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Anker PowerPod III Pod profile
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
aa2020 recommended

Anker PowerPort III Pod review: 65W of portable power for phones and laptops

Anker's PowerPort III Pod 65W supports USB Power Delivery PPS to quickly charge up smartphones to laptops.
By

Published onMarch 13, 2021

aa2020 recommended

Anker PowerPort III Pod

With up to 65W of power and USB Power Delivery PPS support, Anker's PowerPort III Pod quickly charges up everything from smartphones to tablets and laptops. Although the plug doesn't always charge everything at quite their maximum speeds.

What we like

USB PD PPS support
65W of power to fast charge laptops
More cost-effective than Apple and Samsung

What we don't like

Single USB-C port
Finicky fast charging
Nothing else included in the box
aa2020 recommended

Anker PowerPort III Pod

With up to 65W of power and USB Power Delivery PPS support, Anker's PowerPort III Pod quickly charges up everything from smartphones to tablets and laptops. Although the plug doesn't always charge everything at quite their maximum speeds.

Anker is a big name in the charging accessory business and often appears on lists for the best phone charging accessories. The company is stepping into the next generation of power plugs, with its new slimmer and cooler running Anker PowerPort III Pod, which supports the latest USB Power Delivery Programmable Power Supply (USB PD PSS) charging standard.

With 65W of power onboard, the PowerPort III Pod charges up everything from smartphones to tablets and laptops at high speed. That’s a pretty compelling prospect for $39.99. So let’s dive into some testing and our Anker PowerPort III Pod review to find out exactly how universal this charger is.

Anker PowerPort III Pod 65W

What you need to know about the Anker PowerPort III Pod

Anker PowerPod III Pod front
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
  • Anker PowerPort III Pod 65W: $39.99/£42.99/€39.99

In typical Anker fashion, the PowerPort III Pod comes in white. It’s a reasonably compact adapter given its 65W power rating. Dimensions measure 6.8 x 3.0 x 4.5cm, with a weight of 132 grams. The plug type is fixed based on your region, with North American, European, and UK variants all available. The US version has folding prongs on the back. There’s no USB-C cable included in the box, so you’ll need to bring your own capable of withstanding 3A or higher current for fast charging speeds.

A single USB-C port on the front sports Anker’s PowerIQ 3.0 technology. Peeling back the proprietary branding, this port supports USB Power Delivery 3.0 and USB PD PPS. The latter is required to super fast charge the Samsung Galaxy S21 series at 25W and the Galaxy S20 Ultra at 45W.

Further reading: Best USB C portable chargers

Specifically, the charger’s USB PD mode can supply 5V, 9V, and 15V at 3A, as well as 20V at 3.25A. The charger sports a single USB PD PPS mode with a variable voltage between 3.3V and 21V with up to 3.25A of current. Energy conversion efficiency while charging clocks in at a very good 85% on average.

What’s good?

Anker PowerPod III Pod with Galaxy S21
Robert Triggs / Android Authority

Anker’s 65W Pod can indeed charge up everything we threw at it. USB Power Delivery is increasingly widely supported across the technology industry, including by Apple’s iPhone and MacBook series, the Nintendo Switch, and a range of USB-C laptops and tablets. The inclusion of USB PD PPS also makes the PowerPort III Pod one of the few chargers that can super fast charge the Samsung Galaxy S21 series and select other Samsung smartphones at full speed.

Anker PowerPort III Pod 65W TestSamsung Galaxy S21 UltraApple iPhone 12 Pro MaxMicrosoft Surface Book XHONOR MagicBook Pro
Anker PowerPort III Pod 65W Test
USB Power Test
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
24.9W / 25W
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
20W / 20W
Microsoft Surface Book X
38.8W / 60W
HONOR MagicBook Pro
61.1W / 65W
Anker PowerPort III Pod 65W Test
Voltage & Current
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
8.82V, 2.82A
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
8.88V, 2.28A
Microsoft Surface Book X
19.5V, 1.99A
HONOR MagicBook Pro
19.7V, 3.10A
Anker PowerPort III Pod 65W Test
Charging Standard
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
USB PD PPS
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
USB PD 3.0
Microsoft Surface Book X
USB PD 3.0
HONOR MagicBook Pro
USB PD 3.0
Anker PowerPort III Pod 65W Test
Power from wall
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
29.5W
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
24W
Microsoft Surface Book X
45.5W
HONOR MagicBook Pro
70.8W
Anker PowerPort III Pod 65W Test
Energy Efficiency
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
84.3%, good.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
84.4%, good.
Microsoft Surface Book X
85.3%, very good.
HONOR MagicBook Pro
86.3%, very good.

65W is overkill for smartphones. Instead, it’s useful to quickly charge up laptops with larger battery capacities. Anker claims it takes two hours, 14 minutes to fully charge a MacBook Pro 13. In my tests, the plug takes approximately one hour, 25 minutes to fully charge an HONOR MagicBook Pro laptop. That’s as quick as the boxed charger but Anker’s plug is significantly smaller.

Portability is one of the Pod’s bigger selling points. It’s definitely small and lightweight enough to fit into a travel or laptop bag without issue. However, UK and EU customers should note that these plugs add some additional bulk to the back of the charger. So international variants won’t quite fit in your pocket.

What’s not so good?

Anker PowerPod III Pod USB C port
Robert Triggs / Android Authority

Despite supporting the latest USB-C charging standards, the plug doesn’t always charge as quickly as possible. The Pod doesn’t provide the full 60W charging power supported by Microsoft’s Surface X Pro. One or twice, I also had to reconnect the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus before obtaining 25W fast charging speeds. It can be a bit more finicky than other chargers.

65W is a lot of power but Anker’s single USB-C port in the PowerPort III Pod prevents it from being quite as useful as some dual-port 60W+ chargers that cost around the same price. You’re definitely paying for the charger’s compact nature and USB PD PPS support at the expense of multi-device charging.

The charger also becomes a little warm when pushing out its full 65W. It’s not hot enough to cause alarm, but something to be aware of when moving the plug after charging.

Anker PowerPort III Pod review: Should I buy it?

Anker PowerPod III Pod box
Robert Triggs / Android Authority

As a single charger to power all your gadgets, the Anker PowerPort III Pod offers plenty of power and the latest USB-C charging standards for your high-end gadgets. The only blemish on its compatibility is the slower speeds I saw from the Surface Pro X and the rare issue where the Galaxy S21 wouldn’t charge at full speed. Although that could be down to the handset.

The Anker PowerPort III Pod offers plenty of power for your high-end gadgets.

Whether Anker’s 65W Pod represents good value for money depends on what you need. It’s definitely a better deal than Apple’s 61W Power Adapter ($69) and Samsung’s 45W Travel Adapter ($50). Providing you already have the necessary USB-C cable. However, those looking to charge multiple devices at once, who don’t need USB PD PPS support, will find multi-port chargers, such as the RavPower 65W 4 port ($60) more versatile.

65W from a single port is more than any smartphone can make use of over USB PD, so the PowerPort III Pod only makes sense if you’re looking for a single plug to charge your phone, tablet, and laptop with. If that’s you, then you can’t go wrong here.

Anker PowerPort III Pod 65W
Anker PowerPort III Pod 65W
65W of power for all your USB-C gadgets
With up to 65W of power, Anker's PowerPort III Pod supports USB Power Delivery PPS to quickly charge up everything from smartphones to tablets and laptops.
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