Anker MagGo Wi-fi Charger Stand evaluation: Virtually excellent

Anker has cemented itself as probably the most established and trusted manufacturers for cell energy and charging equipment. Not one to relaxation on its laurels, the corporate introduced a litany of recent merchandise at the start of September 2024, with one key commonality: Qi2 wi-fi charging normal assist. Whereas Anker already sells an assortment of Qi2-capable units, this new run of MagGo 2.0-branded choices delivers cleaner, constant aesthetics and, in some instances, better portability.

Of the trio of charging stands in Anker’s MagGo 2.0 sequence, the Anker MagGo Wi-fi Charger (Stand) is probably the most minimalist and modest. However does Anker’s strategy to this Qi2 charging stand earn it a spot in our rundown of the finest cellphone chargers?

Value, availability, and specs

Introduced on September 5, 2024, Anker’s MagGo 2.0 vary — together with the MagGo Wi-fi Charger (Stand) — went on sale the identical day. The stand prices $36, making it probably the most reasonably priced throughout the MagGo 2.0 vary, with the MagGo Wi-fi Charger (2-in-1, Stand) and Anker MagGo Wi-fi Charger (2-in-1, Dock Stand) each costing $50.

All three stands can be found in Aurora White or Black Stone; the white mannequin featured on this evaluation.

What’s good in regards to the Anker MagGo Wi-fi Charger Stand?

Elegant, intuitive, and adjustable

The MagGo Wi-fi Charger Stand, rendered in all-white, is an elegant-looking accent, with a conical base sporting delicate Anker branding alongside its rim and, regardless of a plastic building (in response to Anker, it is comprised of 75% post-consumer recycled plastic), serves up a premium, virtually marble-like matte end. A ridged rubberized base affords loads of grip on a tabletop, which paired with the stand’s (simply over) 250-gram weight, makes it purposefully tough to slip or knock over. That is splendid if it is in your nightstand, and also you’re making an attempt to snap your cellphone on after turning the lights out at bedtime (as I usually was).

The gadget is Qi2 compliant, so it performs good with each MagSafe-compatible iPhone, way back to the iPhone 12 sequence. It may well output at a most of 15W, which, when examined with my iPhone 15 Professional (packing a 3,274mAh battery), introduced it to 38% cost in half-hour and 50% cost in below 40 minutes. For reference, charging the 15 Professional utilizing its prime wired charging speeds, Anker has additionally outfitted the MagGo Wi-fi Charger Stand with a heap of security options to stop points like overheating and extra voltage/present. It even boasts overseas object detection, guaranteeing the stand’s induction skills do not mistakenly warmth one thing that does not want inducing.

Qi2 is predicated on Apple’s MagSafe charging normal and permits smartphones past these throughout the firm’s catalog to profit from the identical magnetic attachment and wi-fi charging speeds as the most recent iPhones. On the time of writing, that pool of Qi2-capable telephones is small, with a grand whole of 1: the HMD Skyline. I used to be, fortunately, in a position to get my palms on the Skyline to find out how the charging expertise differed from an iPhone’s, and, for probably the most half, issues remained constant. There was straightforward location and attachment to the stand for subsequent hands-free operation.

The Skyline’s bigger 4,600mAh battery replenishing on the similar 15W charge means slower refill occasions than the iPhone 15 Professional, however nonetheless in step with expectations, reaching 31% cost after half-hour and 50% cost after 55 minutes.

There are a few extra tips up the Anker MagGo Wi-fi Charger Stand’s sleeves, too. For one, regardless of its seemingly strong building, the top tilts by a 70-degree vary. So, it may be adjusted to take a seat completely flat, accommodating any wi-fi charging-compatible gadget on prime, whether or not it is packing magnets or not. Anker makes use of the AirPods wi-fi charging case for instance, however I additionally examined the stand with different wireless-charging succesful Android telephones and true wi-fi earbuds with out concern. Speeds range when Qi2-capable merchandise are used, with a baseline pace of 5W and, in some instances, 7.5W.

