The Fast Charging USB-C Scandal: Anker 313 vs INIU Power Bank Review

The Fast Charging USB-C Scandal: Anker 313 vs INIU Power Bank Review

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⚠️ WARNING FOR iPHONE 15 / 16 & PIXEL USERS:

If you buy the Anker 313, you CANNOT charge your phone using the USB-C cable that came in your phone’s box. The USB-C port on the Anker is INPUT ONLY. You will need to buy a separate, old-school USB-A cable.

The INIU works with your new cable out of the box.

Now lets get into the Anker 313 vs INIU Power Bank Review… 🚀


In this comparison, we expose a legacy trap hiding in the Amazon best-sellers list. We are told that Anker is the “King of Charging.” We assume that if we buy a sleek, black Anker power bank in 2025, it will fast-charge our modern phones via USB-C.

This is a phantom claim.

I have tested these two similarly priced power banks with an iPhone 15 and a stopwatch. The results reveal a technical scandal: the brand-name favourite is selling you 2016 speeds in a 2025 chassis, while the budget underdog offers the modern standard for less money.

Here is the hyper-insight you won’t find on the box.


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Marketing sells you “Slimness.” Reality sells you “Speed.”

FeatureAnker 313 PowerCore Slim 10K (The Phantom)INIU BI-B61 10000mAh
(The Truth)
The Real Truth
Price~£19.99~£18.99Anker costs more for less.
Output Speed12W (Legacy Slow)22.5W (PD Fast)🏆 INIU is ~3x faster.
USB-C PortInput Only (Can’t charge phone)In & Out (Modern)🏆 Anker fails the USB-C test.
Charge Time (iPhone)~3 Hours~1 Hour🏆 INIU saves you 2 hours.
Warranty18 Months3 YearsINIU backs their quality longer.
Table 1: Comparison of Anker 313 vs INIU Power Bank specs, highlighting the massive gap in charging speed and port functionality.

Marketing Claim: “High-Speed Charging Technology.”

Words like “High-Speed” are unregulated marketing fluff. I plugged a dead iPhone 15 (0%) into both banks for exactly 30 minutes.

  • The Anker: The phone woke up slowly. After 30 minutes, it sat at 18%. This is “trickle charging” by modern standards. You are tethered to the brick for hours.
  • The INIU: The “PD” (Power Delivery) icon triggered immediately. After 30 minutes, the phone hit 58%. This is a functional emergency top-up.

🏆 Winner: INIU Power Bank. (18% vs 58% is no contest; like Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul.)


This is the feature that catches everyone out.

  • The Anker Trap: The Anker 313 has a USB-C port. But if you plug your USB-C to USB-C cable into it to charge your phone, nothing happens. It is an Input-Only port, designed solely to recharge the power bank itself. You must use the old rectangular USB-A port to get power out.
  • The INIU Standard: The INIU’s USB-C port is bidirectional. It charges the bank, and it fast-charges your phone. It works exactly how you expect a modern port to work.

The hyper-insight: Anker is selling old internal circuit boards wrapped in shiny new plastic.


Marketing Claim: “Universal Compatibility.”

  • The Anker: Requires you to carry a USB-A to C cable. If you only have the cable that came with your new iPhone or Pixel (C-to-C), this power bank is a paperweight.
  • The INIU: Works with the cable you already own. Plus, it essentially “future-proofs” your bag of tech.

🏆 Winner: INIU Power Bank BI-B61.



  • The Anker: Uses 4 blue LEDs to show battery level. 1 dot could mean 1% or 25%. You never really know if it’s about to die.
  • The INIU: Has a hidden digital screen (inside a cute paw print logo, or simple circle depending on model revision) that shows the exact percentage. You leave the house knowing you have exactly 42% left. It also has a built-in slide-out phone holder.

🏆 Winner: INIU Power Bank BI-B61. (Precision beats guesswork.)


This is where Anker fights back. Is the cheap INIU just junk plastic?

  • The Anker Feel: I have to give this to Anker. The 313 features a rugged “mesh” texture top that resists scratches and feels incredibly dense and premium. It feels like a tank that could survive a drop down the stairs.
  • The INIU Feel: The INIU Power Bank uses a soft-touch matte rubber finish. It feels nice (like a velvety pebble), but it attracts fingerprints and grease marks instantly. It feels slightly more “hollow” than the dense Anker.
  • The Reliability Verdict: While Anker feels tougher, INIU puts their money where their mouth is. INIU offers a 3-Year Warranty, double the industry standard. Anker typically offers 18 months.

🏆 Winner: Draw. (Anker feels better; INIU lasts longer on paper.)


CategoryAnker 313 PowerCore SlimINIU Power Bank BI-B61The Verdict
Build Quality█ █ █ █ █ (5/5)█ █ █ █ ░ (4/5)Anker wins on premium materials & scratch resistance.
Speed█ █ ░ ░ ░ (2/5)█ █ █ █ █ (5/5)Anker is stuck in 2016 (12W).
Usability█ █ ░ ░ ░ (2/5)█ █ █ █ █ (5/5)Anker’s “Input Only” USB-C is a dealbreaker.
Value█ █ █ ░ ░ (3/5)█ █ █ █ █ (5/5)INIU gives more tech for less money.
OVERALL2.8 / 55 / 5The Modern Choice.
Table 2: Final TRUK Scorecard rating Anker vs INIU Power Bank on speed, usability and value.


Q: Is INIU a safe brand?

A: Yes. While less famous than Anker, INIU offers a 3-year warranty (industry leading) and has millions of positive verified reviews. They are the established “King of Budget” power.

Q: Will the Anker charge my iPad?

A: Extremely slowly. At 12W, if you are using the iPad while charging, the battery percentage might not even go up. The INIU’s 22.5W output can actually charge a tablet while in use.

Q: Can I take these on a plane?

A: Yes. Both are 10,000mAh (37Wh), which is well below the 100Wh limit for carry-on luggage. You can fly with both.

Q: Does the INIU Power Bank come with a cable?

A: Yes, usually a USB-A to USB-C cable is in the box. But the magic is that you can use your phone’s own USB-C cable with the INIU, which you can’t do with the Anker.

Q: Can I charge my laptop with the INIU power bank?

A: No. The INIU BI-B61 Power-Bank outputs 22.5W. Most laptops (like MacBook Air or Dell XPS) require a minimum of 30W-45W to charge effectively while running. This power bank is strictly for phones, tablets and accessories.


© 2025 TechReviewsUK


INIU BI-B61 Power Bank

The INIU BI-B61 is the best budget power bank of 2026. Featuring 22.5W PD fast charging, a bidirectional USB-C port, and a digital LED display, it charges phones 3x faster than the Anker 313. It comes with a 3-year warranty and supports modern USB-C to USB-C cables out of the box.

Product Brand: INUI

Product Currency: GBP

Product In Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
5
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