## Is the $40 Anker Nano 45W Charger Worth It? A Deep Dive and Test

In the world of tech, we’re constantly searching for the holy grail: a single gadget that can do it all, and do it well. When it comes to charging, that dream often feels just out of reach, leaving us with a tangled mess of bulky power bricks for our phones, tablets, and laptops. Anker, however, has been on a mission to change that. Enter the Anker Nano 45W Charger (also known as the Anker 713), a tiny powerhouse that promises to charge almost everything you own, all for a price of around $40.

But does this miniature marvel live up to the hype? We got our hands on one to find out.

### First Impressions: It’s Impossibly Small

The first thing you notice about the Anker Nano 45W is its size. It’s genuinely tiny. Compared to the standard 5W charger Apple used to include with iPhones, it’s nearly the same size but delivers nine times the power. Compared to Apple’s 30W MacBook Air brick, it’s significantly smaller and more pocketable.

The design is classic Anker: clean, minimalist, with a solid, premium-feeling plastic shell. The real star of the show for portability, however, is the foldable prongs. They snap into place with a satisfying click, transforming the charger into a smooth, snag-free rectangle that you can toss into a pocket or the smallest corner of a backpack without a second thought. This small detail makes a huge difference for anyone who travels or works on the go.

### The Magic Inside: GaN and PPS Technology

How does Anker pack so much power into such a small package? The answer is Gallium Nitride, or GaN. This advanced semiconductor material is far more efficient than the traditional silicon used in older chargers. It wastes less energy as heat, allowing engineers to pack components closer together without them overheating. This results in a charger that is not only smaller but also runs cooler and more efficiently.

But it’s not just about size. The Anker Nano 45W is also smart. It features support for PowerIQ 3.0 and, crucially, the Programmable Power Supply (PPS) standard. PPS is the technology that enables Samsung’s “Super Fast Charging 2.0,” allowing the charger and the phone to communicate and negotiate the optimal voltage and current for the fastest possible charge.

### Performance Test: The One Charger to Rule Them All?

We put the Anker Nano 45W to the test with a variety of devices, and the results were impressive.

* **Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra:** This is where the charger truly shines. Thanks to PPS support, it activated “Super Fast Charging 2.0” and was able to charge the phone just as quickly as Samsung’s own official 45W adapter. We saw a charge from 20% to over 70% in just 30 minutes. For Samsung flagship owners, this is a perfect, and often more compact, alternative.

* **iPhone 15 Pro:** While iPhones don’t support 45W charging, the Anker Nano delivered the maximum power the iPhone could take (around 27W), charging it from empty to 50% in under 30 minutes. It’s more than enough power to fast-charge any iPhone on the market.

* **MacBook Air (M2):** This is the ultimate test for a “do-it-all” charger. The 45W output is enough to charge a MacBook Air at a respectable speed, even while in use for light tasks like web browsing and writing. While it won’t be as fast as a 67W or 96W brick under a heavy video editing load, it’s a fantastic, ultra-light option for travel or as a secondary charger.

* **Nintendo Switch & Steam Deck:** The Anker Nano 45W is a dream come true for handheld gamers. It provides more than enough power to charge the Steam Deck at full speed while playing, and easily handles the Nintendo Switch in both handheld and docked mode (though third-party dock compatibility can vary).

Throughout all our tests, the charger remained surprisingly cool to the touch, a testament to its GaN efficiency and Anker’s ActiveShield 2.0 safety system, which monitors temperature to protect your devices.

### The Verdict: Is It Worth $40?

After spending time with the Anker Nano 45W Charger, the answer is a resounding yes. For $40, you are getting a device that punches far above its weight class.

**This charger is for you if:**

* **You are a traveler or minimalist:** Its tiny size and foldable prongs make it an unbeatable travel companion, potentially replacing two or three other power bricks.
* **You own a flagship Samsung phone:** It offers the fastest possible charging speeds for devices that support Super Fast Charging 2.0, making it a top-tier choice.
* **You have a MacBook Air or similar Ultrabook:** It’s an excellent, ultra-portable secondary charger that can easily power your laptop for daily tasks.
* **You want a single, future-proof charger:** With 45W of power, it can handle nearly any modern phone, tablet, or small laptop you throw at it.

The only real downside is that it only has one USB-C port. If you consistently need to charge multiple devices at the exact same time, you’ll want to look at one of Anker’s multi-port offerings. But for a single, powerful, and incredibly portable charging solution, the Anker Nano 45W is one of the best values in tech today. It’s a small investment that delivers a huge upgrade in convenience.