,299. Both new power banks are available through Amazon.in, Samsung Store, and other authorized retailers across the country. Both devices are available in just one color: Beige.
Samsung’s Wireless Power Bank 10,000mAh has two USB Type-C ports and supports a maximum power output of 25W. It supports USB PD and PPS charging protocols. It also features a Qi wireless charging pad, which supports up to 7.5W wireless charging. So, you can charge your Galaxy Buds or Galaxy Watch on the go. You can charge three devices wirelessly, but its power output will drop to 7.5W (USB C 1) + 7.5W (USB C 2) + 7.5W (Qi). It charges itself at 25W and comes with a USB Type-C to USB Type-C charging cable.
The Samsung 20,000mAh Power Bank has three USB Type-C ports. They all support USB PD 3.0 PPS charging protocols and can support 15W simultaneous power outputs when charging three devices. When you charge one device, the power bank can offer up to 45W of power output. It has four LEDs for charging status. The power bank itself charges at 45W of power. It lacks Qi wireless charging, though, so you need to use a USB charging cable to charge your Galaxy Watch.
Anker products are all over our list of the best power banks, and we named the Prime charger as the best ultra-premium product on the market. Unfortunately, ultra-premium also means ultra-expensive, though $90 is a whole lot better than $130.
We admired the slick aesthetics, as power banks don’t tend to turn heads. The case is a textured metallic plastic with a nice polish. There’s a built-in screen and rounded corners, all of which work to give this bank a luxe feel. The screen is useful, displaying the remaining charge within the battery and the watts flowing out to each device. The charge times and capacity were in line with other 20K batteries we tested.
It’s easy to use, which is made even easier if people pony up for the companion base. This base includes magnets to align the pins, so users can just plop the battery down and move on to something else. The base does offer additional ports, one USB-A and two USB-C, which turns the whole package into a fairly decent power hub. However, the base costs $70 and isn’t currently on sale.
We did notice that the Prime charger can be sluggish to wake, which isn’t a huge deal. The power bank’s sleek and shiny finish also tends to pick up fingerprints. There’s a faux-suede pouch to carry it in, which is a nice touch.
The Anker Nano Battery is also on sale for $16 with an on-page coupon, which is $14 off the device’s list price. This cute little thing boasts a foldable USB-C connector, so as to better integrate with smartphones. It also made our list of the best power banks and we heartily recommend it for anyone looking for a quick partial charge of an Android device.
Samsung has launched two new power banks with a new design language. One has a battery capacity of 10,000mAh, while the other has a 20,000mAh battery capacity. Both are now available for purchase in the USA.
Samsung’s 25W 10,000 mAh and 45W 20,000 mAh Battery Packs pricing in USA
The new 25W 10,000mAh Wireless Battery Pack (EB-U2510) from Samsung is priced at $44.99, while the 45W 20,000mAh Battery Pack (EB-P4520) is priced at $29.99. Both power banks follow Samsung’s new design language and come in beige color. You can buy them from Samsung.com in the USA.
The 25W 10,000mAh Wireless Battery Pack has two USB Type-C ports for charging other devices and the battery pack. It maxes out at 25W of power when you connect one device. When you use two USB Type-C ports simultaneously, the power output drops to 15W and 10W for the two ports. It also features 10W wireless charging for smartphones, wireless earbuds, and Galaxy Watches. When both USB Type-C ports and wireless charging are used, the power output is dropped to 10W + 10W + 5W. It comes with a 3A USB Type-C to USB Type-C charging cable.
The 45W 20,000mAh Battery Pack has three USB Type-C ports and can reach a maximum power output of 45W. It can charge three devices simultaneously at 15W each. It comes bundled with a 5A USB Type-C to USB Type-C charging cable. Both power banks have four LEDs for status indication and have been certified by UL for safety.
As part of the changes introduced in Europe in iOS 17.4, Apple gave third-party payment apps and banks direct access to the NFC chip, allowing for non-Apple Pay tap-to-pay payment options. The European Commission is set to approve Apple’s plan to open up tap-and-go mobile payments “as soon as next month,” according to Reuters.
With NFC access, banks and third-party payment apps can offer contactless payments directly on the iPhone without having to use the Wallet app or Apple Pay. This feature is available in the European Economic Area, and it lets EU users set a default non-Apple wallet app and default contactless payment provider that activates at tap-to-pay terminals or when the iPhone’s side button is pressed twice.
The European Economic Area (EEA) is the only area where Apple has opened up NFC access, and developers in other countries cannot access the iPhone’s NFC chip for tap-to-pay purposes. Customers will be able to use NFC-enabled apps from their banks and other payment providers with no involvement from Apple.
Apple has long limited the NFC chip in the iPhone and other Apple devices to Apple Pay payments, which has prevented banks and other financial services from providing their customers with direct contactless payment solutions on the iPhone.
Apple first announced plans to open NFC payment technology to third-party developers in Europe in January, and Apple made the change in order to address antitrust charges it was facing from the European Commission (EC). The EC has accused Apple of limiting competition by preventing rival mobile wallets from accessing the NFC chip, and Apple’s decision to open it up will prevent fines and other penalties.
Game emulator apps have come and gone since Apple announced App Store support for them on April 5, but now popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is available for download. Testut is known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. GBA4iOS led to Delta, an emulator that has been available outside of…
The first approved Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator for the iPhone and iPad was made available on the App Store today following Apple’s rule change. The emulator is called Bimmy, and it was developed by Tom Salvo. On the App Store, Bimmy is described as a tool for testing and playing public domain/”homebrew” games created for the NES, but the app allows you to load ROMs for any…
Last September, Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro models debuted with a new customizable Action button, offering faster access to a handful of functions, as well as the ability to assign Shortcuts. Apple is poised to include the feature on all upcoming iPhone 16 models, so we asked iPhone 15 Pro users what their experience has been with the additional button so far. The Action button replaces the switch …
A decade ago, developer Riley Testut released the GBA4iOS emulator for iOS, and since it was against the rules at the time, Apple put a stop to downloads. Emulators have been a violation of the App Store rules for years, but that changed on April 5 when Apple suddenly reversed course and said that it was allowing retro game emulators on the App Store. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel …
iOS 18 is expected to be the “biggest” update in the iPhone’s history. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and many apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is also expected to introduce a more…
Before you head into the weekend to hike, pull weeds, play games or go to work, you may feel a hankering to snap up a few tech gadgets. If that’s the case, here’s a roundup of all the deals we found this week on gear we’ve tested, reviewed and just generally recommend. To get cleaner floors without much work, check out the discount codes below from Wellbots on three different iRobot robot vacs. We found discounts on streaming dongles including Google’s Chromecast HD and Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max, as well as new sales on security cameras from the same companies (Google Nest and Blink). There are also savings to be had from Anker, 8BitDo and Sonos. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Anker
A number of Anker power banks and chargers are on sale right now at Amazon. The sale includes 25 percent off the price of the 10,000mAh Qi2 MagGo Power Bank, which brings it down to $67.50 from $90. Just note that the deal only apples to the white model.
