Speakerphone review
Anker PowerConf S3 Review — €79 of Audio That Actually Pays Off
Listen to the verdict
Verdict
One of the cheapest ways to upgrade how you sound on calls. Six microphones, 360° pickup, USB-C plus Bluetooth, and enough room coverage to move around during calls rather than lean into a laptop.
What works
- Six microphones provide genuine 360° pickup
- USB-C and Bluetooth work simultaneously
- Built-in echo cancellation actually does its job
- 24-hour battery on a single charge
- Mute button on top — large, obvious, instant
- Doubles as a Bluetooth music speaker
What doesn't
- Music playback is fine but not impressive
- No AirPlay or Chromecast
- USB-C cable in the box is short (60cm)
- LED ring is too bright in dim rooms
The problem with laptop speakers and earbuds
Laptop speakers turn your voice into a tin can on the other end. Earbuds like the AirPods Pro 2 work, but they trap you in a cable or limit you to 30 minutes before your ears hurt. The PowerConf S3 fixes both: it puts your voice through six microphones positioned around the table and your peers' voices through a speaker that doesn't sound like a phone on hold.
Six microphones, 360° pickup — what that actually gets you
Useful pickup is roughly two metres in any direction. You can stand up, pace, dictate notes from across the room. Not perfectly — the further you go, the more reverb — but for one-to-one calls and 3-4 person meetings around a table, you sound consistent regardless of where you are.
If your calls are mostly solo and you want studio-grade voice rather than room coverage, a dedicated desk mic like the Blue Yeti is the better tool — the PowerConf wins when other people share the room.
USB-C vs Bluetooth — when to use which
USB-C: best audio quality, instant connection, lower battery drain. Use it when you're at the desk connected to one device.
Bluetooth 5.0: pair to two devices simultaneously (laptop + phone), no cables, slightly more compression. Use it when you switch between meetings on different devices, or when the speakerphone moves between rooms.
You can use both at the same time. The PowerConf will play audio from whichever source is sending it. That's surprisingly useful when a colleague calls your phone while you're on a laptop meeting — you can mute the laptop and pick up the call through the same device.
Watch before you buy
Anker's official product video
Anker's own promotional video for the PowerConf S3. It is manufacturer marketing, not an independent demonstration — treat the audio comparison in it accordingly.
Battery life and travel use
Anker rates the S3 at 24 hours of call time and quotes a 3-hour USB-C recharge. As with any Bluetooth speakerphone, expect less than the rated figure at higher volumes. It is small enough to slip into a backpack pocket without a case, which is the main reason to pick it over a mains-powered desk speakerphone.
Who should buy this
- You're on more than 90 minutes of calls per day
- You take calls in spaces where earbuds are awkward (kitchens, shared offices, meeting rooms)
- You want a physical mute button you can hit without alt-tabbing
- You sometimes have a colleague or partner join you on a call from your office