Anker 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe Charging Station
The Anker 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe Charging Station is a great charging option for Apple mobile devices. It has a simple, elegant, compact design and it provides a powerful, efficient charge to connected devices. The only downside is the price. Even though the Cube is priced similarly to other 3-in-1 charging stations with Apple certifications, the price point still seems high.
- DESIGN
- EASE OF USE
- PRICE
A cleverly designed charging station with built-in fast charging for iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch.
UPDATE 11/5/22: Thanks to one of our readers, we can confirm that the Anker 3-in-1 Cube works with all three current models of the Apple Watch. We (Mac Sources) tested it with the Apple Watch Series 8 (45mm and 41mm) and one of our readers (Patsy) tested it with the Apple Watch Ultra. They stated that users, “may have to protect Action Button size with a very thin felt sticker (applied to the cube), to prevent minor scratches. Other than that, everything just works. And work perfectly.” While we didn’t have a chance to test it with the Apple Watch SE, the dimensions are smaller than the Series 8 models so it should work fine.
I cannot stress the importance of having a trustworthy mobile device charger on your desk. I’ve shifted back and forth between charging cables and docks for years. Most recently, I’ve made a permanent place on my desk for the Anker MagGo Magnetic Wireless Charger. It’s a charger that provides simultaneous charging for two wireless-charging compatible devices — one of which can be a MagSafe-compatible device.
The MagGo is a compact device that can be easily hidden or pushed out of the way when it’s not in use. This is a big reason why I prefer using it to other more bulky charging options. It has served me well but in addition to the two charging surfaces the MagGo provides, I am also in dire need of a place to charge my Apple Watch. I used to charge it overnight, but since I upgraded to the Series 8 Apple Watch, I track my sleep and wrist temperature when I go to bed now.
And, even though the Series 8 watch has a longer battery life than my previous Series 6 model, I still find myself needing to provide it with power during the day. I have simply been stringing an Apple Watch charging cable across my desk. Fortunately, Anker had the foresight to provide an upgraded charging device for users like me and today they are releasing the 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe Charging Station.
About Anker’s 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe Charging Station
The 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe Charging Station was designed specifically to be used with Apple devices. It’s the first Anker product to receive the ‘official’ Made for MagSafe certification. It’s a “one-stop wireless charging solution for your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods.” The cube is compact and can be taken virtually anywhere. The MagSafe charging surface has an adjustable viewing angle of up to 60º and provides a flexible mounting option for users to be able to switch between portrait and landscape viewing methods.
“We’re very excited about the design of the 3-in-1 Cube,” said Steven Yang, CEO of Anker Innovations. “From a practical standpoint, it is portable and travel-friendly without being in any way limited in features. It’s the perfect charging accessory for both home and hotel.”
Anker. (2022, October 26). Anker unveils the 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe, a compact and cleverly designed charging station [Press release].
Main Features
- 3-in-1 Charging: Features an ergonomic design that allows users to conveniently charge their iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, all at once.
- Fast Charging for iPhone and Apple Watch: Includes fast wireless charging of up to 15W for iPhone with an additional magnetic fast charging module that charges Apple Watch Series 7 from 0-75% in just 45 minutes.
- Palm-sized and portable: Folds up to be compact, making it perfect for both home and travel with a pop-out shelf for charging an Apple Watch.
- Versatile viewing angles: The sleek, foldable design allows for versatile iPhone charging in both portrait and landscape orientation.
- Series 7 Charger: Anker’s Series 7 chargers embrace future technologies that are at the cutting edge of performance and specs. This makes it possible for faster charging speeds in smaller, more portable chargers.
Specs
- Product Dimension: 2.36” L x 2.36 W x 2.49” D
- Product Weight: 14.46 oz
- Total Wattage: 30W
- Input: 12V or 15V, 30W
- Output: MagSafe Charger for iPhone – 15W; AirPods Charger – 5W; Apple Watch Charger – 5W
- What’s in the Box: Anker 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe Charging Station, 1.5m (5ft) USB-C to USB-C charging cable, a 30W PD charger, a quick start guide, and a multilingual spec sheet with safety information included.
Price and availability
The 3-in-1 Cube is available in the US today (October 26, 2022) at Apple retail stores and online on Anker.com and Apple.com, for $149.99.
It will also be available in the UK and DE on November 4 for £139.99 and €159.99, respectively.
User Experience
The 3-in-1 Cube comes in sensible packaging. The box is all white with a profile image of the device on the front. There is a smaller image of the device in use. The bottom of the front of the box has three tags called out for the product’s name — 3-in-1, Adjustable Phone Charging Surface, and Compact — and at the top of the front of the box just under the “Live Charged” tagline for Anker is Apple’s Made for Apple Watch and MagSafe label.
Anker as a company is making efforts to aid the environment by reducing the amount of plastic used in their packaging.
Low-Plastic Packaging
We’ve reduced the amount of plastic used in packaging for the entire lineup by an average of 90%*. The inner material of the packaging has been changed from plastic to pulp, the packaging paper is FSC-certified 100% recyclable, and printing is done with natural soy ink.
*Calculated based on Aug. 2022 internal testing to measure the weight of plastic reduced in the packaging.
“Anker 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe.” Anker, 25 Oct. 2022, www.anker.com/products/y1811?variant=42206465327254&ref=collectionBuy. Accessed 26 Oct. 2022.
This is something I appreciate since some studies have shown that even though plastics can be recycled many people are not participating in community efforts. In addition to the packaging reductions Anker has also taken steps to reduce plastic use in their products, which also has the added benefit to the end-user of the products being more compact.