As well as, the top additionally rotates, with a clean glide, paying homage to a fluid head tripod, and a delicate, tactile click on, as if cracking an outdated dial lock secure. Past the novelty (twisting your gadget right into a panorama orientation, with out hindering the charging course of), this characteristic facilitates full-screen video playback, in addition to StandBy on iPhones that assist the characteristic, with out marking the again of your gadget (as can occur when altering a MagSafe-compatible cellphone’s orientation towards a static mounting head).

What’s dangerous in regards to the Anker MagGo Wi-fi Charger Stand?

Charging challenges and design dysfunction

There’s little to nitpick about concerning the MagGo Wi-fi Charger Stand’s charging expertise; you snap in your cellphone and also you’re away. It is even suitable with MagSafe-case toting telephones that do not in any other case assist magnetic attachment. That mentioned, whereas the stand and a color-matched USB-C to USB-C cable come in-box, the respectably low asking value means there isn’t any energy adapter included. As such, it is as much as you to supply a suitable charging brick to get the quickest speeds from the stand, or any speeds in any respect for that matter.

It accepts as much as 9V in at 2.5A, that means a peak enter of twenty-two.5W. Anker suggests utilizing a charger with an output of 25W or greater and one which helps the PD charging normal. I needed to verify the stand’s FAQs to study this data, which I used to be solely prompted to do after my trusty 65W Samsung trio charger (which performs good with all the pieces else in my digital life) refused to provide a single watt to the cellphone I had mounted on the stand.

I ultimately used my spouse’s 30W PD Google Pixel charger, which labored with out concern. However in the event you do not personal a PD-compliant energy brick already, you may must account for the added price on prime of the stand to truly use it. There are numerous choices on the market, however your best guess is probably going Anker’s personal 30W Nano Charger, which on the time of writing prices $19.

Whereas charging is in any other case strong, there are a few design flaws price flagging. I used to be stunned to search out that the fashionable matte end on the stand’s base holds onto smudges extra readily than anticipated, which is probably going much more apparent on the Black Stone colorway. This concern, is fortunately, simply averted, offered you get the knack of liberating your cellphone from the stand’s magnets with out urgent the bottom.

Then there’s that head. As novel as the press rotary motion is, the noise is not at all times welcome, comparable to at night time or throughout a video name. The true concern is that the mechanism lacks torque. For those who’re solely an iPhone person, you are unlikely to ever run into this concern, however as I found when utilizing the Qi2-compliant HMD Skyline, the location of the magnets on the cellphone’s again issues.

In contrast to iPhones, the place the magnetic ring is mostly central to the cellphone’s again, and thus round its heart of mass. The Skyline’s magnet array sits decrease. That is advantageous in portrait, however attempt to twist HMD’s cellphone to view in panorama on the MagGo Wi-fi Charger Stand and the off-center weight distribution, paired with the stand’s lackluster torque means the cellphone droops down till it is virtually inverted.

This flaw feels prefer it might have been simply averted if solely Anker’s designers catered to units past the iPhone. Qi2-compliant telephones are prone to comply with the Skyline, and Android units sporting MagSafe-compatible instances, nevertheless it’s clear this wasn’t one thing thought of in the course of the stand’s improvement. It is an affliction I would hazard Anker’s different two MagGo 2.0 stands endure from as properly.

Must you purchase it?

There isn’t any denying that the Anker MagGo Wi-fi Charger Stand is likely one of the best-looking entries of its sort and value level. And by embracing Qi2, it opens itself as much as customers past these packing certainly one of Apple’s famed smartphones.

The design is clear and chic, the development strong, and its performance surpasses expectations — with that tilting, rotating head. Nevertheless, the necessity to supply an influence provide undermines what in any other case appears to be like like nice worth for a stand of this match and end, whereas the droopy head concern undermines its intention to supply broader attraction to Qi2 phone-toting customers outdoors camp iPhone.

Even so, there’s lots to love in regards to the Anker MagGo Wi-fi Charger Stand, particularly in the event you can snap it up throughout a sale, one thing Anker appears to dish out very often.