Anker PowerPort Atom PD 1 Review

Can you replace your laptop’s large wall charger with one that’s just slightly larger than an iPhone charger? Here, I’m reviewing the Anker PowerPort Atom PD 1 30W USB-C charger and putting it to the test. Special thanks to Anker for sending out this product for review.

Design

The PowerPort Atom PD 1 comes in at just 1.6 x 1.8 x 1.5 inches. For comparison, Apple’s stock MacBook charger is 2.2 x 2.2 x 1.1 inches. Anker is able to make their charger smaller thanks to something called gallium nitride. This allows for smaller components and more efficient power handling.

Performance

Dell Chromebook Charging

First, I tested a Dell 14-inch Chromebook and it charged almost as quickly as the stock charger. The stock charger can output 45 watts (20V - 2.25A) while the Atom PD 1 charged at 30 watts (15V - 2A). It’s not quite as fast as the stock charger, but it’s also a lot smaller and most people probably won’t notice a change in charging speed.

Acer R13 Chromebook Charging

Charging my non-PD compliant Acer R13 Chromebook was also successful. The stock charger can reach 45 watts (20V - 2.25A) while the Atom PD 1 provided 30 watts (15V - 2A). This Chromebook does not fully comply with the Power Delivery specs and it struggled with other Anker PD chargers, so I was happy to see it work with the Atom PD 1.

Samsung Galaxy Book 12 Charging

My Samsung Galaxy Book 12’s stock charger maxes out at 25 watts (12V - 2.1A), but the Anker Atom PD1 actually exceeded it and charged the tablet at 30 watts (20V - 1.5A).

Nintendo Switch Charging

The Nintendo Switch has some unique charging requirements that go against some of the Power Delivery specs.

• When playing the Switch in “docked” mode on your TV, it requires 39 watts (15V - 2.6 amps), so the Anker Atom PD1 will not work for TV playing.
• However, the Switch only requires about 18 watts (15V - 1.2A) to charge and play at the same time in handheld mode, in which case the Anker PowerPort Atom PD1 can charge the Switch while it is being played in handheld mode.

Features

Probably the one lacking feature that almost everyone will notice is the lack of foldable prongs on Atom PD 1. However, given the small size of the unit, this is forgivable as it is still much more portable than most laptop chargers. And, hey, the stock iPhone charger also does not have foldable prongs.

You’ll also need to have your own USB-C cable as there is no USB-C cable included in the box, which is the norm for most wall chargers.

While charging, I was surprised that the Atom PD 1 did not become very hot. It did get warm, but not alarmingly so. There is no UL certification, but the Atom does include Anker’s standard set of safety features that they call “MultiProtect” that provides protections against over-current and short circuits.

iPhone Fast Charging

Starting with the iPhone 8 and including the iPhone X, iPhone XS and iPhone XR, you can use a Power Delivery charger (and a USB-C to Lightning cable, which needs to be purchased separately) to fast charge your iPhone to 50% in as little as 30 minutes. For more information about this, please refer to the Apple support article regarding fast charging. The Anker PowerPort Atom PD 1 supports the Power Delivery requirements needed for fast iPhone charging.

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Technical Specs

Output

• 5V - 3A
• 9V - 3A
• 15V - 2A
• 20V - 1.5A

Input

• 100-240V - 1.2A 50-60HZ