Overall and Final Verdict
Overall, Anker has continued to evolve their charging lineup which is what keeps them as a leader in the market. All of the new Prime chargers that I took a look at today have improved on what I have seen from them in the past in a few new and unique ways. With that, it also has me still debating what I want to use on my desk for my charger. The Prime Charger with its larger display, scroll wheel for using the screen, and because it has a simple replaceable power cable is a big possibility. That would get me 250 watts of total power and the ability to charge up to 6 things at once. I even like the clock that you can set up, but do wish that you didn’t have to connect to the app and WiFi to get that working. The main downside however is how the screen gets blurry at any angle. It also has some oil/fingerprint issues with the glossy front but of all of the new devices, this one had that the least.
The Prime 240W Charging Station on the other hand was what I was looking forward to the most. It has the same six charging ports and nearly the same total capacity of 240 watts. I love its slim design and getting two AC plugs up on my desk makes testing things easier as well. They even fixed the issues with Samsung fast charging that I had previously. The downside for the Prime 240W Charging Station however is for one its screen has the same blurry issues and because the entire top has that glossy finish it has the worst issues with that becoming a mess. But my main problem is the huge power wart that it has which doesn’t work with my desk setup at all.
The big winner for me though, no matter what I decide to do on my desk is the Prime 65W Power Bank which not only is portable and can output 65 watts in battery mode. But it is one of Ankers Fusion chargers, so you can keep it plugged in and use it like a normal USB charger, then when you need the power on the go or the power goes out it is always charged. The move to 65 watts output on battery is also huge for use with my laptop and especially with the Steam Deck which is the type of device that is portable in name only because demanding games are going to suck through the battery. Having a battery backup for that can help get some more time away from the wall outlet.
The new improved 100-watt GaN charger has a more compact design and the styling looks great with the new Prime look. It has the same glossy front, but because of its size, I had no issues with it here. Anker has also improved on how the AC plug works with a new texture and thicker prongs to help keep it plugged in and with that it worked great for me. The same goes for the new Prime USB-C Charging Cable which has support for 240 watts charging speeds and a new more durable design that according to Anker might finally take the abuse people throw at their cords along with using recycled materials in its sleeving to be a little more sustainable.
For pricing the new Prime USB-C Charging Cable is $29.99 for the 3-foot length and $34.99 for the 6-foot model. That isn’t cheap, and I’m hoping to see sales and better pricing in the future there. Anker has other 240-watt cables on Amazon for half that for two cables. But with that said, if it is as durable as promised, a price premium would be worth paying more than the “standard” rate for the cable. The new Prime 100-watt GaN charger has a launch price of $84.99 which is in line with the pricing of their original 100-watt model which was $74.99. That older model has been in the $55 range for over a year now and this charger is going to be best once we start to see its pricing level off as well. The new design is a little more compact and you can charge three devices including a high-powered laptop all at once, so it will be a good pick for someone who travels. The Anker Prime Power Bank is priced at $89.99 and really to me this is the one device that even before the normal slow leveling of pricing is a good pickup. It doubles as a battery backup as well as a charger and a 65-watt charger itself can sometimes be in the $30-$40 range. Not to mention finding a battery backup that can output 65 watts. The only downside for me is it does lack a Type-A connection as well which would be nice to see included. The two desktop charger designs are both a little more expensive with the Prime Charger having a launch MSRP of $169.99 but launching with a $30 discount from the start putting it at $139.99. The Charging Station on the other hand doesn’t have that discount so it is at $164.99. Both have really good features but are also not without their flaws. Even with that in mind, getting a charger on your desk that can handle anything with 240 or 250 watts total output can be huge. Especially if you use a Type-C powered laptop at your desk, combining your charging down to one device.
Live Pricing:
Anker Prime Charger (250W, 6 Ports, GaNPrime)
Anker Prime 240W Charging Station
Anker Prime USB-C Charging Cable
