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.
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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.
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