You might know Anker well from being a provider of great cables for your phones or battery packs but they’ve been expanding into other areas like webcams, headphones and projectors. Next up, it’s Magsafe (called MagGo) accessories for iPhone, designed to take advantage of newer iPhones and their in-built magnets. Anker sent us two to check out and they’re pretty great!
Anker MagGo 622 Magnetic Wireless Charger
Anker’s MagGo 622 is a pretty nifty upgrade on the standard wireless charger. It’s a small package designed to give you a single charge that magnetises to the back of your phone – very much like Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack. It’s nearly €50 less and in my testing, charges your iPhone just as much, if not slightly more than Apple’s version. You even get a neat built-in kickstand that folds out which is perfect for traveling and it comes in a choice of five colors.
There are a few trade-offs for that saving, the magnet in the MagGo 622 is not as strong as Apple’s so you’ll want to have a case on it. You’ll also find it’s a little bulkier, so much so it won’t suit an iPhone 12/13 Mini well – arguably the device that needs this the most. Finally, it won’t deliver the same pass-through charging that Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack offers but for about €63 quid, you can always pick yourself up a nice MagSafe charger or a few cables for the money you’ll save.
Anker MagGo 623 Magnetic Wireless Charger
The Anker 623 MagGo desktop charger is a pretty neat package. It leverage’s the magnets in Apple’s newer phones to click your phone into place and charge it wirelessly. With a flip of the lid, you’ll be able to tilt your phone towards you and uncover a second wireless charging pad – perfect for AirPods. It’s utterly designed for Apple devices. In fact, trying to charge two Android devices on it simultaneously is impossible but Anker knew that and delivered the best experience it could. It’s hefty yet small, meaning you’ll be able to remove your phone from the charger without ripping it off the desk.
I previously had the Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE™ PRO 2-in-1 which offers a similar thing in a much bigger package and here’s the kicker. Anker’s solution is smaller and costs about €25-30 less, and comes in multiple colours too. The Anker MagGo 623 is perfect for a bed-stand with no lights, a charger in the box, and because you can tilt and angle the bracket, you can get the perfect angle for bedtime Netflix viewing. The only knock against it will be charging speed. The Belkin will charge your device at 15W whereas the Anker will only charge at 7.5W. Might not sound like much but if you’re charging at your desk during the day for small periods, that rapid charging does make a difference and might swing your decision. Weirdly also, if you’re not charging your phone and AirPods at the same time, then the lower wireless charging pad automatically shuts off. Not great if you forget to put your AirPods back onto the main pad lying down.
For the price, it’s hard to go wrong with the Anker MagGo 623 Magnetic Wireless Charger, in fact – it might even be the perfect gift for the iPhone lover in your life with Valentine’s Day.
Final Verdict:
I wish Anker released these products earlier! I would have saved about €70 and gotten basically the same (if not better in many ways) experience as I would with Apple’s recommended options. These are solid devices from a trusted brand and come in multiple colours to boot. If you can get them shipped to Ireland (damn Amazon UK and their shipping!) then you’re onto a winner!
We’re excited to see what else Anker has up their sleeve, especially their upcoming 633 MagGo too which combines both a magnetic battery bank and desk charger into one – the dream!
