Anker PowerConf Featured on CNET + Deal 🎁!

[Shenoy]

Save $30 on Anker’s new portable Bluetooth speakerphone

Anker PowerConf for $99.99 on Amazon, see details below

Make conference calls suck less. This handy tool can also recharge your phone.

Anker’s new PowerConf Bluetooth speaker is great for conference calls, whether it’s just you or a big group.

Anker

Raise your hand if you’ve been here before: You’re dialed into the company meeting, and you put your phone on speaker so you can do other things while listening in. But the sound quality is terrible, both for you and the people at the other end. That’s no surprise; your phone has to rely on one tiny microphone and two (at best) tiny speakers.

Want to make these calls suck way, way less? Pick up a Bluetooth speakerphone, one that’s expressly designed for this purpose. Anker just unveiled such a product, and I’ve got an exclusive deal on it: For a limited time, and while supplies last, the Anker PowerConf Bluetooth Speakerphone is $99.99 when you clip the on-page $20-off coupon and then apply promo code CNETCONF at checkout. Total savings: $30.

The PowerConf can connect to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth 5.0, but also has a USB-C option in case you want a laptop hookup. It works for just about any kind of call, including FaceTime, Skype, Zoom and so on.

As noted, this represents a huge improvement over your phone’s speakerphone capabilities. It incorporates a six-microphone array that effectively provides 360-degree omnidirectional audio capture, while at the same time reducing background noise. That means everyone can be heard regardless of where they’re sitting. Anker recommends this for groups of up to eight people.

As an added perk, the PowerConf is portable, offering up to 24 hours of call time via its 6,700-mAh rechargeable battery. And it doubles as a power bank: There’s a USB port you can use to top off your phone or another mobile device.

I haven’t tried this myself, but it has a 4.3-star averaging rating from about 40 buyers. Curiously, and annoyingly, Fakespot indicates a large proportion of questionable ratings, while ReviewMeta says 100% are legit. My take: Anker makes good gear.

Buy here

Use the promo code CNETCONF

Save $30 on Anker's new portable Bluetooth speakerphone

[ikari04warrior]

That’s awesome, definitely not for me but it seems like Anker delivered another great product

[paulstevenewing]

Can’t wait to get my hands on one.

[Shenoy]

Looking forward to seeing your review … there was a thread this am about some feature, hope we can get to hear more

[paulstevenewing]

Hey @Shenoy
Once I take delivery it’s going straight to my work and used for a few customer conference calls. Should get some pics of that but not video due to confidentiality.
But I have a few personal calls I plan to record which will hopefully show is sound quality.

[paulstevenewing]

Talked that up @Shenoy
Just received despatch email.
Estimated delivery 9th.

[Daiross]

Thanks for sharing!!

[Shenoy]

That’s great news!! Thanks for the update @paulstevenewing

[Dez_S]

Good deal. I’m currently testing it and so far, I like it

[Erich_Robinowitz1]

I really wish I had a need for this. Looks really awesome, and compact. Good job, Anker.

[professor]

Curious, why would people use this other than for work purposes? Also all the offices I worked in for years had speaker phones already, commonly being Cisco VOIP phones.

Sometimes we’d have an ad-hoc meeting and struggle over a phone in speaker mode but to solve that with this product meant we’d have to carry it around all the time. So to solve that I’d keep a Soundcore Nano in my work bag which is tiny and the feedback from callers was audio was fine.

So isn’t the need here for Anker to sell to corporate buyers?

[Shenoy]

I completely agree with your points, had highlighted these on previous posts here and here

First

[FCC] PowerConf

Anker should have included SIP Phone Line registration feature into it, most corporate offices need this kind of movable phone unit. Hope Anker looks into it!

Second

[FCC] PowerConf

The biggest benefit of having the PowerConf register as SIP Line is easy of use, or is the main benefit of having a Enterprise grade Phone on desk.

I see 2 issues arising out of the PowerConf in the Long run:

1. Think of this scenario - Bluetooth pairing issues… and there is an important meeting to join. and all users have different phone models … iphones, samsung, oneplus, 2plus, …and etc…
2. Support Issues for local IT / Helpdesk to support, though it is not directly related to them but dependent on the user phones.

From what I see, PowerConf will be a good fit for end user to own personally and use it for his calls while in a conference room, or a company provided device for individuals.

At the same time, from the trend I am currently seeing, many new users are not really interested in the Phones at their desk, they prefer to use the softphones on Laptop or on their Smartphones, and many prefer to BT pair to the conference room phones - Polycom Trio supports it and one of reasons we are sticking to these conference phones.

Anker, may be as second iteration of this PowerConf, should add a SIP line registration option over Wifi, this would be a great option for anyone interested in this device, plus entice the Enterprises to get this PowerConf

Hope @AnkerOfficial @AnkerSupport is hearing this…

[professor]

Fair points. Planned phone calls with groups were always using a collaboration tool and you’d in a software app tell it to phone the number in the room or at your desk. If moving (in car, etc) then it would phone your cellphone and you’d be on your own (in car, etc) so be using the car’s audio or a BT bud in ear.

People prefer to not use their phone as the bridge to audio as that suffers cellular coverage, wired to a landline number (typically VOIP line) is highly common.

I’m struggling to think of situations this product would ever been worth buying, and the offices would struggle to think of buying.

I tell one useful thing Anker could make with batteries, microphones, speakers is a portable noise cancellation system, a set of speakers you dot around a room and it removes external noise.

With work from home going to be a theme in 2020/1, people being able to hold work calls with the kids home with closed schools, that would sell in huge numbers right now.

Anker, just send me a suitcase of cash for my idea.

[Shenoy]

People prefer to not use their phone as the bridge to audio as that suffers cellular coverage, wired to a landline number (typically VOIP line) is highly common.

People are increasingly using Zoom, WebEx, Cisco Jabber, Teams, Slack and many VoIP applications on tablets and smartphones (mostly iPads & iPhones) for all these apps, and much more on Laptops and Macs…

If at all they need to use, they prefer Video Conference calls over the Audio only calls, again using these conference solutions.

Wireless usage mostly with actual PSTN calls placed has reduced a lot, compared to what was happening may be 4-5 years ago.

With work from home going to be a theme in 2020/1, people being able to hold work calls with the kids home with closed schools, that would sell in huge numbers right now.

I am remote now and have my little one playing and singing all the time,
Am using the Strike 3 headset from Soundcore, which is meant for Gaming - but finding it most comfortable for using it for my work, completely encloses my ears, great sound, awesome noise-cancelling by the microphone … wrong use case but perfect work case