Compact Design to Reduce Plastic
The devices in this lineup feature a compact design that’s up to 70% smaller than other brands and uses up to 30.9 g less plastic during construction.*
*Data based on Aug. 2022 internal testing comparing Anker Nano 3 to an original 30W charger.
“Anker 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe.” Anker, 25 Oct. 2022, www.anker.com/products/y1811?variant=42206465327254&ref=collectionBuy. Accessed 26 Oct. 2022.
Once you open the box, you’ll find the charger, paperwork package, charging cable, and wall brick. I cannot tell you how refreshing it was to find the power adapter included with this charging station. There are many modern charging devices — even premium ones that are MagSafe-certified — that require a certain wattage to be beneficial for users and power adapters are not included.
I understand that power adapters pile up and create unwanted waste, but as an end-user, if I am spending a premium amount of money on a device, it is frustrating to have to spend additional money to purchase an accessory to make the device work properly.
I was very impressed with the design of the Cube. I was told it was a ‘cute’ accessory and because of that (and my experience with the MagGo), I was anticipating something extraordinary. I was not disappointed.
The Cube is cute. It can fit in the palm of your hand. And, it’s functional as well as practical. I’ve been using it for a few days now and I don’t remember the last time I was so infatuated with a piece of technology that was ancillary to a primary purpose (i.e. not my earbuds, phone, or watch).
Setting it up was as simple as plugging the USB-C cable into the power adapter and into the back of the charging station. Most of the time, the Cube will sit under my iPad stand in its cube state. When I use it, I pull it out to the side of my iPad, unfold the top and snap out the watch charger.
I love that when you are charging all three items the AirPods are hidden behind the phone. It just adds to the visual aesthetic of the device as it sits on your desk. I also adore how the Apple Watch charger is integrated. By making it a pop-out charger, the apparatus is hidden when you don’t need it, but easily accessible when you do. This is ideal for me (and probably a lot of other people) since my watch is almost always on my wrist.
There are two other design features that I fell in love with instantly — the silicone bottom and the weighted base. These two background features are absolutely essential to the overall function and user experience of the Cube. The silicone bottom keeps the charger from sliding around on your desk and the weighted base holds the Cube steady while it’s charging your devices.
when I put my phone and watch on their respective charging surfaces, the magnetic charging ring icon appears on both screens indicating that each device was picking up its charges from the MagSafe surface. The AirPods Pro 2 chimed when I put them on the wireless charging surface behind the phone. All three devices gained battery life as they rested on the Cube.
The iPhone 14 Pro had a charging rate of 0.83% per minute and the Apple Watch Series 8 had a charging rate of 1.5% per minute (after a 30-minute charging test). This is a noticeable improvement over previous charging tests I’ve done using MagSafe charging stations. In a previous test of the iPhone 12 Pro and Apple Watch Series 6, the iPhone received a charging rate of 0.77% per minute and the watch had a charging rate of 1.37% per minute.
Conclusion
The Anker 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe Charging Station is an amazing product that is definitely worth the purchase. It is not only a great charging station for your devices, but it also has a sleek and stylish design that will look great in any home or office. The Cube is a brilliant charging station and one of my new ‘must-have’ devices.
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9 Comments
“Folds to just over 2-square inches”
What? That is clearly not possible from the photos in the article! Not sure if this was a math error or just ignorance, but Apple’s website says the dimensions are 2.49″ x 2.3″ x 2.3″. At best, you could say that the two smallest sides would come to 5.29 square inches, but a better option would have been to just provide the dimensions and say it comes to 13.2 cubic inches.
I apologize if the calculations are incorrect. I got the wording about that direct from Anker’s press release on the product. I do see your point. So, I have modified the statement to be more accurate. Thank you for calling this to our attention.
Price rating at 90%…are you high?! An expensive but expected price point for such a device would be £69 but £139 is just ludicrous and it’s clearly not even aimed at an enthusiast but instead the ultra rich with many expendable pennies.
I completely understand your point. I do feel that charging devices in this category are too expensive but the rating on this product was based on the fact that it similar devices are at the same price point. I know that part of the reason charger like this are the price they are is because they go through Apple’s certification for MagSafe and have an integrated Apple Watch puck. I gave it a 90% because I think it’s too expensive, but it’s less expensive than other products with similar functions.
Just ordered one, and then I found your review.
I so appreciate this. Thanks!
2 questions.
Would this have the spacing to charge the Apple Ultra Watch?
Did the unit heat up the 3 devices or itself when charging all three?
Cheers.
Hi Patsy —
Based on the physical dimensions of the charging tray (approximately 31.75mm x 38mm), I think that it’s unlikely that it will work with the Ultra. It definitely works with the other two sizes. It ‘might’ work with the Ultra but I haven’t been able to test the charger with that watch. Here are the dimensions of the watch models for comparison.
41mm x 35mm (41mm Series 8)
45mm x 38mm (45mm Series 8)
49mm x 44mm (Ultra)
To answer your second question, I haven’t noticed a large amount of heat collection on the charger. The Apple Watch is a little warm when I first remove it from its charging puck, but no more so than when I charge it on other Apple Watch chargers and I’ve notice that the phone warms up if I’m watching videos on it while it’s on the MagSafe charging area. But if the devices are just charging, it doesn’t get hot.
Thanks.
Apple says arriving Thursday.
I will let you know about the Ultra.
Robyn,
Good morning
Got the cube yesterday. This thing is tiny.
It does work with my Apple Watch Ultra. You may have to protect Action Button size with a very thin felt sticker (applied to the cube), to prevent minor scratches.
Other than that, everything just works. And work perfectly.
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know. I’m going to add this into the article.