Document: WM-021                                                 P. Webb
Category: Review                                              2017.11.26

             Antank battery case for Nintendo Switch review

Abstract

   Behold, my first media review!

Body


   *The 6500mAh portable battery case specially design[ed] for
   Nintendo Switch…will double the playing time wherever you are.*



   That’s what it says on the box anyway. Does it live up to it’s lofty
   goal? Read on to find out!

   1. Aesthetic

      
      
      
      
      
      
      

      The outside of the case has a matte finish that feels quite
      good. The back has two release mechanisms that expand the case
      vertically to allow insertion of your Switch. Below both
      mechanisms are kickstands with three levels of recline. I only
      used them while testing as I prefer to use handheld mode on the
      go. There certainly isn’t any space for kickstand mode on the
      MBTA! Near the bottom of the case are holes for the Switch’s heat
      vents and a power button followed by four thunderbolts to signify
      how much charge is available. They alight blue when charging. The
      top of the case hides a compartment for storing two Switch games
      horizontally. The side of the case features USB-C charging. YUS!

   2. Portability

      
      
      
      
      
      
      

      The case by itself doesn’t weigh much but when you insert the
      Switch, you can definitely notice the difference (if you play in
      handheld mode often). I was able to squeeze my Switch and case
      inside a fanny pack but it was a tight fit. Don’t expect this to
      work with your nifty Super Mario Odyssey slipcase, that ain’t
      happening. Of course, you could always store the battery case
      itself in the drawstring bag that comes with it.

   3. Real-world Usage

      I didn’t measure the charge time for the case itself but it’s
      roughly an hour and a half to two hours. I used my MacBook Pro
      power brick to charge so I’m not sure if that made a difference
      versus the default power brick it comes with. During my playtest
      with Super Mario Odyssey, I noticed the case didn’t recharge my
      Switch…it basically kept it from dying and was effectively a
      portable wall-charger. I assume graphically-intensive games
      prevent charging AND battery replenishment so that was a little
      discouraging. I got at least a half-hour of extended playtime
      thanks to this charger though and that’s what counts.

   Should you buy this?

      If you play your Switch a LOT while nowhere near a USB-C charger,
      absolutely. I can see this being a great addition to any
      traveler as well. I wish I had this with me in Japan for the
      bullet train rides, I was using the available socket to me for
      charging my computer. Also, China Southern Airlines did not have
      appropriate sockets for me to charge my computer. Instead of
      sleeping to pass the time, I could’ve been playing Mr Shifty
      or Zelda.

      Even for occasional travel, having a Switch charger that envelopes
      the system is a great idea. I have an Anker USB-C charger and it’s a
      brick. Sure, I can charge my Switch with it but it’s unwieldy and
      it sucks dealing with cables. I’m loving the one port life with
      as little cables as possible and Antank made that a little bit
      bearable. You can buy the Antank charger on Amazon[1] for $47.

      If you have an existing USB-C charger and don’t care about having
      a case that fits your Switch, there is absolutely no need to get
      this. It’s more of a convenience thing, not a necessity. 🕸

   P.S.

      - I was approached by a representative for Antank to purchase and
        review their charger. I was refunded after purchasing.
      - It occurs to me that I never tested how much the case would
        recharge my Switch while it was turned off. I’ll get on that
        and update this post.