As someone who is decidedly not a morning person, I had aspersions about reviewing the Anker Soundcore Wakey. After all, if audiophiles review headphones, and die-hard gamers review games, what business do I, a person whose snooze button has rubbed away into naught, have reviewing a high-tech alarm clock?
I thought about that, and then I said to Anker’s PR person: “Ah, sod it. Send it over.”
As it turns out, that was a good shout. Not only is the Anker Soundcore Wakey a genuinely delightful bit of kit, it’s also one of the best alarm clocks I’ve ever had the pleasure to use, and is loud enough to pry even the most narcoleptic of sleepers from their sheets.
Meet the Anker Soundcore Wakey
This is a beautifully designed alarm clock.
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Its chassis is clad in a soothing white plastic. At the front, there’s a fabric mesh. Behind that, there’s a hidden array of LED lights that display the time in a digital format. Below, there’s an array of touch-sensitive buttons that allow you to control playback of music, turn off the alarm, and switch on the built-in FM radio.
The Soundcore Wakey also comes with several options for charging your devices. At the top is a 10W wireless charger. At the rear of the alarm clock, there’s two 5V/2A USB-A chargers. It’s here you’ll also find the plug-in FM antenna.
What I really appreciated about the Soundcore Wakey is that you don’t have to set the alarm by fiddling ineptly with buttons. There’s a companion app available for Android and iOS. To use it, you’ve got to connect your phone to the clock via Bluetooth. The app will then immediately identify the device.
The app lets you select what time you want to wake up on, and what days. It also comes with several built-in ambient noises, which you can activate through the app, and help soothe yourself into a restful sleep.
Performance
With its 10W of output, the Anker Soundcore Wakey is unambiguously loud. It’s this attribute that makes it so performant at waking you up. It’s a bit like having an Iron Maiden concert on your bedside table. Sure, it’s a bit startling sometimes, but isn’t that the point?
Since the Soundcore Wakey connects to phones via Bluetooth, you can broadcast music from your device easily, without having to use any complicated Wi-Fi streaming apps (a lá Sonos).
In terms of sound performance, it doesn’t disappoint, and comes with the hallmark bassy audio profile you’ve long come to expect from Anker’s audio gear. This makes it ideal when listening to hip-hop and rock music, which emphasize those meaty lows.
Mid and high ranges are emphasized less, but are still very much listenable, and I was overall very impressed. And thanks to the reasonably powerful speakers, it easily drenches a room with sound.
Who is the Anker Soundcore Wakey for?
That’s the question, ain’t it? If you need to get up in the morning, this one’s for you, as it’s far louder than your bog-standard phone alarm. Furthermore, the app is really good (which is a rarity for most audio gear), and makes it super easy to set and manage alarms.
I’m also a big fan of the charging system, but I feel the absence of USB-C power delivery is a missed opportunity. I often work from my bed, and the option to charge my laptop from my alarm would be pretty nice.
I mean, it can charge my tablet and two phones simultaneously — why not a laptop?
It would have also been nice to have some kind of voice assistant built in, too. This device consolidates your chargers, speaker, and alarm clock into one device. Why not add Alexa for good measure?
Those are just minor quibbles though, and overall I’m extremely satisfied with the Anker Soundcore Wakey, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.
If you’re tempted, you can grab it for $99 from Anker’s own website, or through the usual Amazon.com. At the time of writing, the latter is probably the better deal, as there’s a $20 coupon you can redeem, thereby bringing the price down to just $79.99.
In the UK, it retails for £99 from Amazon.co.uk. Sadly, there are no coupons to be had for customers in old Blighty.
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