With the adoption of USB-C and GaN charging technology, compact wall chargers can provide more power than ever before to a wider range of gadgets. More power means the ability to charge up multiple devices at once. With 60W of power and two USB-C ports onboard, Anker’s PowerPort Atom PD 2 is designed specifically to fill this growing need. Of course, the market for multi-device chargers is quickly becoming a highly competitive space. Let’s dive right into Android Authority’s Anker PowerPort Atom PD 2 review to see how it stacks up.
Also read: The best phone charging accessories.
What you need to know about the Anker PowerPort Atom PD 2
- Anker PowerPort Atom PD 2 review: $45.99/£49.99/€45.99
Anker’s PowerPort Atom PD 2 is built for modern gadgets and sports two USB-C ports. You won’t find any older USB-A ports and legacy charging standards here, this charger is very much designed for products built in the last five or so years.
See also: What is GaN and what does it mean for your tech?
The two ports support the USB Power Delivery protocol, providing up to 60W of power via 3A at 5V, 9V, 15V, and 20V levels. This provides plenty of power for smartphones, laptops, tablets, and a wide range of other USB-C gadgets.
The Atom PD 2 is available in both black and white color options. Anker sells versions compatible with US, UK, and EU plug sockets, but regionality is fixed. The charger doesn’t feature interchangeable plugs or a USB cable in the box.
What’s good?
The Anker PowerPort Atom PD 2 provides up to 60W from either of its USB-C ports. That’s plenty of power for USB Power Delivery smartphones and even the most demanding laptops on the market. This includes Apple’s MacBook line, and Anker boasts that this charger is slightly smaller than Apple’s option.
| Anker PowerPort Atom PD 2 Charger Test | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | Microsoft Surface Book X | Honor MagicBook Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Test | 14.4W / 25W 8.83V, 1.63A |
22W / 22W 8.88V, 2.53A |
31.1W / 60W 19.2V, 1.62A |
55.1W / 65W 19.2V, 2.87A |
| Energy Efficiency | 80.0%, good. | 80.8%, good. | 82.3%, good. | 83.6%, good. |
Using the two ports together supports up to 60W of charging which split evenly as 30W from each port. Once again, 30W is plenty to charge up smartphones that require USB Power Delivery, as well as tablets. Other chargers often throttle the second port to 15W or so, so the Atom PD 2 is better than most for fast-charging two phones at once. The charger is also plenty power efficient too, clocking in between 80 and 84% wall to device efficiency. However, it’s worth noting I couldn’t quite get it to pull the full 60W into any device I tested.
Bottom line, the Anker PowerPort Atom PD 2 is a solid charger for all your modern USB-C gadgets.
What’s not so good?
There’s really not a lot to dislike about the Anker PowerPort Atom PD 2. It’s well built, reasonably energy-efficient, and provides plenty of power. It’s not without caveats, though.
The 30W per port setup isn’t quite ideal when charging more demanding gadgets together. Larger laptops charge notably slower when sharing power with another gadget than when using a single port. 30W isn’t slow as such but will take several hours to power up a laptop that usually requires 60W.
Read more: What is USB Power Delivery and how does it work?
The PowerPort Atom PD 2 isn’t quite on the cutting edge of charging technology either. Although most devices still use the standard USB Power Delivery protocol, a handful of devices are starting to use the newer USB PD PPS revision. The latest Samsung flagships, for example, require PPS support to optimally charge at its fastest speed. Anker’s charger isn’t ideal here.
Despite Anker’s boasts of the adapter being smaller than Apple’s MacBook chargers, the plug is a little on the large side compared to other GaN chargers that are now very popular in the market. I also would have liked Anker to have provided interchangeable regional plugs to make the charger a more ideal travel companion. The UK and EU variants are a little bulky as the prongs don’t fold.
Anker PowerPort Atom PD 2 review: Should I buy it?
At $45.99, the Anker PowerPort Atom PD 2 is at the more expensive end of the charging market. For that, you’re buying two powerful USB Power Delivery ports with enough power to charge a laptop or a couple of phones at once.
A max of 30W from each port when dual-charging makes this a less ideal setup for charging a laptop and phone simultaneously than some other options on the market, although users primarily charging phones and tablets may actually prefer this setup. There’s also no USB PD PPS support for fast charging phones like Samsung’s Galaxy S21 series.
This is a competitive price point and the Aukey Omnia 65W PD GaN offers similar specifications, a more compact design, and a slightly lower price tag. It’s a solid alternative for laptop charging. Those after a charger 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.
Overall, the Anker PowerPort Atom PD 2 may be pricey but it delivers a very comprehensive charging package.
Built for USB-C
