Anker PowerConf S3 – Speaker Phone Review

A significant part of working from Home/Remote is calls or meetings with your team. Whether through good old telephone, hangouts, or any million available services, the quality of the call depends on how good your microphones are. I have been making significant investments to improve that part of the meetings.

I usually use a Sennheiser PC 8 Over-Ear USB VOIP Headphone with a Mic. It's made for calls. It's comfortable to wear, the sound is clear, and the microphone is fantastic. The microphone handle is foldable; hence, it's portable. It also works with phones. I have used the same pair for over two years and am still using the same pair. For the price, Rs. 1500, it's a bargain and a must-have. The only thing is you have a wire.

I also have Sony Wh-Ch510 Bluetooth Wireless headphones, which I use for non-work-related tasks. Sometimes, I have used it to make calls on the phone. It's not bad at all. It's also fold-able and very portable. The price, Rs. 2300 is also reasonable. The only thing is you have to wear it. 

Much later, I wanted to do calls where I could walk and talk but wanted to avoid wearing a headset or in-ear earphones. Walking around in my home office makes it much better since I stand and work. I also didn't want to be isolated as we have a baby at home. So I wanted something that has excellent microphones, good sound quality, is portable, and sits in a place. 

Then, I came across Anker PowerConf S3. It's a speaker-phone by Anker. I had heard the reviews of it, and it seemed an expensive investment, but then the features were so good that I had to get it.

• It has six microphones. It can hear from all sides. So sitting, standing, and walking around all possible while talking. It has a built-in custom DSP algorithm to reduce the background noise so that the other side can hear better.
• It is a full duplex device, which means the speakerphone can transmit the voice of both parties simultaneously. 
• It has a decent 3-watt speaker, great for calls and voice. Okay for music
• It has Bluetooth 5, supports wireless audio, and is stable.
• It has USB-C if you prefer wired audio. 
• Plug and play: I have tried it on Linux and Android. It works like a charm without issues on both USB-C and Bluetooth channels.
• It has an enormous 6,700mAh battery that supports 24 hours of cal.
• It's charged via USB-C, but it can also charge while being used when connected through USB-C.
• It can also work as a power bank (USB-A port, 5V/2.1A output), so you can carry this instead of a separate power bank on the road.
• The best part is it has touch buttons on the top with a light indicator. It supports mute, call, and play buttons and volume increase and decrease buttons. Since it's hardware-controlled, it works with all kinds of conference services.
• It has a 3.5 mm audio output jack to connect to analog audio external speakers. If you prefer that.
• It comes with a travel carry case and is very portable. I have carried it everywhere in my backpack.
• Though I have yet to use it, it has AnkerWork App to configure various speaker-phone aspects and upgrade firmware. 

I have been using it for months now. I am pleased about this product. It's on the expensive side. It costs around INR 10K but is an excellent long-term investment, especially because it's versatile and will be used for all kinds of purposes at home and away.

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