The only desktop charger you will ever need
Lately, the big buzzword, when it comes to charging, has been “USB-C Power Delivery” or shortened to “USB-C PD“. Though it’s actually a lot more than just a buzzword. Anker is one of the companies that have been going all out, when it comes to USB-C PD products. This is because with USB-C PD, you can use the same outlet to charge your smartphone, smartwatch, tablet, and even your laptop. All of which use vastly different speeds.
So when Anker announced the PowerPort Atom PD 4, it got a lot of people excited. To put it simply, it has two USB-C PD ports that can charge at up to 100W. And it also has two USB-A ports that use its proprietary PowerIQ Technology. Making it the perfect desktop charger, at least on paper. But does it stack up as one of the best out there? Let’s find out in our review.
The PowerPort Atom PD 4 has been on my desk for a couple of weeks. It’s worked out really well. Being able to charge my laptop, as well as a smartphone, and even used for a wireless charger. While having two USB-C PD ports is nice, they weren’t used all the time. Anker says that if you only have one thing plugged into the USB-C PD ports, it will charge at up to 100W – depending on the device. My MacBook Pro is able to charge at up to 87W on its factory charger. It was charging at the same speed with the PowerPort Atom PD 4.
That effectively gives me a second charger to use with my laptop. That also means that I can keep one in my bag for when I’m traveling. Speaking of traveling, the PowerPort Atom PD 4 is really great for traveling, since it does have four USB ports available. You can plug in your laptop, smartphone, smartwatch and tablet, all using the same charger. Meaning you can carry less with you when you travel.
With the regular USB-A ports, those will charge at up to 12W. It also works with Anker’s PowerIQ Technology, which is about the same speed as Quick Charge 2.0. So don’t expect crazy speeds, like OnePlus Warp Charge, but it will still be faster. We tested this with a Samsung Galaxy S10+ and a Google Pixel 3 XL. The Galaxy S10+ only does Quick Charge 2.0, so it was similar to plugging it into the charger included in the box. The Pixel 3 XL was a little slower, since it does support Quick Charge 3.0.
However, if you have a USB-C to USB-C cable laying around, use the USB-C PD outlet for the Google Pixel 3 XL. As it does support Power Delivery, up to 18W. That’s the same speed as Quick Charge 3.0. So it’s a good trick to get around Anker not supporting Qualcomm’s standard on this one.
100W is going to be overkill for a lot of people, especially if they don’t have a USB-C powered laptop, or a Nintendo Switch. Most smartphones cap out at about 9W over USB-C PD, and some that can do faster charging, will cap out at 18W as the absolute fastest it can go. This is partly because these phones are still pretty small, and the batteries can’t take the much faster speeds. But remember that the 100W of power is being shared across all four of these USB ports. So the USB-A ports are going to get less power, and when all four ports are being used, you’ll get less power too.
Anker only offers the PowerPort Atom PD 4 in one color – white. It’s a glossy white color and it is also pretty heavy. It would be nice to get one that is a matte black color. As this one does scratch up very easily, and attracts dust like crazy. Though the scratches are not as noticeable as they would be on a black one. Anker includes a six-foot long power cable with this desktop charger. So you can have it pretty far from the wall outlet, making things much more convenient.
The Anker PowerPort Atom PD 4 is not cheap. It’s pretty expensive, priced at about $100. This is because it does have USB-C PD which is still a new technology, and it has plenty of power too. Currently, the PowerPort Atom PD 4 is unavailable on Amazon, but Anker has told AndroidHeadlines that it is going to be up for sale again soon, once it gets some inventory made.
For $100, the Anker PowerPort Atom PD 4 is still a pretty good value, but that depends on the devices you have and your situation. If you have a laptop that charges over USB-C PD, then this is a no-brainer. As a replacement charger for that laptop will be around $70-$80 by itself. And here you’re getting two USB-C PD outlets, plus two USB-A ports that can do up to 12W each for fast charging. You can pick up the Anker PowerPort Atom PD 4 from Amazon using the link below.
Anker PowerPort Atom PD 4 - Amazon
