Anker’s new 45-watt Nano charger has a screen and other upgrades. Here’s what it’s like

The latest Anker Nano 45-watt charger, announced in January, which remains one of the smallest 45-watt chargers on the market, adds a color screen showing an animated character and some details about the device you’re charging.

The display is sometimes useful if you want to keep tabs on how much power your device uses, but the screen feels more like a marketing gimmick than a feature that most consumers will actually benefit from. But that’s not the only upgrade worth considering.

The Nano’s distinguishing feature is a roughly 1-inch-wide screen that takes up half of the charger’s glossy front panel. These types of displays are typically only found on Anker’s larger multiport power stations and are often limited in the information they display.

Anker touts the Nano as “the world’s first smart screen charger that knows your iPhone.” When you plug one in, the screen will briefly show the name of your device, then show the amount of power supplied and the battery level. But the charger is limited to Apple hardware and only recognizes a limited number of devices, including iPhone 15 and later models and iPad models from 2020. I tested it with an iPhone 16 Pro and an iPad 10 from 2022, and both were recognized and identified.

The Nano also features a three-stage charging system that adjusts the rate of power delivery to extend battery life. As the device’s charge level increases, the power output decreases. Stages are displayed as “fast”, “steady”, and “dripping” alongside current power and an animated blob-like character whose expression often confuses me. Sometimes he’s asleep, and other times he seems crazy, even if it’s not intentional. When a single USB cable is plugged in, the character occasionally throws a baseball or transforms into a cookie that opens to reveal fortunes such as “fun to come”, which means nothing at all.

Pressing a touch indent next to the Nano’s USB-C port scrolls through two additional screens, including a temperature display and one for switching between charging modes, or you can hold it for two seconds to flip the display 180 degrees as needed.

The default charging mode is automatic (the charger resets every time it is unplugged) and adjusts the power delivered over time. Maintenance mode reduces power consumption to further extend battery life by keeping your phone cool. It’s designed for times when you’re not in a hurry to charge your device, such as charging overnight, and it displays the word “gentle” on the screen to remind you to switch to automatic mode if you’re in a hurry.

It does not stop working when connected to devices that are not officially supported. I tested it with a Kobo e-reader and a Playdate, and instead of identifying either device, the charger went straight to the charging status screen, showing the amount of power delivered without the battery level.

The most useful feature of the screen is being able to check the charge level of your iPhone or iPad, but this is information that these devices already display. After a few seconds, the Nano charger’s screen will automatically turn off, requiring you to reach for the outlet by simply tapping to see the charging progress again. You can’t keep the screen on at all times, so if your phone or tablet isn’t across the room and connected via a 60-foot USB cable, why not just reach for your device to check if it’s charged?

The Nano’s screen would seem less gimmicky if it offered additional features, such as an estimate of the time needed for a full charge, or an option to automatically switch to care mode during the night.

The most compelling reason to spend $5 more on the new $39.99 Nano charger instead of last year’s $34.99 model is its redesigned foldable prongs. They now swivel 180 degrees, so you can plug the charger into an outlet two different ways to reorient the screen or keep the USB-C port accessible. This is a simple but smart design change that I wouldn’t be surprised to see Anker incorporate into other smaller chargers in the future.

Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge