I recently pulled the trigger on a new iPhone 17 Pro and upgraded from my iPhone 15 Pro. I spent a lot of time debating between the Pro Max and the smaller screen for extra battery life, but I ultimately decided to stick with the smaller screen for portability.
Personally, I’d love to buy an iPhone 17 mini, but nevertheless. The Max is just too big for my front pocket, and I prefer being able to use the phone with one hand. However, sticking with the smaller battery forced me to rethink my EDC kit. Since I wasn’t going to have the massive cell of the Pro Max, I needed a reliable way to top up during heavy usage days without carrying a massive MagSafe battery in my pocket. I wanted a battery that was slim enough to disappear until I needed it. That search led me to the Anker Nano Power Bank, and I used it heavily at Universal Studios this past weekend.
MagSafe Monday: Every Monday, Bradley Chambers looks at the latest and greatest in the MagSafe and wireless charging industry to help you get the most out of your Apple devices that support wireless charging.
The battery trade-off with Pro and Pro Max
When you look at the specs, the difference isn’t small. By opting for the iPhone 17 Pro instead of the Pro Max, I am sacrificing 7 additional hours of video playback. That is a massive amount of power to leave on the table, and it cascades into daily usage.
Frankly, that gap is noticeable on days when I am using cellular heavily or when I am not at my desk much. I love the Pro’s smaller size, but I definitely feel “battery anxiety” earlier in the day than I do with the Max. This is exactly why I needed a battery pack that could bridge that gap without adding the bulk back that I tried to avoid by buying the smaller phone in the first place.
Qi2 is the selling point
The reason I landed on the Anker Nano Power Bank is the thickness (or lack thereof) with the feature set. It is VERY skinny. It measures just 0.34″ thick. To put that in perspective, it feels more like a thick wallet than a battery pack. The Anker Nano is slim enough that I can snap it on and still use the phone one-handed without feeling like I am doing a wrist workout. There are plenty of slim batteries, though.
The real story here is the charging speed, though. This is a Qi2-certified battery. It delivers the full 15 watts of MagSafe charging speed. Most slim batteries are still limited to a 7.5-watt charge, which is fine, but Qi2 does make a difference. That slow speed is fine for overnight usage. It is painfully slow when you need a quick boost in the middle of the day, however. With 15 watts, it actually charges the phone rather than just giving it a trickle charge.
I want to be realistic about what a 5,000 mAh battery can actually do, too. Anker calls it “dependable power for emergencies,” and I think that is the perfect way to frame it. It won’t double your battery life if you are a power user. It is worth noting that Anker’s testing was done in Low Power Mode. If you are running full brightness and GPS, your results will vary. Here is what you can realistically expect in terms of maximum charging levels from 0%.
- iPhone 15 and 15 Pro: 91% charge
- iPhone 14 and 14 Pro: 91% charge
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: 65% charge
- iPhone 14 Pro Max: 70% charge
This confirms my decision to stick with the smaller Pro model. With the standard Pro, this battery is nearly fully charged. I am glad Anker included a robust USB-C port here. It supports 20W input and output. Especially in hot environments (think summer travel), I tend to charge that way to avoid overheating. The power bank itself takes just under two hours to charge to full.
Wrap up on Anker Nano Power Bank
If you are looking for a battery to take on a weekend camping trip to keep your phone alive for 48 hours, the Anker Nano Power Bank is not it. You need a much bigger MagSafe battery for that. This is a battery designed for a completely different problem. This is an EDC battery. It is designed to live in your bag or pocket every single day, so you have it when you realize you forgot to charge overnight or have a heavier usage day than usual. Because it is so slim, you won’t mind carrying it. The best battery is the one you actually have with you. I used it heavily this past weekend while at Universal Studios, and it was awesome. Enough to get me through the day, but super thin.
You can buy the Anker Nano Power Bank from Amazon or directly from Anker.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments