Why charging phones is such a complex business, with Anker CEO Steven Yang

Nilay Patel talks to Steven Yang, the CEO and founder of Anker Innovations. The conversation covers the full stack of Decoder topics: taking bets on new tech like gallium nitride, building a direct-to-consumer business on Amazon, and the complexity of managing the Amazon relationship, regulatory issues, platform fees — you name it. And all from a company that started making phone chargers. Anker is endlessly fascinating.

Links:

Anker CEO Steven Yang is all in on USB-C

Amazon-Native Brand Anker Goes Public

EU proposes mandatory USB-C on all devices, including iPhones

Gallium nitride is the silicon of the future

Video: Is gallium nitride the silicon of the future?

Anker MagGo devices snap on for wireless iPhone charging in your car and home

Amazon confirms it removed RavPower, a popular phone battery and charger brand

Another Amazon-first gadget brand has suspiciously vanished: Choetech

Doug DeMuro on Decoder

Nebula Capsule II mini projector review: TV in a can

Transcript:

https://www.theverge.com/e/22533880

Credits:

Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, Alexander Charles Adams, and Andrew Marino. We are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. 

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