(Last Updated On: April 30, 2018)

There are many ways to go about charging our devices these days. One of the most used is USB wall chargers. That said, the one other type of wall chargers that are now available to us are wireless chargers. It might sound strange and that’s because it kind of is. However, Wireless chargers are just like wall chargers just without the part about putting your charging cable inside of your smartphone. With wireless charging growing so rapidly there are now a ton of them on the market and so it’s best to focus on the best brands that sell them.

In this case, we’re talking about Anker. Anker is a brand that we have mentioned a lot here at Charger Harbor simply because they offer some of the best quality products. This time we’re reviewing their PowerPort Wireless 5 Pad Wireless charger. So let’s see what a wireless charger from one of the best brands that sells charging electronics has to offer.

Power

Output Charging:

The thing with wireless chargers is that you need to know is that the depending on what USB wall charger you’re using to power it with, you’re going to have a different output charging speed. That’s why it’s vital to have a powerful USB wall charger to use with a wireless charger. That stands true with this wireless charger but at the same time, this wireless charger doesn’t feature Fast Wireless Charging and we’ll get to what we mean by that in just a moment.

The input power limit with this wall charger is 5V/2.0A and in fact, Anker made it so that you have to use a 2 Amp wall charger with this PowerPort Wireless 5 Pad. That’s quite good at using a less powerful wall charger such as a 1 Amp wall charger would have resulted in very slow Output wireless charging speeds of 5V/0.5A.

Using a 2 Amp wall charger enables this PowerPort 5 Pad wireless charger to have an output charging speed of 5V/1.0A. It’s not the fastest charging speed and in terms of general charging 1 Amp is actually very slow. Just so you know, wireless charging is not faster than wired charging.

However, in terms of wireless charging, 1 Amp charging is quite good, but there is faster charging. Fast Wireless charging is a 2 Amp output speed when it comes to wireless charging and that’s available with a few wireless chargers on the market, but this one does not feature it.

To make sure that you get the best charging output from this charger we recommend using Anker’s very own USB wall chargers such as they’re very simple Anker PowerPort 2 wall charger. Or basically, any one of their other wall chargers or charging stations, as any standard USB-A charging port on them has a charging rate of 5V/2.4A.

Input Charging:

As we mentioned, just make sure that the USB wall charger that you’re using with this wireless charger has an output charging speed of 5V/2.0A. So that you can get the most out of the output charging speed.

Design

Size and Weight:

The size of this wireless charger is very small as it has a length/width of 3.9 inches. While the thickness of the charger is 0.4 inches. The weight of this charger is 2.4 Ounces. So it’s very portable if you want to take it to another location. It also won’t take up very much space at all on a table while you’re sitting at your computer.

Functional Components:

Actually using this Anker PowerPort Wireless 5 pad charger is almost like you don’t even have to use it  That’s because all you have to do is just connect a Micro-USB charging cable to the back of it and it’ll be powered on. All you have to do is just place your Qi compatible smartphone at the center and it’ll start charging. The keyword is “Center” and that’s because this is a single coil wireless charger and therefore you have to make sure that the coil inside of your smartphone and the wireless charger align so that wireless charging can take place.

There’s just a single Blue light on this wireless charger. When there is nothing charging, the light is off. When the smartphone is on the pad and charging, then it’s just solid Blue light. However, if you have your smartphone at an offset and it’s not charging, then the Blue light will flash.

If you’re wondering if you can use this charger charging with a case, well, you can! Wireless charging working with smartphone cases on has become the standard with most wireless chargers on the market and it’s a great move forward. What’s even better is that Anker has mentioned that this charger can work with cases that are 5mm thick but customers have reported that this can even work with ones that are 6mm thick. Such as some Lifeproof or OtterBox cases.

This wireless charger is only compatible with Qi Compatible smartphones, and not with Smart Watches. The new iPhone X and iPhone 8 for example, are compatible. As well as the plethora of Android devices that are wireless charging compatible.

Build

Structure and Material:

The siding of this wall charger is made of plastic, but the top and bottom are made of rubber and that prevents the charger itself to slide around and your smartphone. Overall, it has a solid build quality with no loose parts.

Tech:

The one part of wireless charging that has a few people worried is when heat is generated. This wireless charger does get warm and it also makes your smartphone phone warm but that’s normal.

Reliability

It’s a wireless charger that’s compatible with any Qi Compatible smartphone so you can use compatible Android and Apple devices with it.

Summary:

Power:

Charging power is quite good when you use a 2 Amp wall charger so the charger outputs a charging speed of 5V/1.0A. Actually, you have to use a 2 Amp wall charger or else the wireless charger may not even work, Anker says.

Design:

Using this charger is very easy as you just have to plug the wall charger into this wireless charger and just place your smartphone on top of it. There’s a Blue light that tells you when the wireless charging is or isn’t happening.

Build:

The build quality of this wireless charger is very good as there are no loose parts, and it has a rubber top and bottom to prevent the charger from slipping around.

Reliability:

It’s compatible to use with any and all Qi Compatible smartphones.

Specs of the Anker PowerPort Wireless 5 Pad, 5W Qi Wireless Charger:

• Output:

Standard Wireless Charging Speed: 5V/1.0A

Fast Wireless Charging: Not Available

• Input:

Micro-USB input: 5V/2.0A

• LED Power Indicator: One LED Power Indicator
• Size: 3.9 x 3.9 x 0.4 inches
• Weight: 2.4 Ounces

Conclusion:

This may not be the most powerful wireless charger on the market, but Anker has done a great job at providing a powerful standard wireless charger to the market.

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