Anker PowerWave Stand review: A good stay-at-home option

Sometimes it’s just better. While it may be easy to decide which option is best performing or attractive, there are times when the minimalist approach is best. This is how you should look at the Anker PowerWave Stand wireless charger. It lacks the extras of competing stands like the Samsung Wireless Charging Stand and the Native Union Dock Charger, but it retains the essence of wireless charging.

About this Anker PowerWave stand test: We tested the Anker PowerWave stand tester over a period of several days with a Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus and an Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max. Android Authority bought the charging stand for the purpose of this review.

Anker PowerWave Stand Review: What is it?

The Anker PowerWave Stand is a basic charging stand. Anker makes a whole family of PowerWave brand wireless chargers, each with slightly different specifications and features. The PowerWave Stand is made of plastic and has a flat, square plate on the bottom and an angled charging platform. A small ledge holds your phone and contains an indicator light that lets you know when your phone is charging. The PowerWave Stand cannot be folded up or altered in any other way.

I love that there is a rubber coating on the bottom of the stand that prevents it from sliding around on your desk or table. It’s sturdy enough to easily accommodate phones the size of the Note 10 Plus or the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

See also: The best wireless chargers

The PowerWave stand has two coils so you can charge your phone vertically or horizontally. This is a great way to charge your phone whether you’re video chatting with a friend or watching a YouTube video. There were no alignment problems with either phone. I like the angle of the charger. It lies between the sloping angle of the Samsung Wireless Charging Stand and the very upright angle of the Native Union Dock Charger.

In my opinion, the biggest disadvantage is the micro-USB port for charging. Almost all Android phones these days come with USB-C charging ports and cables. The box for the PowerWave stand contains the charger and a 1 m long USB-A to Micro-USB cable. There is no loading stone. Anker recommends and actually recommends using a 10W charging brick if possible against Use the 5W charger that comes with most iPhones.

How does it work?

The Anker PowerWave Stand is based on Qi. Most Samsung phones charge up to 10W and supported iPhones charge up to 5W. Anker hasn’t stated why the PowerWave can’t support the iPhone’s 7.5W charge rate. Everything that is not a Samsung device is charged with 5 W.

The PowerWave charged my Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus quickly. The majority of recent Samsung phones are inherently supportive of the faster 10W wireless charging rate and outperform non-Samsung devices. The Grade 10 Plus achieved 15% in 15 minutes, 32% in 30 minutes, 63% in 60 minutes and a full charge in just over 90 minutes. The iPhone 11 Max Pro charges much more slowly due to the 5W limit. It took 70 minutes to reach a 50% charge and more than two and a half hours to reach a full charge.

Connected: The best phones with wireless charging

The bottom line is that the Anker PowerWave Stand works very well with Samsung devices and not so well with non-Samsung devices. Even so, there are other options from Anker that support 7.5W charging for iPhones.

Should You Buy the Anker PowerWave Stand?

The Anker PowerWave Stand is a decent little wireless charger. It may be easy, but that’s why I like it. It’s rugged, charges most Qi-based phones, and is focused on fast charging Samsung phones. I have to do it a bit for the micro USB port, but at least one cable is included in the box.

Amazon is selling the Anker PowerWave booth for $ 18.99. It’s about as cheap as a wireless charging stand and offers good value.