Anker MagGo Charging Station: A Must-Have for Apple Lovers
With so many wireless chargers out there, finding one that doesn't clutter your desk or is easy to take on the go can be a challenge. The Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station is small and fits in your pocket. It keeps your phone and smartwatch charged without taking up too much space. We tested the Anker MagGo to see if it's the ultimate charger that can replace all the others. Here's what we found.
Good
- Compact and pocket-friendly
- Versatile
- Includes a charger and cable
- Qi2 certified
Bad
- Expensive
Anker MagGo charging station in a nutshell
For starters, the MagGo charger (we won’t repeat its full name) is a Qi2-certified device capable of charging wirelessly three devices at the same time: a phone, a wireless earbuds case, and an Apple Watch.
The MagGo charger features a foldable design that closes into a compact unit slightly thicker than a deck of cards. It occupies an area just a few millimeters bigger than a credit card, making it easy to carry around.
When opened, the external Qi2 pad can supply up to 15 W to compatible phones, which can be held magnetically to ensure ideal placement. The middle section is also a Qi pad—though not a magnetic one—which can supply 5 W to a phone but is mostly designed for TWS cases.
The Apple Watch charger swings from the bottom of the charger, and holds the smartwatch magnetically while supplying up to 5 W of charge. That makes the MagGo compatible with the fast charging mode on Apple Watch Series 7 and newer models.
Anker set a suggested price (MSRP) of $109.99/109.99€ for the charger, and it comes with the necessary USB-C cable and a 40 W wall adapter.
Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station design and build quality
The MagGo charging station features a clever design that can be folded into a pocketable unit. It is available in white or black and takes much less space than previous magnetic charging stations: 3.5 × 2.36 × 0.98 in (89 × 60 × 25 mm), with a weight of 6.9 oz (195 g)
Pros:
- Compact when folded.
- Props iPhones into Stand-By mode.
Cons:
- Wall adapter is slightly bulky.
Non-Qi2 phones can of course be charged on the MagGo station when folded, but that would defeat the purpose of the device. With a Qi2-compatible iPhone the smartphone automatically goes into Standby mode, and future Android Qi2 phones can potentially use the MagGo station in a similar fashion, turning on an Always On Display mode to display the time, tasks, and weather.
The second wireless charging pad is revealed when opening the MagGo station, and as mentioned earlier, it is not magnetic. To keep your earbuds’ charging case (or even a phone) from sliding around, the pad features a rubberized finish.
To charge the Apple Watch, Anker chose an unconventional, yet clever solution, with a magnetic pad that swings from under the MagGo station.
One point that may feel like a negative thing for some people is the fact that the supplied wall adapter is relatively bulky, occupying almost half the volume of the MagGo station.
You can probably use a Power Delivery multi-port GaN charger capable of supplying 40 W, but Anker recommends using the unit on the box. On the positive side, since the included adapter is a standard USB-PD unit, you can use it to charge a laptop, headset, and any other device compatible with a 40 W input.
Lastly, we didn’t have the station for long enough to see if the rubberized finish would change color, especially on the white model. If that is something that worries you, the black version may be a safer choice.
Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station performance
With all the required Apple compatibility certifications, the MagGo station performed as promised in our test, charging at the same time an iPhone, an AirPods case, and an Apple Watch at their maximum input power.
Pros
- Full charging power.
- All Apple certifications for wireless charging.
Cons
- -
The MagGo station supplies up to 15 W to the external Qi2 pad, 5 W to the internal Qi pad, and the maximum 5 W supported by the Apple Watch models as of testing the unit.
We did not experience any overheating issues, as the device seemed to manage well the heat dissipation, with generous vents on the bottom helped by the raised rubber feet serving as intake, and an opening on the top serving as an exhaust of sorts.
The hot air is directed to the metal plate behind the top Qi2 pad, which helps dissipate the heat without accumulating it between the two charging pads. For that reason, the internal Qi charger should be used for earbud cases, as designed, and not for phones or other big devices that might block the air vent.
Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station technical specifications
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Final verdict
The Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station is a versatile and travel-friendly charger for the main Apple gadgets in your life. It features maximum compatibility with all the iPhones, AirPods cases, and Apple Watches, and is ready for whenever Android makers start selling their Qi2 phone as well.
It is admittedly not cheap, but at this time, no other charging station offers the same balance of versatility, pocket-friendliness, and certifications as the MagGo station. And the included wall adapter is powerful enough to feed most tablets and laptops, making the whole package a complete solution for your charging needs—that is, unless you have a 140W gaming notebook or MacBookPro, of course.
