It’s not all that difficult to get South Africa excited about portable power solutions, is it? But getting Americans on board for a power bank is another feat altogether. Anker’s having a go of it anyway, having announced a slew of updated chargers and power banks under the ‘Prime’ banner.
There’s just one problem. At the time of writing, Anker hasn’t yet confirmed a launch a little closer to home. We’ve reached out to the head honchos in the hopes of eventually seeing the updated Prime lineup on South African shelves, but so far, no luck. It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility, though.
Anker’s in its Prime
The company’s 2024 refresh involves six new devices, ranging from a fresh new USB-C to USB-C cable, and even a 160W Charging Docking Station. They’re all fitted with technology that sounds suitably space-age, like Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductors or even Anker’s own PowerIQ 4.0 and Multiprotect.
Helping discern the 2024 tech from the rest of Anker’s tech is a snazzy new digital display on their fronts, a smorgasbord of ports you won’t know what to do with, and in one case, HDMI ports. We’ll get to that in a moment. Up first – the Anker Prime Charger.
For $170 (R3,130), Anker’s Prime Charger doles out 250W of power, spread across four USB-C ports, and for those still stuck in the stone ages, two USB-A ports – though it’ll only cap out 22.5W delivery. Stick to USB-C, and you’ll get 140W out of a single port, while the remaining three cut off at the 100W mark. The 2.26in LED display doubles as a clock for your desk, while a physical dial on the side (are dials coming back?) will control how much power flows through your devices.
Read More: Anker Nano power bank (USB-C) review – In case of emergency
Then there’s the 8-in-1 Charging Station, delivering 250W of power through a choice of USB-A, USB-C or the two AC ports Anker’s somehow fit onto the tiny form factor. There’s no dial to fiddle with but there is an LED display to keep an eye on your various charges.
Anker’s kept the new 65W Prime Power Bank on the slimmer side, despite the massive 9,600mAh lodged somewhere under its skin. There are no gimmicks here – just a solid product that’ll keep the phone lights on when Eskom inevitably decides we’ve had enough electricity for the year.
The most expensive product to hit the virtual shelves is the 160W Charging Docking Station (try saying that quickly three times), requiring a donation of $250 (R4,600) big ones before it’ll come home with you. It makes a little more sense once you get a look at the fourteen ports plastered on this thing. The idea is to keep your ports tidier by whacking them in the Ethernet and HDMI (4K 60Hz supported) holes ’round the back, while the front offers a selection of USB ports – three for charging and six for data transfer.
Just… don’t get your hopes up for a South African launch. While Anker was unable to confirm the new 2024 lineup wouldn’t be coming to SA’s shores, it mentioned that these US device launches rarely ever make it out of the States. We’ll update you if we do happen to make the cut, however.
You can check out the full list of Anker’s 2024 Prime devices below:
- Anker Prime Charger (250W, 6 Ports, GaNPrime) – $170 (R3,130)
- Anker Prime Charging Station (8-in-1, 240W) – $165 (R3,000)
- Anker Prime Charging Docking Station (14-in-1, Dual Display, 160W) – $250 (R4,600)
- Anker Prime Charger (100W, 3 Ports, GaN) – $85 (R1,560)
- Anker Prime Power Bank (9.6K, 65W, Fusion) – $90 (R1,650)
- Anker Prime USB-C to USB-C Cable (240W, Upcycled-Braided) – $30 (R550)
