Anker Innovations Co., Ltd,[a] commonly known as Anker,[b] is a Chinese electronics manufacturer based in Changsha, Hunan, China. The company's product range includes phone chargers, power banks, earbuds, headphones, speakers, data hubs, 3D printers, charging cables, torches (flashlights), and screen protectors, among other products.
History
Anker was founded in 2011 by Steven Yang in Shenzhen, Guangdong, but the company soon moved its headquarters to Changsha, Hunan. In 2011, Anker expanded its focus from replacement laptop batteries to smartphone battery chargers, wall chargers, portable power and conferencing gear.[3] In early 2014, Anker Innovations hired Zhao Dongping, Google's then-head of sales in China,[3] who eventually became president in 2020.[4]
Anker makes power banks, charging cables, wall adapters, power strips, USB hubs, and torches under the Bolder sub-brand. Soundcore makes Bluetooth earbuds, headphones, and speakers. Eufy produces smart home appliances and security devices. Nebula makes portable video projectors. Roav makes car accessories. Zolo was a precursor to the Soundcore brand. KARAPAX made phone cases.
Anker also makes 3D printers and 3D printing filament under the AnkerMake name. They currently have 2 models of 3D printers, one being the M5 and the other being the M5C. The M5 was the first printer that AnkerMake created. It was funded through a Kickstarter campaign.[8]
Controversies
One of Anker's sub-brands, Eufy, claimed that all data recorded by their webcams was stored locally with no cloud access and further claimed that only the owner had access to their data. However, security researcher Paul Moore found out that images and videos were uploaded to Eufy's servers leased through AWS. Additionally, these images were tagged with user data. Even after deleting the images and his Eufy account, Moore found that the images remained on Eufy's AWS servers.[9][10][11][12][13] This led to several sponsored entities, such as Linus Tech Tips, dropping Anker as a sponsor.[14] In December 2022, The Verge reported that Eufy had drastically changed its 'privacy commitment' page, removing many of their previous statements on the privacy aspects of its cameras.[15]
Gallery
Anker PowerPort, a fast USB charger with 5 ports
Anker Astro, a mobile battery charger introduced in 2011