Anker unveils 400Wh battery-based power supply

Now that power banks have become common items for the mobile consumer, Anker is looking to keep people powered on the go for weeks at a time. The company's new PowerHouse is a cinder block-sized battery with a capacity of 400Wh at 12V. Anker said this is enough power to recharge a laptop 15 times or a smartphone 40 times. But with the wide range of devices the product can power, mileage will definitely vary.

The PowerHouse uses a Li-ion battery, making it more compact than the lead-acid power supplies on the market. It also contains a variety of charging ports, including four USB ports, a 12V car socket and a type B AC slot, which is common in North America. The PowerHouse can plug in compatible solar panels so that it can recharge using renewable energy. The retail price is $499.99, but Anker is allowing people to save $100 by pre-ordering with the code ANKPower on Amazon.

Renewable energy is a hot topic right now and many companies have put out battery-powered generators and backup power supplies. Tesla even released its Powerwall as a solar power supply for the home in 2015 in a highly publicized announcement. Other products with the same features have been available for a while in the form of uninterruptible power supplies. These have been transformed into the slightly more portable product put out by Anker.

China suppliers displayed similar devices at the April 2016 Mobile Electronics Show. Nexiom rolled out its own power generators and one from EnerPlex, which it manufactured as an OEM. The EnerPlex Generatr 1200 has a capacity of 1,200Wh and sells for $1,399.99. That is more than triple the price of the PowerHouse for three times the capacity, but some people may feel they need that extra power.

Other companies such as Dongguan Large Electronics advertise the combined functions of a UPS and a portable power supply. It is a smart move that shows these devices can have a function in the home and are not just for camping.

See a comparison table of online UPS suppliers on GlobalSources.com