The Anker 737 is a compact three-port charger designed to quickly and efficiently charge almost any mobile device with optimal performance. ntv.de has tested whether the power supply keeps what the manufacturer promises.
That the EU has made USB-C the mandatory standard connection for smartphones and many other devices in order to reduce e-waste is basically a good thing. But it doesn’t mean that there won’t be many different power supplies anymore. Devices such as laptops require higher charging power than smartphones, for example, and the charging speed also depends on various standards. None of this should be a problem for the Anker 737, with sophisticated technology it should be the universal power supply for almost all mobile devices.
The Anker 737 is not as small as a simple smartphone charger, but at 43 × 35.3 × 80 millimeters it is significantly more compact than, for example, the power supply of a MacBook. According to the manufacturer, it is at least 39 percent smaller than Apple’s classic 96-watt power supply . The Anker 737 is by no means a lightweight at 203 grams. But since it is usually not carried in a jacket pocket, but in a backpack or suitcase, it doesn’t matter.
The workmanship is very high quality and the charger looks extremely solid. The power supply also looks good. This is mainly due to the ribbed border, shiny metallic front with light blue connection elements. Two USB-C outputs and one USB-A socket are available.
The performance of the Anker 737 is more important than pretty details. It offers up to 120 watts in total. That means the power is distributed across the sockets when multiple devices are connected. A maximum of 100 watts is possible if one of the two USB-C outputs is occupied and a correspondingly high-quality cable is used. This can be used to power most current notebooks, including the current MacBook Pro with a 16-inch display. If both USB-C ports are used, they share 120 watts, the USB-A socket delivers a maximum of 22.5 watts.
You have to be careful if you want to connect one device to a USB-C output and another to the USB-A slot. Only the upper USB-C socket, marked with a laptop symbol, can then deliver up to 100 watts, with the other combination only 24 watts are possible.
The compact design of the charger despite its high performance is made possible, among other things, by transistors based on gallium nitride (GaN), which Anker has been using since 2018. It can withstand higher voltages and temperatures than the commonly used silicon. This also means that GaN chargers are much more efficient, i.e. more energy-efficient. According to Anker, they convert up to 95 percent of the energy they absorb.
The power offered by an outlet does not mean that a device will absorb it in full. So that the optimum is transmitted, the electronics of the Anker 737 communicate with the connected devices and adjust the performance accordingly. If there are several recipients, it distributes them dynamically.
In the test, this meant that various smartphones were usually charged about as quickly on the USB-C ports as on the manufacturer’s power adapters; a MacBook Pro 13 (2016) was refueled faster than with the original 61-watt charger. As expected, the speeds at the USB-A output were sometimes slower when the manufacturers gave their devices power supplies with significantly more than 25 watts.
Basically, the loading times were consistently fast, and more important than setting speed records is probably that the Anker 737 always keeps an eye on the temperature so that neither the power supply nor connected devices can dangerously overheat.
Ultimately, the Anker 737 delivers what the manufacturer promises. It can usually replace all other USB power adapters while working quickly and safely. The compact device is a valuable companion, especially when travelling, but it can also provide more free sockets at home.
Unfortunately, the GaN power supply is still a bit expensive at 95 euros. Interested parties can wait for the manufacturer’s promotions or grab the Anker 735, which has a total output of 65 watts and is available for 70 euros.