We named the portable charger the best MagSafe-enabled banks in our guide. It’s Qi2-certified and brought an iPhone 15 from four percent to half full in around 45 minutes in our tests. It delivered a full charge plus an additional 70 percent before needing a refill. I also appreciated the display that shows the amount of charge the bank has left and the kickstand so you can watch something while you refuel.
The 552 USB-C Hub is also part of the sale and down to $30 after a big 57 percent discount. You can also save on Anker’s Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank with the 100W Charging Base included. It’s down to $164.50 from $235 and is another top pick in our buyer’s guide to power banks.
Our favorite smart plug is currently on sale at Amazon. A four-pack of the Kasa EP25 smart plug is down to $32.58 instead of $50 after a 25 percent discount and an on-page $5 coupon.
The Kasa EP25 works with Alexa, Google Home, HomeKit and Samsung SmartThings. I found the connection to be stable and the initial setup was quick to do through the companion app. Once initialized, it’s easy to add the plug to whichever smart home eco system you rely on.
Amazon’s Smart Plug is also on sale for $20 instead of $25. Our guide calls it the best smart plug for Alexa-enabled homes, so if you already have a few Amazon Echo speakers at home, the plug will make a good addition. The only real advantage is has over the Kasa plug is its near-instant pairing with Alexa.
Sonos not only makes quality speakers, they also have a respectable refurbished program which can save you some cash on the otherwise pricey audio equipment. Right now, a refurbished Sonos Arc SL soundbar is down to $509, which is $170 off the renewed price and $240 off the speaker’s full $749 price tag when it was new. A decent selection of similarly like-new soundbars and speakers are also on sale, with up to 25 percent off the refurb prices. That includes our pick for a midrange soundbar, the second-generation Beam soundbar. It’s down to $299 after a $100 discount off the refurbished rate.
We named the Sonos Arc the runner-up premium soundbar in our buying guide, praising its stellar sound quality and ability to calibrate its sound to match the room its in. Compared to the standard Arc, the Arc SL lacks a microphone, so you won’t be able to use voice assistants directly from the soundbar.
Sonos refurbished gear comes with the same, one-year warranty, all necessary cables and manuals plus all-new packaging. They also donate one percent of refurbished sales to environmental non-profits as part of 1% for the Planet.
Right now a code at Wellbots will get you iRobot’s flagship Roomba Combo J9+ for $400 off. The vacuum-mop hybrid robot, which only arrived last fall, automatically empties itself and refills the device’s mopping liquid. That convenience doesn’t come cheap, though. The unit usually sells for $1,399 but enter the coupon code ENGA400 at Wellbots and get it for $999 instead.
Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar gave the Combo J9+ an 85 review score when it first came out, calling it a godsend for tired parents. It’s also our pick for the best combo vacuuming-mopping robot. It has an upgraded motor and four-stage cleaning system that takes multiple pass-throughs across your carpets and floors.
The base that empties the debris and refills the mop solution also doubles as a storage unit that looks more like living room furniture. Setup is as simple as adding water and cleaning solution to a reservoir and attaching a mop pad. Upkeep is limited to swapping mop pads and leaning the vacuum’s bristles and dust bin.
If you don’t need a mop you can save some cash by going with the standard Roomba J9+ $599, which is $300 with the code ENGA300. It includes all the vacuum-related features from the more expensive Combo variant, including a three-stage cleaning system, multi-surface rubber brushes and stronger suction.
The previous-generation Roomba Combo j7+ vacuum-mop cleaning robot is $200 off with coupon code ENGA200.
The Blink Mini 2 home security camera was only announced a month ago and it’s already on sale for 25 percent off, making it just $30 instead of $40. It can be used indoors or outdoors, though it needs a weather-resistant power adapter for use outside. A bundle with the adapter is on sale as well. The camera shoots HD footage day or night and has an LED spotlight.
Amazon-owned Blink announced the Mini 2 camera in March, touting improvements to image quality and the option for HD night view in color thanks to the spotlight. The camera also has motion detection and two-way audio. The camera can detect motion, and alert you when it does, but if you want person detection and the ability to live-stream continuously (up to 90 minutes), you’ll need a Blink subscription. The Mini 2 comes with a 30-day free trial of the Blink Subscription Plan, too. After that, it’s $3 per month per device or $10 monthly for unlimited coverage.
If you’d prefer security cameras made by a different tech company, you can get Google’s wired Nest security camera for $70, which is 30 percent off and its lowest price to date. The deal is available at Amazon, Walmart and directly from Google.
The Nest Cam uses AI to discern between people, animals and vehicles and sends alerts via the Google Home app, and, unlike Blink cams, you don’t need a subscription for that. The Nest Aware plan does let you save 60 days of video history, however, otherwise you get three free hours of history. It also has two-way audio function and the ability to view live video feeds on mobile devices and compatible smart displays.
For keeping an eye on your outdoors, you can grab the Outdoor Nest Cam with Floodlight which is 29 percent off and down to $200.
Annual subscriptions to the budgeting app Quicken Simplifi are half off through April 21. It has dropped from $4 monthly to $2 per month, billed annually at $24.
Quicken Simplify topped both our list of the best budgeting apps and our collection of the best apps to replace Mint. We like the user-friendly interface and instantaneous access to various metrics, like top-line balances, net worth, recent spending, upcoming recurring payments and more.
It also lets you set up customized savings goals and the clean UI keeps things interesting with playful animations. .You can also invite a spouse or a financial manager to co-manage the account.
The 10th-gen Apple iPad is on sale for $349 at Amazon and Best Buy, which matches the lowest price we’ve seen from major retailers. The deal applies to the base model with 64GB of storage. The 256GB model is also $100 off the list price and down to $499.
Keep in mind that Apple reportedly plans to release new iPad Airs and iPad Pros in early May, so you may want to wait to see what is announced — and whether today’s models drop even further. The standard iPad may not be refreshed until later this year.
We gave the 10th-gen iPad a review score of 85 in late 2022. Its aluminum design feels premium, it gets a solid 10-plus hours of battery life and its A14 Bionic chip is still plenty fast for media consumption — though its the only remaining iPad without an M-series chip and it only works with the older generation Apple Pencil and requires an adapter.
8BitDo’s Ultimate Bluetooth Controller is $60 right now on Amazon. Last week it dropped to $59.49, but only for Amazon Prime members. Neither deal is an all-time low, but still around $10 off the list price.
