Anker's New Smart Charger Includes A Display & Won't Break The Bank
Anker has been making charging gear for a while now, but in the past few years, the brand has truly leveled up its game with next-gen tech and plenty of form factors to pick from. Its latest is a tiny charger that packs plenty of power, throws a screen into the mix, and is affordable. Anker revealed the Anker Nano (45W) brick at CES 2026, claiming it's the world's first smart display charger for iPhones. Priced at $39.99, it will be available from Anker's online storefront later this month. For comparison, Apple charges the same amount for its 40W brick, which has a larger footprint and lacks a display.
Anker says the built-in color display is configured with over 20 interfaces that can offer crucial information about the top-up process. You can see the charging mode, power delivery, and temperature levels. Of course, there's a persistent scale that shows the charging progress, as well. The USB-C port is positioned on the side, which means you'll always have a direct view of the display, irrespective of whether the brick is plugged into a wall socket or a horizontally inclined board.
You'll also be able to check whether the power delivery is happening in the vanilla auto mode or the special care mode. The latter is actually a TÜV‑Certified Care Mode that is claimed to reduce the battery temperature levels by around nine degrees Fahrenheit compared to other 45W chargers. Higher temperatures are bad news for battery health, and it's pretty thoughtful of Anker to offer a feature that lets users enjoy worry-free fast charging without the concerns of heat build-up.
A deceptively compact heavy-hitter
Anker's Nano line-up is all about packing more power inside a smaller package. The new Nano Charger (45W) is no different. Despite a 50% higher power output, it's 47% smaller and 36% lighter than the older 30W model. Additionally, the prongs offer 180-degree movement flexibility, meaning the charger can be easily plugged into a crowded wallet irrespective of the orientation. But there's more to this palm-friendly charger than meets the eye. There's a recessed button on the side that can be double-tapped to switch between regular and care charging modes. It comes with a smart recognition system that can identify between iPhone 17, 16, and 15 series models, and adjusts the charging behavior to accommodate the phone's built-in battery capacity. As far as the charging efficiency goes, it can fill the iPhone 17 Pro's empty tank to the 50% level in just 20 minutes.
It takes a three-step process to fill the iPhone's battery. When the battery is empty, the brick delivers the full 45W output until the phone reaches 20%, then it slows to a 30W charging pace until the battery climbs to the 80% mark. After that, it triggers the trickle charging mode, where it only delivers 15W power to juice up the iPhone's battery. You can choose from a total of four colors: white, black, orange, and light blue, matching the iPhone's colors.
The $39.99 asking price is pretty tempting, but there's a nice 25% early-bird discount if you sign up before January 20. Moreover, the pre-orders will be rewarded with exclusive benefits, including surprise gifts, in-store credits, and priority shipments.