Anker launches cheaper USB-C fast charging options for Samsung Galaxy phones

Anker’s releasing a pair of new “Ace” compact USB-C chargers that are intended for owners of the latest Samsung devices. They support Samsung’s Super Fast Charging 2.0 specification to quickly juice up newer Galaxy phones — Anker claims its 313 charger can fill up an S22 Ultra’s 5,000mAh battery from zero in under an hour — and should pair well with the S23 phones Samsung is announcing later today (perfect timing, Anker) or any other mobile gadgets you need to plug in.

Samsung’s Super Fast Charging relies on a USB Power Delivery (PD) specification called PPS. Unlike proprietary fast charging tech, like the Warp Charging in OnePlus devices, PPS is open for any manufacturer to use, but only Samsung seems to be using it widely.

Many USB-C Power Delivery chargers, however, don’t include PPS support, limiting their effectiveness when combined with Galaxy phones. And since Galaxy buyers aren’t getting chargers in the box anymore, accessory makers like Anker can opportunistically swoop in with an offer for buyers needing a new wall wart.

The first of the two new chargers is the Anker 313, a $29.99 45W GaN charger with a single USB-C port and folding blades. Anker’s 313 is 30 percent smaller than Samsung’s official charger of the same caliber, and given its promise of charging a Galaxy S22 Ultra in under one hour, it’s likely to similarly fast charge Samsung’s latest S23 Ultra as well.

The second charger is this Anker 312, which outputs 25W of power through its single USB-C port, and is advertised to charge a Galaxy S22’s 3,700mAh battery in under 1.5 hours. Anker’s 312 is 23 percent smaller and $20 cheaper than the official 25W Samsung charger, and It’ll be available through Anker’s website for $14.99.

Both of the new chargers include Anker’s PowerIQ 3.0 propriety tech that can identify if a device is asking for a specific charging protocol — including Quick Charge 3.0. Anker’s advantage over purchasing the more expensive official Samsung 45W and 25W chargers are that the 312 and 313 support their full advertised speed on any PD device, plus newer Samsung Galaxy devices. The official Samsung chargers, however, can only charge at full speed for PPS-supported devices.

For owners of other devices like iPhones, tablets, and modern laptops, these new chargers will act just like regular USB-C PD chargers. And for the Samsung die-hards, these new Anker chargers look a lot like what should still come included in the box of new phones.