Engadget’s Jeff Dunn is a fan of the wireless Switch and PC gamepad and its Hall effect joysticks, which use magnets to read inputs, making them less susceptible to “drift” over time. While it may be a touch small for those with especially large hands, it has a sturdy design, customizable buttons and comes with a charging dock.
If you’re looking for a smart TV streaming dongle and don’t need 4K video, check out this sale on the Chromecast with Google TV (HD). It’s dwon to $20, which is $10 off the list price and close to the all-time low. You can get the same deal from Amazon, Target or directly from Google.
This is the HD version of our top choice for streaming devices. We were impressed by the user interface which does a good job of integrating all the various services you subscribe to in one place. There’s a universal search function and the setup is relatively easy: Just plug it into your TV’s HDMI port and give it power with the included USB cable and power adapter. Then use the Google Home app to get things going.
Of course, if you’ve got a 4K TV and want to see that higher def content, you’ll want the more expensive model, though that one isn’t on sale.
The newest Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is still sale for $40, which ties the lowest price we’ve tracked. The 4K Max is Amazon’s fastest and most featured streaming stick and supports HDR formats, Dolby Atmos audio and WiFi 6E. The user interface isn’t as streamlined as other streaming devices and the homepage and search heavily promote Amazon’s own content. But the sticks recommended in our buying guide — from Roku and Google — aren’t on sale right now.
The standard Fire TV Stick 4K is also back on sale for $30. That’s not an all-time low, but the only time it’s been cheaper was during Black Friday.
The USB-C AirPods Pro are back down to $189, which is $10 more than the all-time low we saw last month but $10 less than their usual street price on Amazon and $60 less than buying from Apple direct. Best Buy has the pair for a dollar more. Engadget’s Billy Steele gave the second-gen AirPods Pro a score of 88 back in 2022 and they’re our top pick for iOS devices. Note that new AirPods are likely on the horizon, but new AirPods Pro reportedly aren’t coming until 2025.
The 55-inch Hisense U6K TV is down to an all-time low of $350 at Best Buy, which is roughly $50 below the average street price we’ve seen over the last few months. The U6K is a budget-level TV from 2023 that’s received almostuniversallyhighmarks from reviewers we trust. It’s one of the only TVs in its price range with quantum-dot color, a mini-LED backlight and full-array local dimming, so it should provide better contrast and color volume than most cheap sets. It’s still not ideal for gaming, as it lacks HDMI 2.1 features and is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. Its brightness levels won’t blow anyone away, either. But at this price, it looks to be a great value.
It’s worth noting that this TV’s successor, the U6N, recently went on sale and promises even better brightness and contrast. However, that one currently costs $600 for a 55-inch set. For now, the older model should remain the better value for most people. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Commerce Writer
Anker’s 15W MagGo Power Bank was one of the first Qi2-certified devices available and can bring an iPhone 15 from zero to 50 percent in just 45 minutes. It can charge an iPhone to 100 percent and another time to 70 percent before needing another charge. It also offers a small screen indicating how much battery the power bank has left for charging or until it’s recharged. The device comes with a kickstand for easy support while fueling up a phone.
Other notable Anker devices on sale include the 552 USB-C Hub and the Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank with a 100W Charging Base. The 552 USB-C Hub is down to $30 from $70 — a 57 percent discount. It offers 9-in-1 connectivity and file transfer at up to five gigabytes per second. Then there’s Anker’s Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank, which is 30 percent off, dropping to $164.50 from $235. It offers two USB-C ports and one USB port that deliver up to 250W of power. The device charges at 100W with the included base or at 140W with a USB-C cable.
The Amazon Big Spring Sale is here, and it’s brought a ton of deals on seasonal favorites. Amongst the clothing, shoes, home goods and outdoor gear on discount right now, there are a decent number of tech deals to be had as well. Amazon made it pretty clear in its announcement of the Big Spring Sale that tech wasn’t going to be the main focus this time around (unlike traditional Prime Day, when we usually see tons of great tech deals). But we at Engadget have been able to comb through the sea of discounts and find some good deals on things like AirPods, Roomba robot vacuums, Anker charging gear and more. Check out the best tech deals you can get in the Amazon Spring Sale below, and don’t miss some of the other best tech deals we found across the web at the end of the list.
Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
Our favorite pair of budget wireless earbuds has dropped to a new record-low price of $50. The Anker Soundcore Space A40 impressed us with their solid sound quality, comfortable fit and impressive active noise cancellation for the price. We think they’re a great value at their normal $80 price, so this sale makes them even more attractive. In addition, they have good battery life and support for multi-device connectivity and wireless charging. They may not have the best call quality, and they don’t support automatically wear detection, but otherwise you’re getting a nearly-full package for a great price.
The new Fire TV Stick 4K Max is back down to its record low of $40 for the Big Spring Sale. It’s a discount we’ve seen a few times before, but nevertheless, it matches the item’s all-time-low price. This is the most powerful streaming dongle Amazon has, with support for 4K content, Dolby Vision with HDR, Wi-Fi 6E and the “Fire TV Ambient Experience,” which puts art and photos on your TV screen when you’re not actively watching anything. Also discounted for the Big Spring Sale is the Fire TV Stick Lite, which you can pick up for only $20.
One of our favorite pairs of budget wireless earbuds, Amazon’s latest Echo Buds are on sale for only $35 ahead of the Spring Sale. These buds have an open design, which means they purposely let sound in so you can stay more aware of your surroundings. They support adjustable EQ and, unlike many other earbuds at this price, auto-pausing and multi-device pairing. And, as to be expected, they have Alexa built in so you can call upon the voice assistant when you need to while wearing them.
Amazon’s Big Spring Sale has brought the most recent Echo Dot down to $35, which is $12 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked but still $15 off the smart speaker’s usual going rate. It also matches the best price we’ve seen for the device in 2024. The Echo Dot is the “under $50” pick in our guide to the best smart speakers. It can still do just about all of the expected Alexa features, and it sounds decently balanced for something this compact. It can also serve as a node to extend an Eero mesh Wi-Fi system, if you own one of those. So long as you’re comfortable having a voice-activated speaker in your home in the first place, this is a good way to see if you’d find an Alexa device useful.
If you can pay a little bit extra, the full-size Amazon Echo is also on sale for $65. Again, that’s not an all-time low, but it’s $35 off Amazon’s list price. This model offers all the same functionality as the Echo Dot but sounds louder and fuller across the board, so it’s better for streaming music.
Apple’s AirPods Pro are once again available for $189, which is a near record low for the latest iteration with a USB-C charging case. Apple normally sells the noise-canceling earphones for $249, though we often see them go closer to $200 at third-party retailers. Either way, they remain our favorite wireless earbuds for iOS users, as they provide an array of perks when paired with an iPhone, from faster pairing to hands-free Siri. Useful ANC, a superb ambient sound mode and a pleasingly warm sound profile help beyond that. Their battery life and mic quality are just OK these days, but this pair should serve you well if you’re all-in on Apple. We gave the second-gen AirPods Pro a review score of 88 back in 2022.
