Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Two USB-C ports and one USB-A port
- Fast charging
- Doesn’t get hot
- Practical folding plug
Cons
- Recommended operating temperatures seem restrictive
Our Verdict
The Anker Prime 735 Charger is very compact yet still supports three connections with fast charging speeds and it maintains a proper operating temperature. You get good performance for the price, and if you’re looking for a new charger, the Prime 735 is one to consider.
Price When Reviewed
$59.99
Best Prices Today: Anker Prime 735 Charger
$39.99
The Anker Prime 735 Charger is smaller than Apple’s original 67W charger, which is a popular charger with MacBook owners. Apple’s new 70W charger is as compact as the Prime 735, though the Prime 735 has a few features that make it more appealing.
What gives the Prime 735 an advantage over Apple’s 70W charger is that it offers a total of three charging ports that can be used at the same time. The two USB-C ports support Power Delivery 3.0, and each port can handle a maximum of 65 watts. The Prime 735’s USB-A has a maximum of up to 22.5 watts. However, if more than one port is used at the same time, the Prime 735 divides the power between the devices.
The charging times (using a single USB-C port) with the Prime 735 are impressive. Within 30 minutes, an iPhone 13 charges 51 percent, an 11-inch iPad Pro 11-inch charges 35 percent, and an M1 MacBook Air M1 charges 37 percent.
The Prime 735 is a gallium nitride (GaN) charger, which helps with the compact design, and it does a more efficient job of transferring current than non-GaN chargers. Smaller chargers often are warmer to the touch, but this is where the Prime 735 surprises us. At full load with two devices connected, the 735 gets warm, but if you only have a MacBook connected, for example. The charger has a protective circuit called Active Shield 2.0 to make sure it doesn’t get too hot to handle. Anker recommends that the ambient temperature for operation should be 0 to 25 degrees Celsius, which seems a little restrictive.
The Anker Prime 735 Charger has a foldable plug (European plug shown here).
Thomas Bergbold
A cool feature is that the plug is foldable for both the U.S. and European plugs. Some manufacturers use an interchangeable plug that can simply be removed. The folding plug works very well in practice and more importantly, the construction does not appear wobbly, but rather very robust.
Another nice touch is that the packaging for the Prime 735 is mostly plastic-free, with only a recycled plastic bag used to protect the charger. The entire packaging is made from recycled paper, printed with vegetable soy ink. Anker also offers a 24-month warranty.
The Anker Prime 735 (shown with a European plug) can charge three devices at once.
Thomas Bergbold
Bottom line
The Anker Prime 735 Charger is very compact yet still supports three connections with fast charging speeds and it maintains a proper operating temperature. You get good performance for the price, and if you’re looking for a new charger, the Prime 735 is one to consider.
This article originally appeared on MacWelt and was translated by Roman Loyola.
