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Anker PowerWave Stand review: A simple, affordable option
Sometimes simple is better. While it might be easy to go for the most powerful or attractive option, 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 frills of competing stands, such as the Samsung Wireless Charging Stand and the Native Union Dock Charger, but it retains the pure essentials of wireless charging.
Anker PowerWave Stand review: What is it?
The Anker PowerWave Stand is a basic charging stand. Anker makes an entire family of PowerWave-branded wireless chargers, each with slightly different specs and capabilities. The PowerWave Stand is made of plastic and features a flat, square plate on the bottom and an angled charging platform. A small ledge holds your phone, and it includes an indicator light to let you know when your phone is charging. The PowerWave Stand doesn’t fold up or otherwise change shape.
I like that there’s a rubber coating on the bottom of the stand, which prevents it from sliding around on your desk or table. It is sturdy enough to accommodate phones as large as the Note 10 Plus or the iPhone 11 Pro Max without issue.
See also: The best wireless chargers
The PowerWave Stand has two coils, which means you can charge your phone vertically or horizontally. This allows you to top up your phone whether you are video chatting with a friend or watching a YouTube video. I didn’t encounter any alignment issues with either phone. I like the angle of the charger. It falls in between the too-slanted angle of the Samsung Wireless Charging Stand and the very upright angle of the Native Union Dock Charger.
The biggest detractor, in my eyes, is the microUSB port for charging. Nearly all Android phones come with USB-C charging ports and cables these days. The box for the PowerWave Stand includes the charger and a 1m USB-A-to-microUSB cable. There is no charging brick. Anker recommends you use a 10W charging brick if possible, and actually recommends against using the 5W charger that accompanies most iPhones.
How does it perform?
The Anker PowerWave Stand is Qi-based. It charges at up to 10W for most Samsung phones and up to 5W for supported iPhones. Anker didn’t specify why the PowerWave is unable to support the iPhone’s 7.5W charging rate. Anything that’s not a Samsung device gets charged at the 5W rate.
The PowerWave charged up my Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus quickly. The majority of Samsung’s recent phones natively support the faster 10W wireless charging rate and will outperform non-Samsung devices. The Note 10 Plus reached 15% in 15 minutes, 32% in 30 minutes, 63% in 60 minutes, and a full charge in a little over 90 minutes. The iPhone 11 Max Pro charged much slower due to the 5W limitation. It required 70 minutes to reach a 50% charge and more than two and a half hours for a full charge.
Bottom line, the Anker PowerWave Stand works really well with Samsung devices, and not as well with non-Samsung devices. Nevertheless, there are other options from Anker 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 simple, but that’s why I like it. It’s sturdy, charges most Qi-based phones, and focuses on speedy charging for Samsung handsets. I have to ding it a little bit for the microUSB port, but at least a cable is included in the box.
Amazon sells the Anker PowerWave Stand for $18.99. It’s about as cheap as a wireless charging stand gets and represents a good value.