Yahoo Finance Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.
Anker's third-gen GaN chargers have improved temperature monitoring
The initial lineup of GaNPrime devices features six products, including a power bank.
Anker has revealed its third-gen gallium nitride (GaN) chargers, just over a year after the previous batch. The company is branding the new lineup of power bricks and portable chargers as GaNPrime. Anker said it worked with several partners to create products that last longer and are more sustainable. It claims the GaNPrime is the "most intelligent, most powerful and greenest multi-device charging system ever created."
The GaNPrime chargers boast the latest version of Anker's PowerIQ tech, which can detect the power needs of each device they're connected to and automatically adjust the power distribution to each USB-C port every three minutes. Anker says that, when two 67W 14-inch MacBook Pro laptops are being charged simultaneously, a GaNPrime device will reduce the overall charging time by 62 minutes. It also says GaNPrime chargers are compatible with more than 1,000 mobile devices.
On top of that, a feature called ActiveShield 2.0 will monitor temperatures and adjust the power output to protect devices that are connected to a charger. Anker says it has increased the temperature detection frequency by 75 percent compared with previous generations — it monitors temperatures 3 million times a day.
Anker claims its new devices are much smaller than comparable offerings on the market. For instance, it says the 150W 747 charger is 38 percent more compact than Apple's 140W charger. Meanwhile, Anker says GaNPrime models improve the efficiency of AC to DC power by two percent compared with its previous GaN products. Switching from legacy silicon to new GaN semiconductors can reduce carbon emissions by up to 30 percent as well, Anker claims.
There are six devices in the initial GaNPrime lineup, all of which are available starting today in the US. The 65W 735 charger costs $60 and has one USB-A and two USB-C ports. The 615 USB Power Strip has has an additional two AC ports. That's also a 65W charger and it costs $70.
Next up is the 737 charger, which has a maximum output of 120W and, according to Anker, can fully charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro in 1.5 hours. That model, which has one USB-A and three USB-C ports, costs $95. The even more powerful 747 charger has a maximum output of 150W, one USB-A port and three USB-C ports. It will run you $110.
The slim 727 Charging Station is a power strip with two AC, two USB-C and two 2 USB-A ports. Anker claims it's 50 percent thinner than traditional power strips. It offers a maximum output of 100W via USB-C and it costs $95.
Elsewhere, the GaNPrime lineup includes the 733 Power Bank. It can output up to 65W via AC and offers DC output of 30W (i.e. when it's in battery mode). It has one USB-A and two USB-C ports, and it costs $100.