The second-gen Apple Pencil is down to $79, which is one the best prices we’ve seen. It’s important to note that it’s rumored that we’ll see new Apple Pencils when new iPads come out sometime within the next month — but if you already have an iPad and have been looking to snag this accessory on discount, now’s your chance. This is the Pencil that works with most of the latest iPad models and it magnetically snaps to the sides of the tablets for safe keeping. It’s one of our favorite iPad accessories thanks to that, and its generally stellar, little-to-no latency performance.
A number of Anker charging accessories are discounted for Amazon’s Spring sale, including the recently released MagGo Power Bank 6.6K for $48. That’s $22 off Anker’s list price and a new low. This is a newer iteration of magnetic power banks we’ve previously recommended. It supports the Qi2 standard, so it can deliver a 15W wireless charge to compatible phones such as the iPhone 15. Many older wireless power banks along these lines can only provide a slower 7.5W charge. This model has a 6,600mAh capacity, so it should get close to fully refilling most handsets, and it supports pass-through charging, so it can refill a phone while being charged from its USB-C port. Its fold-out design lets it double as a charging stand, too, though it’s fairly bulky for something you might want to fit in a pocket.
If you’re willing to trade charging speed for something thinner, the variant of the Anker 622 Magnetic Battery with a PopSockets grip is also on sale for a low of $40. That one is slower to charge and has a lower capacity, but it can still provide a bit of extra juice when your phone is about to die, and the built-in grip makes it a little easier to hold.
As part of a larger portable speaker sale, Anker’s Soundcore Motion 300 has dropped to $64, which is a record low. It earned a spot on our favorites list thanks to its solid sound quality featuring crisp highs and generally punchy, bright audio. Its IPX7 design weighs only 1.7 pounds and the built-in loop makes it easy to attach to a bag to take with you on the go. It also works with Anker’s Soundcore app, which lets you customize EQ, button brightness and more.
Best Spring Sale deals on headphones, earbuds and speakers
Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget
Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones are back on sale for $328. This isn’t an all-time low, and it’s a deal we’ve seen numerous times over the past few months, but it’s still $70 off the noise-canceling cans’ list price. The XM5s are the top pick in our guide to the best wireless headphones thanks to their comfy fit, solid active noise cancellation (ANC), clear mic and handy bonus features. They’re bass-heavy by default, but you can adjust their sound profile with EQ tools in Sony’s companion app.
This XM5’s predecessor, the Sony WH-1000XM4, is also worth a note at $248. Again, that’s not an all-time low, but it’s about $50 below the pair’s average street price in recent months. This older model has many of the same benefits as its successor, plus its earcups can fold up, which makes the design a little easier to pack away. Its call quality is worse, however, and it’s not quite as light on the head. We gave the XM5 a review score of 95 in mid-2022, while the XM4 earned a 94 way back in 2020.
If you’re not tethered to Apple, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are another set of high-end earphones we recommend. Right now they’re down to $249 at Amazon, Bose.com and other storefronts. That’s a $50 discount. We’ve seen this price a few times before, but it still matches the best deal we’ve tracked. Bose says the offer will run until March 31.
We specifically highlight the QuietComfort Ultras in our buying guide for their noise-canceling prowess, as they do a superlative job of muting outside noise and allow you to lower the intensity of the ANC if it ever becomes uncomfortable. They’re another pair with a somewhat bass-heavy sound out of the box, but they don’t sound sloppy, and unlike the AirPods Pro you can customize their EQ through a companion app. That said, they don’t support wireless charging or multi-device pairing, and their six-to-seven-hour battery life isn’t anything special. The earpieces themselves are also fairly large, though we wouldn’t call them uncomfortable. We gave the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds a score of 88 in our review last year.
The Beats Studio Buds + are back on sale for $130 in various colors, which is roughly $20 off the true wireless earbuds’ average street price and $40 off Beats’ list price. The only time we’ve seen them go for less was a brief drop to $120 around Black Friday. This deal is also available at other retailers, including Target, Best Buy and B&H.
We gave the Studio Buds + a review score of 84 last year. As Beats is an Apple subsidiary, this pair provides many of the iOS-friendly perks you’d get from a set of AirPods, such as faster pairing, Find My tracking, hands-free Siri and Control Center integration. Unlike AirPods, they offer similar features on Android as well. A comfy fit, decent ANC and a mostly neutral sound profile also help. However, other AirPods features like audio sharing and automatic device switching (with Apple gear) aren’t supported, nor is wireless charging or wear detection. And the ANC and audio quality are a step down from the AirPods Pro. Still, if you dig the style and want to save some cash, the Studio Buds + are worth considering.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro are down to $139 from $200. The 30 percent discount doesn’t bring the earbuds to their all-time low, but this is the cheapest we’ve seen the Google Pixel Buds Pro so far this year. These are our choice for the best wireless earbuds for Android.
Engadget’s Billy Steele gave them an 87 in his review thanks to the addition of solid active noise cancellation, punchy bass and reliable touch controls. They also offer IPX4 water resistance so you can take them on a run without worry. The buds get up to 11 hours on a charge and 31 hours in total with the case. And when it’s time to recharge, wireless charging makes a refill a little easier. One catch is the call quality isn’t as great as it could be, but if you’re primarily using them for music and podcasts, you may not notice.
One of our favorite headphones for running is on sale for a near record-low price. Jabra’s Elite 8 Active earbuds have dropped to $160, which is only about $10 more than the best price we’ve seen. They’re rated IP68, which is one of the best protective ratings we’ve seen on workout earbuds. Jabra even put these buds through military-grade testing, so it’s fair to say they can take a beating. They also have great sound quality (that has spatial sound with Dolby Audio), good ANC and HearThrough transparency mode, multipoint connectivity and an easy to use mobile app. Also included in this sale are our budget top pick, the Jabra Elite 4 Active, for only $90.
Sonos has kicked off a new round of discounts on its soundbars and portable speakers. The deals include the Sonos Move 2 for $359, which is $70 off its usual going rate and the second-best price we’ve seen outside of a very brief drop to $349 last year. The Sonos Ray soundbar is $56 off and down to an all-time low of $223, while the higher-end Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is available for $399, a $100 discount. The Sonos Sub Mini subwoofer is also down to a low of $343, which is $86 less than usual, while the compact Sonos Roam SL is $32 off at $127. A few speaker bundles are also discounted. These offers are available at several retailers, including Amazon, B&H and Sonos.com. Sonos says they’ll run through March 25.
