Digital Camera World Verdict
The primary appeal of the Anker wireless charging stand lies in its exceptional affordability; it stands as one of the most budget-friendly options available for charging your phone wirelessly. While it may not offer the fastest wireless charging speeds or the highest build quality, opting for greater speed or a more appealing design would significantly raise the price. Nevertheless, this wireless charger performs quite well as long as you manage your expectations accordingly. It had no trouble charging my phone overnight, ensuring I started my day with a fully charged battery. If you're seeking an entry-level wireless charging solution or wish to add a few additional chargers to your home or office setup, Anker's wireless charger is a dependable choice.
Pros
- +
Simple to use
- +
Works with wide range of phones
- +
Compact charger with inoffensive looks
- +
Fantastic value
Cons
- -
Micro-USB connection for mains power
- -
Faster wireless chargers are available
- -
Missed opportunity for second charging pad on base
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Some might argue that wireless charging is the future of all our devices. The first wireless charging pads were frustratingly difficult to line up with your device and also got unreasonably warm, but as the first kinks have been ironed out, wireless chargers have improved significantly. Now wireless chargers have become ubiquitous to have beside your bed or atop your desk.
The Anker wireless charging stand is one of the most cost-effective ways to get introduced to wireless charging, the stand is made for a single phone, propping it up so you can keep an eye on your notifications while also providing a steady stream of charging power through the rear of your device. However, with the rapid development of wireless charging and the introduction of Apple’s MagSafe charging, how does this slightly more legacy Anker charger hold up?
Anker Wireless Stand: Specifications
| Maximum output | 10W (Samsung), 5W iPhone |
| Maximum number of device | 1 |
| D/C power | Micro-USB |
| Case compatible | Yes |
| Weight | 110.6 g / 3.9 oz |
| Size | 8 x 6.8 x 11.4 cm / 4.49 x 4.37 x 2.68 in |
Anker Wireless Stand: Key Features
The Anker wireless stand comes with Anker’s PowerWave technology which can automatically detect your device and switch the charging output between 10W and 5W charging depending if you have a Samsung (10W) phone, or an Apple iPhone (5W), so you can be rest assured that your phone will receive the right amount of power.
Using twin charging coils, the Anker stand is also possible to use with your phone in both vertical and horizontal positions, which means that you can watch videos horizontally while also charging. Or you can charge your phone in the vertical position to make it easier to respond to messages and use facial recognition.
Anker Wireless Stand: Build & Handling
There is no getting around the fact that the build quality of the Anker wireless charging stand reflects its very affordable price, the body of the stand is made out of cheap-feeling plastic, and the seam around the edge of the device, doesn’t really seem to blend. The plastic construction also makes the stand very light, which usually would sound great, but placing my heavy Google Pixel 7 Pro in a case on the stand with a bit too much enthusiasm, it comes very close to toppling backward.
There is also a missed opportunity to put a secondary wireless charging pad on the base of the stand that could be used for a small device like a pair of headphones. I think this is mostly just down to the age of the charger and how much wireless charging tech has improved in the years since this device was first released.
The stand has a small blue LED on the front, and while I appreciate that this is a great feature for knowing when the phone is actually lined up and receiving power, it is very irritating at night in a dark room when you are trying to sleep. It would have been great if the stand could have had a switch to turn off this light, or if it went off automatically after a few seconds.
Anker Wireless Stand: Performance
The performance of the stand is adequate. This is not the fastest wireless charger you can get, although more powerful chargers also cost quite a bit more, so this stand is actually an acceptable trade-off between cost and performance.
Leaving my Pixel 7 Pro on the stand overnight ensured it was full the next morning which I think is the best use of the Anker stand. Trying to charge my phone in short bursts was very slow and didn’t make much of an impact on my battery life throughout the day. On days when I was mainly at my desk though, it was useful to just keep my phone on the stand, which did manage to add a positive level of power over the amount I used my phone throughout the day. Although depending on your usage this might not be your experience.
Anker Wireless Stand: Final Verdict
The Anker wireless charging stand's main selling point is just how good value it is, this is one of the cheapest stands out there for charging your phone. It is not the fastest way to wirelessly charge your phone, neither is it of the highest quality, however, to get faster speeds or a more attractive design the cost will increase considerably. The wireless charging performs admirably though so long as you set your expectations appropriately. The stand was perfectly capable of charging my phone overnight so I was ready to leave the house in the morning with a full battery. If you are looking for an entry device into wireless charging or to put a few extra devices around your home or office then this wireless charger from Anker is a solid choice.
Read More: check out our top picks for the best iPhone charger, or for something a little more powerful, take a look at our guide for the best GaN charger.
