I am thinking about getting an Anker USB Wall Charger either with one or two USB ports. They claim to be able to charge devices much faster than other chargers. How does this one compare to the iPhone's own 5W USB Power Adapter? Is the performance better or am I wasting my money?
iPhone 6, iOS 9.0.1, null
I would always buy Apple original if there is a choice but I have several Anker devices and they have so far proved good quality and reliable
The Apple cube can supply 1 amp. An iPhone 6 or higher will charge slightly faster with an adapter that can supply 1.5 amps or more. The "more" doesn't matter; iPhone will only use 1.5 amps, even if the adapter can supply more. So an Apple iPad adapter (2.2 amps) will make a small difference. the difference in either case won't be that noticeable; perhaps 15 minute's difference.
Thank for the explanation. So if the iPhone 6 can take up to 1.5 amps, why didn't Apple make the cube adapter also 1.5???
So it sounds like unless you need a wall charger that can charge more than one device at the same time (and save roughly 15 minutes), there's no real advantage in getting a USB charger like Anker, correct? The only other advantage I see is if you want to use a single USB charge for an iPad and iPhone (and other devices) the Anker charger can "sense" an adjust for the correct amp output.
Almost, but not quite. The Anker (and other power sources) are not "chargers." They are a source of 5 volts at some current limit. The charger is in the phone, and it draws whatever current the phone needs, up to the limit of the power source. Thus, there is no benefit to using an adapter that supplies more than 1.5 amps. One that supplies 100 amps would make no difference in charging time. If you want to use a single power source for both iPhone and iPad simply use the one that comes with the iPad.
As to why Apple includes the cube rather than an iPad adapter with the phone, there's no way of knowing. Other than the fact that the phone would need a larger box to include the iPad adapter, and the iPad adapter is bulkier to carry. And it only makes about 15 minute's difference. An iPhone will charge with the cube in about 2 3/4 hours, or 2 1/2 with the iPad adapter.
The best way to charge an iPhone or iPad it to charge it overnight, every night. In this scenario the time to charge is irrelevant.
Are Anker USB Chargers better?
