Anker PowerPort III 3-Port 65W review: Portable power
One charger to rule them all. That’s increasingly the goal of modern charging brands and the Anker PowerPort III 3-Port 65W adapter is designed for just that. Built for both laptop and smartphone charging, we have high expectations from Anker’s charger. Especially as it’s one of the bigger names in the charging accessory game. We’ve run the adapter through our array of charging tests to see how well it performs with a selection of modern gadgets. Check out Android Authority’s Anker PowerPort III 3-port 65W review to find out what this multi-port charger has in store.
More suggestions: The best phone charging accessories
What you need to know about the Anker PowerPort III 3-Port 65W
- Anker PowerPort III 3-Port 65W: $40.99/£39.99/€45.99
With a 45W USB-C and two 2.4A USB-A ports, the Anker PowerPort III 3-Port charger is designed as a one-stop-shop for all your charging needs. The plug can supply up to 65W split across ports, providing enough power and ports for a laptop, tablet, and smartphone charging at once. This setup is par for the course at around the $40 mark, although rival products are quickly embracing multiple USB-C ports for modern gadgets.
Anker pitches this charger as an ideal travel companion too. Unlike many other wall plugs on the market, the charger comes bundles with swappable US, UK, and EU adapters that will have you covered for most of the world.
In familiar Anker fashion, the PowerPort III 3-Port comes exclusively in white. The glossy plastic case is well built and robust enough to survive a drop or two. There are no USB cables included in the package.
What’s good?
With up to 45W from its USB-C port, the Anker PowerPort III 3-Port has plenty of power to charge smartphones, tablets, and smaller laptops. The USB-C port will still output a full 45W when you plug one or more USB-A gadgets into the other ports too, ensuring that your more power-hungry gadgets always charge quickly. Although customers with more powerful laptops may require a charger that can output 60W or more from a single port.
The adapter is also very efficient when charging. I clocked an average 82.2% wall-to-gadget conversion even when charging multiple gadgets, although slow charging from the USB-A ports can fall to around 78% efficiency.
What I really like about this particular Anker charger is the swappable plugs. Anker employs a simple yet highly effective two-prong system that is ideal for quickly hot-swapping US, UK, and EU plug connections, which are all included in the box. It’s a solid charging companion for those who travel regularly.
What’s not so good?
Sadly, the Anker PowerPort III 3-Port 65W only supports two fast charging standards. The USB-C port supports USB Power Delivery, but not its more modern PPS variant. That means there’s no optimal fast charging for newer Samsung Galaxy phones here. The two USB-A ports sport Apple 2.4A capabilities. While this is slightly faster than a standard USB-A port, it’s not optimal for gadgets that use Quick Charge or other fairly common standards.
Read more: What is USB Power Delivery and how does it work?
Even with compatible gadgets, we didn’t clock the fastest possible charging speeds we’ve seen. The Microsoft Surface Book X was provided just 30W of power by the charger, although this tablet can be a bit finicky. Likewise, an Honor MagicBook Pro drew 40.5W instead of a full 45W promised by the USB-C port.
| Anker PowerPort III 3-port 65W Charger Test | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | Microsoft Surface Book X | Honor MagicBook Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USB-C Power Test | 14.0W / 25W 8.62V, 1.62A |
20W / 20W 8.71V, 2.57A |
30.1W / 60W 19.3V, 1.6A |
40.5W / 65W 19.2V, 2.11A |
| USB-C Energy Efficiency | 82.1%, good. | 84.8%, very good. | 83.5%, good. | 83.0%, good. |
| USB-A Power Test | 8.8W / 25W 5.1V, 1.72A |
12.1W / 20W 5.12V, 2.36A |
9.0W / 65W 4.67V, 1.93A |
|
| USB-A Energy Efficiency | 82.0%, good. | 82.2%, good. | 78.4%, OK. |
While this plug is pretty good for Apple fans looking to charge multiple devices at once, it’s not the best fast-charging solution if you have a wide range of gadgets sporting a variety of fast charging standards. Finally, it’s also a little bigger than rival 65W plugs, although it’s certainly not overly bulky.
Anker PowerPort III 3-Port 65W review: Should I buy it?
The Anker PowerPort III 3-Port 65W is a good choice for those looking for a well built charger to power up multiple gadgets when traveling. Unfortunately, the limited range of USB-A charging standards makes this a better option for Apple rather than Android consumers. Especially those who are holding on to older handsets.
Anker's PowerPort III 3-Port 65W is good charger for traveling Apple users.
The charger isn’t exactly on the cutting edge either. Those looking for a more up-to-date alternative with USB Power Delivery PPS support should check out the Elecjet X21 GaN Pro. Anker also has its own PPS compliant plug with the PowerPort III Pod and 65W of power for laptops, but this offers just a single USB-C connector. Those looking for a more compact USB-C focused charger may also like the Aukey Omnia 65W PD GaN.
That said, Anker’s PowerPort III 3-Port 65W is otherwise a good charger. Especially for traveling Apple users. Just make sure it suites the fast-charging needs of your specific devices before picking one up.
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