None of these devices come cheap, but they all deliver relatively clean sound, easy pairing with other Sonos hardware, AirPlay support and an app that (mostly) makes it simple to set up and stream music. The Move 2 is a hefty yet powerful battery-powered speaker for those who are more concerned with sound quality over portability. The Roam SL doesn’t sound as rich, but it’s much more travel-friendly and has a better water-resistance rating. (It lacks built-in mics, though.) The Ray is an entry-level 2.0-channel soundbar meant for smaller rooms and budget buyers. The Beam is a 5.0 model with a more expansive sound, an HDMI eARC port and voice assistant functionality. It also supports Dolby Atmos, though it can’t take advantage of that quite as much as larger models. The Sub Mini, meanwhile, is a handy way to beef up the bass response of an existing Sonos system. You can check out our reviews of the Move 2, Ray, second-gen Beam and Sub Mini for fuller breakdowns of each device.
Both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro have been discounted for the Spring Sale, down to $499 and $749, respectively. Both run on the Google Tensor G3 chip, and they have great battery lives and excellent cameras. We consider both of them to be the best Android phones available right now thanks in part to those features. Google also added a number of actually useful AI features like Best Take and Magic Eraser for photos, and more accurate voice typing and article summaries for the Google Assistant.
Our favorite midrange smartphone, the Google Pixel 7a is on sale for $374 right now, which is a record-low price. That almost puts it within our “budget” price range ($350) for Android phones, so while it’s still a splurge pick, it’s arguably the best Android phone you can get in that price range at the moment. It runs on Google’s Tensor G2 chipset, plus it has a lovely 90Hz touchscreen, long battery life and an excellent camera array that takes impressive photos in all kinds of light situations, and good selfies, too. While there are plenty of good budget Android phones available today, you won’t find one that offers a better value than the Pixel 7a when on sale like this.
Our favorite budget-friendly VR headset is down to a new low for the Amazon spring sale. You can grab the Meta Quest 2 for only $199, which is $50 off its usual price. Walmart has it for the same price, and it includes a $50 Meta Quest store gift card with purchase. There’s no better VR headset for those who don’t have a lot of spend, and the Quest 2 holds its own even among the newest models. It’s completely cordless and comfortable to wear for long sessions, it comes bundled with Meta’s solid motion controllers and there’s a huge library of titles that you can try out with it.
The Elgato Stream Deck Mk.2 in white is back down to $130. This is another deal we’ve seen pop up periodically in recent months, but it’s $20 off the device’s usual street price all the same. The Stream Deck is a macro keypad we recommend in our guide to the best game streaming gear. It has 15 programmable hotkeys that you can set to perform different commands, from launching an app to activating smart lights to triggering on-screen GIFs and sound effects. It’s really meant for content creators and power users first and foremost, but if you think you could benefit from having a bunch of shortcuts within arm’s reach, this is a decent time to pick one up.
Bundles that pair the PlayStation 5 with a digital copy of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 are still $50 off, bringing the standard model down to $449 and the digital-only version down to $400. These deals aren’t tied to Amazon’s Spring sale, but larger discounts on the PS5 have been uncommon, so this is still a good opportunity if you’ve been looking to take the plunge. The offers are available at several retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy and Sony’s PlayStation Direct store. Sony says they’ll last through March 31. My colleague Nathan Ingraham gave Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 a glowing review last year, calling it a “perfectly balanced game with gorgeous graphics, delightful combat and traversal systems, a compelling storyline and characters, plenty of challenge and a huge map to explore.”
The Google Nest Thermostat is on sale for $100 ahead of Amazon’s Spring sale, which is about $10 more than the best price we’ve seen over the past year but $30 below its typical going rate. We’ve highlighted this entry-level smart thermostat in past gift guides. Compared to the higher-end Nest Learning Thermostat, it has a cheaper plastic frame, doesn’t support remote temperature sensors and can’t learn your heating and cooling tendencies to make automatic adjustments throughout the day. That said, it’s a more affordable way to remotely control your home’s climate, and it still supports features like HVAC monitoring and voice assistant control. It’s also compatible with the Matter standard, unlike the pricier model, so it can work with third-party platforms like Apple Home.
TP-Link’s Deco XE75 mesh Wi-Fi system with three nodes is on sale for a record low of $310 in this spring sale. It tops our list of the best mesh WiFi routers you can get right now thanks to its simple setup, solid performance and overall great value for the money. There aren’t a lot of frills here, either with the nodes themselves or with TP-Link’s companion mobile app, but that makes for a straightforward experience that complements the system’s excellent performance nicely.
The is the runner up in our and thanks to the Amazon Big Spring Sale it’s now half price, making it just $300. That’s not quite an all-time low — it was $2 cheaper for much of February — but still a significant discount on one of our recommendations.
Engadget’s Valentina Palladino found this one to have powerful suction and an easy-to-use app. She also appreciated the upgraded obstacle detection that particularly avoids pet poop. The bot does take a couple runs before it can create a full map — and it doesn’t clean while it does that, so be prepared to wait a little after unboxing before your floors are truly on auto-pilot.
The Tineco Pure One S15 is the runner up pick in our cordless vacuum guide and right now it’s on sale for $349, but an addition clippable $25 coupon brings the final price down to $324.
This model is slightly less powerful than our top pick from Dyson but it handles dry messes well — including pet hair. It also automatically adjusts suction power depending on the amount of dirt it detects through the sensor. It’s app-connected, though that feature is admittedly not super necessary in a cordless vac. Still, it can help keep you apprised of your filter and battery levels.
As part of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, the Paperwhite Signature is getting a $30 discount — it’s first sale since Black Friday last year. The catch is that this deal is exclusively for Prime members. The Signature Edition is an upgrade over the standard Kindle: It has a larger, 6.8-inch screen, 32GB of storage, auto-adjusting warm front lights and wireless charging capabilities. It also comes standard without lockscreen ads, a great perk since you usually have to pay upwards of $20 to remove those on other Kindle models.
A number of Amazon’s Fire tablets are on sale right now, including the new Fire HD 10 for $95. That’s about $15 more than its record-low price, but it’s still a decent deal for this time of year. Updated in 2023, the Fire HD 10 has a 10-inch 1080p touchscreen, an octa-core processor, up to 13 hours of battery life and it charges via a USB-C port. We still think Fire tablets are best as secondary devices rather than daily drivers — that slab you keep next to the couch to check email or shop online on the fly, or by your bedside to read books and comics. And when they’re discounted like this, it’s much easier to justify getting a secondary device like that in the first place. A bunch of kid-friendly Fire tabs are on sale, too, most of which come with a childproof protective case, a two-year warranty and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+.
