Last month, Apple began selling a new 3-in-1 cube with MagSafe from Anker, which is a compact charging accessory capable of charging an iPhone, Apple watch, and AirPods at the same time. I've been testing it out for a couple of weeks, and it's become my favorite multi- device charge.
The first officially certified MagSafe product from Anker is the cube, which supports full 15- watt wireless charging on compatible phones. Fast charging on Series 7, Series 8, and Ultra is a significant improvement over standard charging speeds. All of your device charging needs are covered with the highest possible specifications if you combine those features with a charging surface.
The 3-in-1 cube collapses down to a roughly 2.5 inch cube, which is great for a smaller nightstand or desk area and for portable use. This is an improvement over the other options like the 3-in-1 stand with fixed arms that make it quite bulky for shipping and everyday use.
It's necessary to provide stability in counterbalancing a phone stuck to the MagSafe charging surface if you're going to toss it in a travel bag because of its heavy weight.
The MagSafe phone charging surface on the Anker's cube is a platform that swings up and down with enough resistance that you can position it across a range of angles for maximum convenience.
This is the first third-party MagSafe charging surface I've seen that doesn't use the traditional white charging surface, instead using a dark gray surface that blends in with the rest of the cube's body. Hopefully this is a sign of more visually unique designs for MagSafe-certified products going forward because I like the contrast to the Apple's bold white MagSafe surfaces.
I found the charging speeds for my phone to be on par with other third-party MagSafe-certifiedchargers. For some reason, none of the third-party 15- watt chargers I've tried are as fast as Apple's own MagSafe Charger, but they come reasonably close and are definitely faster than you can get with an unofficial "MagSafe- compatible" charger that Apple limits.
The Apple Watch charging puck on the cube has a clever design that can be put into the body of the cube, which is useful when traveling or not needed. My unit tends to need an additional tug after it's deployed in order to make sure it's fully extended.
Fast charging is a must-have accessory for people like me who like to wear their Apple Watch a lot. The Apple Watch Series 7 or 8 can be charged from empty to 75% in just 45 minutes, and my experience has been in line with those figures. I tested it charging my Apple Watch Ultra even faster than Apple's own fast charging Apple Watch cable.
If you're a fan of bulky Apple Watch bands, the compact design of the Cube could be a problem. I use the Apple Watch Ultra's Ocean Band as my everyday band and I have to be a little bit careful with how I set the watch on the charger to make sure it doesn't interfere with the table or desk below. It works well, but thinner, more flexible bands are less likely to be picky.
It's not particularly convenient to use with Nightstand mode on the Apple Watch because the charging surface is not vertically oriented. If you need to check the time during the night, you can use the MagSafe charger to check the time on your phone.
The charging surface for the AirPods is a simple platform with a charging symbol similar to the MagSafe one. Unless the MagSafe charging surface has been moved as far upright as possible, the AirPods charging surface isn't really usable, but that's not a big deal for me as I prefer my phone in that orientation anyways.
The only visible branding is a slightly debossed Anker logo on the front in the same dark gray color, so it's quite subtle, and the rest of the design is dark gray plastic that helps it blend in to most environments. I don't like the fact that the hinge is shiny and shows fingerprints. The MagSafe charging surface's back side is made of the same material, but it's not very visible from the outside.
There's a small white powerLED on the rear of the cube, as well as a rubber-like material that helps prevent it from sliding around or damaging the desk or table it's sitting on. It doesn't shine at you during the night because it only comes on when you plug it in, and because it's located in the middle of nowhere.
I've found that the 1.5 meter (5-foot) cable that is included with the Cube is enough for several locations.
The price of the 3-in-1 cube is likely to be the biggest downside. That's in line with other premium officially certified 3-in-1 chargers, but definitely a bit of sticker shock for customers used to Anker's products being of excellent quality but at good value. The high price tag on the Cube can be attributed to the MagSafe and Apple Watch fast charging support, as well as the need to work directly with Apple to obtain premium-priced components and certification for the product.
It may be too late to order a 3-in-1 cube with MagSafe if you want to give it as a holiday gift. Apple is currently quoting a delivery estimate of December 13 to December 28 even with expedited shipping, as well as the fact that new orders won't ship until at least Christmas and possibly early January.
Macrumors was given the 3-in-1 cube by Anker for the purpose of the review. None of the other compensation was given. Macrumors is an affiliates partner. We get a small payment when you click a link and make a purchase.
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