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Anker PowerPort Wireless 5 Pad and Stand Review

In this review will be testing Anker's two cheap wireless chargers, and whether they work with the iPhone X.

Anker has added two new wireless chargers to their PowerPort range, both of which are well made with good workmanship. The PowerPort Pad is shaped like a puck while the PowerPort Stand holds your phone at a slight angle. Both chargers have rubberised undersides to ensure that they stay put, and a micro-USB port which connects to a power outlet to charge your phone. The outlet needs to provide up to 2 Amps, whether that be from a computer or a USB charger, like the Anker PowerPort 5 PD.

The PowerPort Stand can charge phones positioned horizontally or vertically, making it easy to watch content while simultaneously charging. Your phone needs to be positioned centrally on the PowerPort Pad for it to charge, with Anker including an LED that turns blue to let you know when your device is charging. This LED is included on the PowerPort Stand too.

Performance

Anker advertises the PowerPort Pad and Stand as being capable of 'High-Speed Wireless Charging' that will reduce charge times by 10 % compared with other wireless chargers. By contrast to the 3.9 hours that Anker claims other wireless chargers take to fully charge a typical smartphone, the PowerPort Pad and Stand will take only 3.5 hours. In practice, this means that they will typically charge devices at 5 W, if there is a 5 V and 2 A input. We consider this 'High-Speed Wireless Charging' moniker to be somewhat misleading though given that iOS 11.2 allows wireless charging at up to 7.5 W, 50 % more than Anker chargers do.

In our tests we measured the chargers drawing a maximum of 4.99 V and 1.32 A, or 6.6 W, when charging an iPhone X. This power draw reduced to as low as 3 W depending on the extent to which your phone is charged. As a result, the PowerPort Pad and Stand take far longer to charge a phone from 0-100% than if it were charged using a wired connection.

The PowerPort Pad and Stand should be ok to leave plugged in, with a standby draw of only 0.2 - 0.25 W, or 0.04 - 0.05 A.

We measured the PowerPort Stand drawing a maximum of 6.6 W.
We measured the PowerPort Stand drawing a maximum of 6.6 W.
The PowerPort Pad drew slightly less at a maximum of 5.6 W.
The PowerPort Pad drew slightly less at a maximum of 5.6 W.
In standby each charger drew around 0.2 W when idling.
In standby each charger drew around 0.2 W when idling.

Verdict

The Anker PowerPort Wireless 5 Pad and Stand both worked with our test device, the iPhone X. The wireless chargers charged our test device whether they were plugged into a USB charger or the USB port of the DockCase attached to our MacBook Pro 15. We found the PowerPort Stand easier to use than the Pad, as the Pad was finnicky about our iPhone X's placement before it would start charging. Anker attempts to overcome this by adding an LED to tell you when your phone is charging, but we still found it easier to just put our phone onto the PowerPort Stand and know that it would charge without issue. Charging speeds are slightly faster than conventional wireless chargers, but this reduction in charging time is negligible given total typical charging times. For between €20 - €22, the Anker PowerPort Wireless 5 Pad and Stand are inexpensive ways to wirelessly charge your phone.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Anker PowerPort Wireless 5 Pad and Stand Review
Klaus Hinum, 2018-03- 5 (Update: 2018-03- 5)