A variety of Amazon Blink devices are now discounted as part of the site’s Big Spring Sale. A three pack of the new Blink Outdoor 4 is down to $150 instead of $260. That’s a 42 percent discount and the lowest price we’ve seen this year (the set hit an all-time low of $135 for Black Friday).
If you just need one camera, take advantage of the sale on a single Blink Outdoor 4. It’s currently down to $65 from $100 — a 35 percent discount.
The Blink Outdoor 4 came out last August with a lot of upgrades including a larger field of vision, up to143 degrees and better low-light sensitivity and image quality. Blink claims the devices will go for two years before needing their AA batteries replaced.
The Kobo Libra 2 is $20 off right now and down to $170, which is the best price we’ve seen all year. You can get that discount at Amazon or from Kobo direct. The Libra 2 is one of our favorite ereaders thanks to its handy page-turn buttons and ergonomic design. The page will automatically switch orientation when you rotate the ereader, which makes it much easier to hold, and you can lock the orientation when you want it to stay put. The design feels premium, the 7-inch display is comfortable to look at for long periods of time and the convenient Overdrive integration makes it easy to borrow, download and read books from your local library.
The Google Pixel Tablet makes a good smart display and tablet hybrid. Right now the 11-inch slate-plus-dock is back down to $399 at multiple retailers for the 128GB model. In addition to Amazon you can save at Target and the Google Store. This matches the lowest price we’ve seen and works out to $100 below the variation’s usual going rate. If you need more storage, the 256GB version is $150 off and available for $449, also an all-time low.
Engadget’s Cherlynn Low gave the Pixel Tablet a score of 85 in her review last June, and we mention the device in our tablet buying guide, though it’s not one of our top picks. But if you’re looking for a tablet that can also be your smart home command center, this is a good pick for controlling smart home devices, showcasing photos, streaming music with the improved speakers, and even cast video from your phone.
Plugable TBT4-UDZ gets a mention in our guide to the best laptop docking stations and right now it’s 20 percent off and down to $239. It’s a rare discount for the brand and the lowest price we’ve tracked. We were a little disappointed that the dock only has one downstream USB-C port, but it has plenty of USB-A and display connections and worked well with the MacBook and Dell laptops in our test, but didn’t work with a Chromebook.
New subscribers can get 40 percent off a Max subscription when you pay for one year upfront. If you want to go all-in on the highest tier, which gives you ad-free viewing and 4K streaming, it’ll cost you $140 for the year (roughly $12 per month). The most affordable tier will set you back a total of $70 for the year, which works out to about $6 per month. Considering how often streaming prices have increased recently, a sale like this is a great time to invest in a year of access to shows like The Last of Us and movies from outlets like Studio Ghibli and A24.
Our top pick for the best cordless vacuum cleaner, the Dyson V15 Detect, is on sale for $600 right now directly at Dyson. We’ve seen this model drop to $550 in the past, but this remains a great sale on a cordless vacuum that’s typically priced at $750. The “Absolute” models are much the same as the standard models, but you can typically only get Absolute versions at Dyson.com. Also, this model has HEPA filtration, a built-in tool and an exclusive gold color. Otherwise, it’s the same as our top pick, which impressed us with its excellent suction power, lightweight design and good battery life. In general, we found Dyson stick vacuums to provide the strongest suction power of any brand we tried, and the V15 is noticeably stronger than older models like the V8. It comes with a number of attachments as well, including the Fluffy Optic cleaner head that illuminates your floors with a laser of light so you can see exactly where the most debris is as you clean.
As part of the Big Spring Sale, Amazon has a similar version, the V15 Detect Complete, for $690 as a Prime exclusive. The main difference here, aside from the lack of HEPA filtration, is that you get a standing dock with Amazon’s model, which will be handy if you aren’t keen on mounting your new cordless vacuum to a wall.
We’ll move beyond Amazon for our last few deals this week. First, a configuration of Apple’s 14.2-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro chip, 18GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD is down to $1,799 at B&H. That’s close to an all-time low and comes in $200 below Apple’s MSRP. We gave the latest MacBook Pro a review score of 90 last year. It’s more Mac than most people need, especially after the recent refresh of the MacBook Air. But for video editors, 3D designers and other professional types who need more power, a wider port selection and a brighter display, it should still fit the bill.
The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is back on sale for $80 at Amazon subsidiary Woot, a $20 discount that matches the lowest price we’ve seen. This is a tenkeyless mechanical keyboard we recommended in our retro gaming gift guide late last year. You’d mainly buy it for the aesthetic, as it looks like a companion piece for an old NES. Beyond that, it’s sturdily built, it works wirelessly and it comes with a pair of giant “Super Buttons” that you can customize to perform different macros. It’s comfortable for typing as well, though its clicky Kailh Box White V2 switches are fairly noisy. It also lacks any kind of backlighting. The stock switches are hot-swappable, however, so you can easily replace them if needed.
The latest Steam Spring Sale is underway, bringing an enormous range of PC game discounts along with it. There are simply too many deals for us to list everything, but some highlights include the acclaimed CRPG Baldur’s Gate 3for $54 (a small but rare discount), the frantic platformer Pizza Towerfor $13.39, the recently released Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for $56, the FPS compilation Halo: The Master Chief Collectionfor $10 and the VR adventure Half-Life: Alyx for $20.39. These big Steam sales are always a good time to grab some older classics for dirt cheap, too: The two Portalpuzzlers are available for $1.48, for instance, while the co-op shooter Left 4 Dead 2is just a buck. Valve says the sale will run until March 21.
Outside of Steam, the Epic Games Store has commenced its Spring Sale as well. The selection there isn’t as large, as usual, but it does include some well-reviewed exclusives like Alan Wake 2for $40 and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownfor $30. Before you go padding your backlog on either store, though, we’d recommend using a price tracking site like IsThereAnyDeal to ensure you’re getting a genuine discount.
However technologically impressive a foldable smartphone may be, they’re seriously expensive. A $500 discount can help if you’re ready to grab one. The Google Pixel Fold is one of our favorites, and it’s now down to $1,299 at the Goole Store. It beats the largest discount we’ve seen for the unlocked 256GB model, by $100. If you need more storage space, Google has the 512GB model for $1,419, another $500 discount and record low.
The Pixel Fold is the runner-up pick in our guide to the best foldable phones, and Engadget’s Sam Rutherford gave it a score of 85 in his review last June.
The discount is part of a larger sale Google is hosting on its storefront right now, perhaps in response to Amazon’s event.
The number of portable chargers on the market now is staggering, but they are some of the most useful tech accessories you can get. Small power banks with built-in connectors are easy to toss in a bag so you always have a backup. Bigger batteries with multiple ports and laptop-level capacity can power a mobile workstation far from wall outlets. And mid-capacity models can give a quick charge to phones, tablets, ereaders — even game controllers so you can keep playing without sitting too close to a screen. New battery packs come on the market all the time, so we continually test the most notable models to help you decide which one will work best for your needs. According to our tests, these are the best power banks you can get right now.
What to look for in a portable battery pack
Battery type
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 even increased in energy density by eight fold in the past 14 years. They also don’t suffer from a memory effect (where battery life deteriorates due to partial charges).
One drawback you may have heard is the possibility of lithium ion batteries catching fire. To limit the danger, battery packs require internal mechanisms to limit things like voltage and pressure. While you should still make sure a battery isn’t exposed to unnecessary stress like excessive heat, damage from drops or operating in freezing weather, battery packs are considered safe enough to bring on an airplane. According to the TSA, external batteries rated at 100Wh or less (which all of our recommendations are) can fly with you – just make sure you stash them in your carryon the next time you fly as they aren’t allowed in checked baggage.
Capacity
Power bank manufacturers almost always list a battery’s capacity in milliamp hours, or mAh. Smaller batteries, say those that can charge a smartphone to between 50 and 75 percent, tend to have a 5,000mAh capacity. Larger batteries that can recharge laptops and tablets, or give phones multiple charges, can exceed 25,000mAh. Unsurprisingly, the prices on most batteries goes up as 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.
Ports
Since Apple finally ditched the Lightning cable and adopted USB-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.
When a battery pack has more than one charging port, they usually serve different functions. 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 device. While USB-A output ports can power up smartphones 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 liked Anker’s 100W USB-C cable. For smaller devices, we used this 60W cable from Nimble and 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.
Design
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.
How we test portable battery packs
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
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. Here’s the full list of power banks we’ve tested, which range from small wireless banks to large, multi-device batteries.
MagSafe-compatible
Low capacity (≤10,000mAh)
Mid capacity (10,001 – 20,000mAh)
High capacity (20,001mAh+)
We’re continuously updating this guide as companies release new products and we test them. We remove some products as we find better top picks, and we add updated specs and prices where necessary. For testing, we used each battery with some combination of an iPhone 15, an iPhone 14 Plus, an iPhone 11, a Samsung Galaxy S22 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 device while they charged other than to power them on and enter the unlock code.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
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 this 60W-rated USB-C to USB-C cable.
For reference, here are the battery capacities of each device we used for testing:
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. Here’s what made the cut for best portable power bank:
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Capacity: 10,000mAh, 15W | Ports: One USB-C in/out | Cable: USB-C to USB-C| Number of charges iPhone 15: 1.64 | Charge time iPhone: 4 to 100% in 2h 26m and 0 to 70% in 1h 8m
Anker’s MagGo Power Bank was one of the first Qi2-certified products to come on the market, and the new standard has made the brand’s popular MagSafe/kickstand model much faster. 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 small 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 mode kicks 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 single USB-C port for recharging, so if you need to fill up something without wireless capabilities, you can.
Capacity: 5,000 mAh, 22.5W max | Ports: One USB-C and one USB-C connector | Cable: USB-C to USB-C | Number of charges Galaxy S23 Ultra: 0.65 | Charge time: 0 to 65% in 1h 2m
The Anker Nano power bank is impressive for how much charge it delivers in such a small package. It’s the exact size and shape of the lipstick case my 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’s 30W Nano Power Bank is a good option. It’s bigger in size and capacity (10,000mAh) and includes a display indicating the remaining charge percentage. The attached 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.
Capacity: 10,000mAh, 18W max | Ports: One in/out USB-C, two USB-A out only | Cable: USB-C to USB-A | Number of charges iPhone 14 Plus: 1.36 | Charge time iPhone: 0 to 100% in 1h 50m, 0 to 50% in 36m | Number of charges Galaxy S22 Ultra: 1.33 | Charge time Galaxy: 0 to 100% in 1h 33m, 0 to 50% in 45m
BioLite is probably better known in the outdoor community than the tech world, and it’s fair to say that the Charge 40 PD is geared more towards camping trips than urban commutes. But this battery simply outperformed the others in its category. The rugged, yellow-accented exterior is a refreshing change from the standard shiny black of many tech accessories. It also has a rubberized finish and feels solid enough to handle the bumps and jolts of riding around in a purse or messenger bag all day. It gave both the iPhone and the Galaxy one and a half charges, which means it’s plenty capable of reviving a dead phone a couple of times when you’re out and about.
The Nimble Champ gets an honorary mention here because it’ll also deliver a few reliable fill-ups and comes in a rugged package. It delivered a full charge to the iPhone in two hours plus 22 percent more in 16 minutes. It gave the Galaxy a full charge in an hour and 37 minutes, then got the phone from dead to 41 percent in 50 minutes. At the same $60 price point as the BioLite, Nimble gets extra points for being one of the few B-Corp-certified personal tech manufacturers out there, meaning they’ve committed themselves to higher environmental and social standards, and took the time to prove it through B Lab’s certification process.
Capacity: 15,000mAh, 18W max | Ports: One in/out USB-C, one in/out USB-A | Cable: USB-C to USB-A | Number of charges iPhone 14 Plus: 2.33 | Charge time iPhone: 0 to 100% in 2h 2m average, and 0% to 33% in 27m | Number of charges Galaxy S22 Ultra: 2.33 | Charge time Galaxy: 0 to 100% in 1h 35m and 0 to 37% in 33m | Number of charges iPad Air: 1.31 | Charge time iPad: 0 to 100% in 2h 23m and 0% to 31% in 38m
At the medium-capacity level, you can charge multiple devices at once or power up something larger than a phone. The Otterbox Fast Charge power bank only lists 15,000mAh of capacity, but it performed nearly as well as the 20,000mAh batteries while costing about $30 less. Over the month and a half I spent testing battery packs, this was the unit I grabbed the most when my own devices dropped to empty. It has a stylish exterior with a gray faux leather finish and copper detailing. A little bigger than a deck of cards and weighing just over 11 ounces, it’s a nice looking accessory that feels solid.
It filled up both smartphones twice, then replenished each an additional third. I introduced the iPad to the mix here and got a full charge plus an extra third. The Otterbox also lost very little battery power while sitting dormant, which means if you carry it around on the off chance that you’ll need it, it should have plenty of power when the time comes.
Capacity: 20,000mAh, 65W | Ports: Two USB-C in/out | Cable: USB-C to USB-C | Number of charges iPhone 11: 2.95 | Charge time iPhone: 5 to 100% in 1h 39m average | Number of charges Galaxy S22 Ultra: 2.99 | Charge time Galaxy: 5 to 100% in 59m average | Number of charges iPad Air: 1.83 | Charge time iPad: 5 to 100% in 1h 55m and 83% in 1h 21m
Nimble’s Champ Pro battery delivers 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: 25,600mAh, 60W max | Ports: One in/out USB-C, two out only USB-A | Cable: USB-C to USB-C, includes 65W wall adapter | Number of charges iPhone 14 Plus: 3.67 | Charge time iPhone: 0 to 100% in 1h 38m average and 0 to 67% in 40m | Number of charges Galaxy S22 Ultra: 3.93 | Charge time Galaxy: 0 to 100% in 57m average 0 to 93% in 59m | Number of charges iPad Air: 2.14 | Charge time iPad: 0 to 100% in 2h 7m average and 0 to 14% in 13m
If you want something with a lot of charge that transfers quickly, go for the Anker PowerCore III Elite 26K. It was for the most part the fastest bank we tried, capable of delivering the largest amount of charge in the shortest period of time for the iPad and Galaxy. The 737 fully charged our S22 Ultra three times, with enough power left over for another 93 percent charge – and those full charges completed in under an hour on average. That’s on par with wall charging. The numbers for the iPhone were slightly less staggering, but still impressive, going from zero to full in about an hour and a half. The iPad charged completely twice, and did so in just over two hours, which is also close to that device’s wall-connected charge speeds.
While it’s great for multiple full charges on a given smartphone, I should point out that the 737 has three ports, but only one of those provides USB-C charging. If you want to charge more than one device at a time, you’ll have to use the lower-efficiency USB-A ports for a couple of them. That said, this bank not only costs less than the other high capacity batteries we tried, it also includes a 65W PowerPort fast charger, which goes for $34 on its own.
The design is nothing groundbreaking, with a glossy black exterior and a metallic-looking finish on one side. It weighs a little over a pound and has the same general form as an old school TI-85 graphing calculator. Its single button has eight lighted pips to show you how much charge it has left.
Pros
Fastest recharge speeds in our tests
Enough capacity for multiple phone or tablet refills
Capacity: 27,000mAh, 140W max | Ports: One USB-C in/out, one USB-C out, USB-A, 100W AC | Cable: USB-C to USB-C | Number of charges iPhone 11: 3.75 | Charge time iPhone: 0 to 100% in 1h 40m average and 75% in 46m | Number of charges iPad Air: 2.15 | Charge time iPad: 0 to 100% in 1h 56m and 15% in 19m | Number of charges 16” MacBook Pro: 0.65 | Charge time MBP: 10% to 75% in 1h 29m
The TSA’s 100-watt-hour battery limit translates to around 27,000mAh for lithium ion batteries. Mophie’s Powerstation Pro AC is 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 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 our previous pick for 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.
The Zendure Supertank Pro is also a great pick. It’s slightly smaller at 26800mAh but has a lighted LED display that indicates exactly how much charge remains and how much you’re using. It has four variable-wattage USB-C ports, a tough exterior and comes with a semi-hard case.
Capacity: 20,000mAh, 200W max | Ports: Two USB-C in/out, one USB-A, charging pins | Cable: USB-C to USB-C | Number of charges iPhone 11: 3.75 | Charge time iPhone: 0 to 100% in 1h 48m average and 75% in 47m | Number of charges iPad Air: 1.54 | Charge time iPad: 0 to 100% in 2h 11m and 54% in 47m
Not only does Anker’s new 20,000mAh Prime power bank look pretty slick, it’s also easier to recharge — as long as you pony up for the companion base. Magnets help align the pins so you can just plonk the battery down and move on with your life. The set will run you $200, which is pretty spendy for a battery bank, but if you consider that the base offers extra ports (one USB-A and two USB-C), you can also use it as a power hub for other devices, which takes some of the sting out of the price.
The battery itself has the same three ports as the base and a blocky, upright design. The case is a textured metallic plastic with a high-polish, built-in screen and rounded corners. It tells you how many watts are flowing out to each device and displays the overall remaining charge within the battery. When you press the power button, it takes a moment to wake. But the extra processes that run the screen don’t seem to slow the battery down or diminish the power it has to give. Its charge times and capacity was on par with the other 20K batteries I’ve tested.
I’ve been pretty careful with my review unit, but I’d be worried that the sleek and shiny finish will get wrecked with regular use. It does come with a faux-suede pouch to carry it in, but I doubt anyone will use that regularly — after all, the whole appeal of the Prime’s base and battery set is the low-hassle efficiency.
Capacity: 15,000mAh, 32W max | Ports: One USB-C in/out, one USB-C in, one USB-A | Cable: USB-A to USB-C | Number of charges iPhone 11: 2.99 | Charge time iPhone 11: 0 to 100% 2h average and 0 to 99% in 1h 45m | Number of charges iPad Air: 1.17 | Charge time iPad: 0 to 100% 2h 23m and 0 to 17% 15m
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. The Nestout Portable Charger battery 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 is short, 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 dimmable LED worklight snaps on to the top of the battery while a small tripod holds them both up. The portable solar panel reminded me of a baby version of Biolite’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 expect better performance in more reasonable weather.
The Blade 2 from Baseus has 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 MagGo (6.6K)
Anker’s 6.5k MagGo is 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.
Better weather is on the horizon and that means more time outside using your phone to capture all the beautiful blooms — but you don’t to run out of battery mid-snapshot. Thankfully, Amazon’s Big Spring Sale has proven to be a boon for Anker deals. A range of the company’s products are currently on sale, including the Anker Prime Power Bank, down to $125 from $180. The 31 percent price cut makes one of our best power banks for 2024 much more accessible.
Anker
Anker’s Prime Power Bank is a great choice if you’re sick of guessing how much juice your power bank has left. This premium portable charger digitally displays its battery percentage. The device can charge your iPhone to 75 percent in 47 minutes and to 100 percent in an hour and 48 minutes. An iPad clocks in at 54 percent after 47 minutes and 100 percent after two hours and 11 minutes. The charger has a sleek look for a high price point but the screen seems easily scratched.
Notably, the Prime Power Bank’s sale doesn’t include the charging base (that will cost you $235 for both), but it’s not necessary. You can fully recharge the power bank in 37 minutes with a USB-C cord at 140W — faster than the base’s 100W charging capabilities.
Anker 622 Magnetic Battery (MagGo with PopSockets Grip)
Other notable power banks included in Amazon’s sale are Anker’s 622 Magnetic Battery and 737 Power Bank. The 622 touts the largest discount of the group with a 43 percent cut bringing it’s price to $40 from $70. It snaps right onto the back of an iPhone and provides up to 17 hours of battery life. The device, which is available in blue, also comes with a PopSockets attachment.
The Anker 737 Power Bank is a bit more expensive, with a 38 percent discount dropping its price to $80 from $130. However, it offers three charging ports (two USB and one USB-C) and works with laptops, iPhones and Androids. USB connections have 18W of power while the USB-C provides 60W.
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