I’ve used adaptive chargers with my iPhone and Android for a year – but should you?


After close to 200 recharge cycles, my iPhone's battery is doing exceptionally well.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

  • Adaptive charging aims to reduce battery wear by keeping charge speeds low.
  • The Anker Nano 45W is the best adaptive charger available.
  • You could get most of the benefits by using a low-power charger for overnight charging.

Whether you’re using a cheap $10 charger or something that costs an awful lot more, the modern USB charger is simply an amazing bit of tech. It may look like just a box plugged into a wall outlet with a cable going to another box. But behind the scenes, there’s a lot going on. 

The moment you connect a charger to your device — whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or power bank — the charger wakes up, and the two gadgets quickly negotiate the best and safest voltage and current combo to use before getting on with charging. Then, both the charger and the device being charged continuously monitor voltage, current, and temperature to ensure the charging is safe and nothing blows up or catches fire. 

Also: Apple WWDC live blog: All the iOS 27, Siri, and more news we’re expecting to see

Gone are the days when a charger would just push as much power into the device as possible. 

Once the gadget is close to being fully charged, the charger ramps down the voltage until the battery is full, at which point charging stops.

And if a malfunction causes an overcurrent or overvoltage spike, or a short circuit in the cable or device, the charger steps in and cuts power. But what if chargers could be even smarter? 

This is where smart adaptive chargers come into play. As with most new technologies, this technology goes by various names. Anker calls it Care Mode, while other manufacturers use “intelligent” charging, “smart regulated,” and sometimes “AI” for good measure. They’re different terms for a similar thing.

What is adaptive charging?

Over the past few years, USB charger power outputs have exploded (pun intended). Back when you got barely half an amp out of a USB-A charger, we needed all the power the charger could muster. But now that chargers can handle 140W or more without breaking a sweat, that power needs to be controlled.

USB power meter

A USB power meter is invaluable for keeping an eye on charging.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

In a perfect world, you need a fast charge to bring the device from flat to about 20%, a steady charge to do the bulk of the charging to 80%, and then have the charger switch to a trickle charge for the final 20%. 

Ideally, you’d also want a way to turn this feature off if you wanted to blast as much charge into the device as quickly as possible. 

Also: My new favorite Anker charger has a useful smart display (and won’t break the bank)

This is exactly what adaptive chargers do. The charger communicates with the device being charged; the two negotiate how best to carry out charging, and then the device proceeds through the different charging stages. The Anker Nano 45W will start at 45W before ramping down to 20-30W for the bulk of the charge, then dropping all the way to 10W for the final top-off. 

This is the perfect way to charge a device like a smartphone and keep the battery in as good a condition as possible, and is the ideal charging protocol for when a phone is attached to the charger overnight or for extended periods. 

Does adaptive charging work?

I was initially skeptical about adaptive chargers. After all, charging protocols such as Power Delivery do a good job of keeping things safe, and pretty much every charger now supports them. And I’ve seen a lot of buzzwords in my time, so I know that talk is cheap.

Thermal image of an iPhone 14 Pro Max

Modern smartphones can get surprisingly hot.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

However, based on the testing I’ve carried out, monitoring power draw and temperatures, I’ve seen a noticeable drop in both overall charger and device temperatures (around 25°F and 6°F, respectively), which is a good thing when it comes to the longevity of a modern smartphone.

Also: A common charging habit was quietly killing my iPhone’s battery – here’s the fix

But (yes, there’s always a but): Adaptive power doesn’t break or even bend the laws of physics. The only way to reduce heat during charging is to reduce the power output, which, in turn, will extend charging times. 

Does it work with every device?

Full adaptive charging, like Anker’s Care Mode, doesn’t work with every phone. In fact, I’ve only seen support for the iPhone 17, 16, and 15 series, along with iPad Pro models since 2020. This is because the charger needs to know what device it’s charging, and so far, the number of devices that can do this is limited. 

There's more to the Anker Nano 45W than knowing what smartphone it's connected to!

There’s more to the Anker Nano 45W than knowing what smartphone it’s connected to!

Anker

This is the biggest limitation. However, considering how many hundreds of millions of iPhones support this kind of charging, along with the fact that some companies are working to add more smartphone support, things are looking good for the future. 

Don’t want to buy a new charger with adaptive features? I suggest that you use a low-power charger for overnight charging — something in the 20W range is perfect for this — and keep your fast chargers for day-to-day topping up and for bigger things like laptops and power banks. 

Do you need it?

This question is sure to generate debate.

Ultimately, how quickly a battery charges is controlled by its own BMS (battery management system). One could argue for pushing all the power a charge allows into a device and letting the BMS decide how much the battery gets. It’s a fair point, but given how hot modern handsets can get, I’m not sure this is the best idea when it comes to longevity. Heat and aggressive charging are, after all, the top contributors to battery wear, and whatever you can do to minimize this should get you more from your battery.  

And when modern smartphones can cost $1,000 and beyond, this isn’t a bad thing.

Also: After testing this Anker, I wish every wireless charger had a thermoelectric cooler

However, if you’re worried about heat while charging, you could always take a different approach and invest in a wireless charger that features built-in cooling, like the Anker MagSafe 3-in-1 charging station. This unit did an amazing job of cooling my iPhone. 

The TEC cooler chills the charging pad really effectively.

The Anker Prime MagSafe 3-in-1 charger keeps the back of the iPhone nice and cool. 

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

What should you buy?

The best choice for an adaptive charger is the Anker Nano 45W. It’s cheap — $29 — and its modest power output makes it ideally suited to overnight charges. This model has a TUV-certified Care Mode that perfectly handles that initial fast charge, then shifts into a lower-power mode for the bulk of the charging, before finally downshifting into a trickle mode.

Also: The best earbuds: Expert tested and reviewed

The Ugreen Uno 100W is another good choice. This one doesn’t have the same three changing modes, but it does do a very good job of shifting into trickle mode when the bulk of the charging is done. 





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2026 has shaped up to be a big year for Milwaukee, and the company shows no signs of slowing down as it expands its product line. For example, it has announced that some solid new Milwaukee hand tools and organizers will be arriving throughout the summer, but that’s not all. At the end of the day, you need somewhere to put all of this stuff, and while the Milwaukee Packout storage system is deep and varied as is, the company will expand the line in the summer months.

More methods for organizing your tools are on the way, too, with the Milwaukee Packout line set to introduce some new entries this summer. They vary in size, purpose, and price point, but they’re all compatible with the wider Packout line. That means they can connect to each other, making transportation easier. In some cases, they’ll be able to help keep tools and other items secure and organized while on the move. Additionally, all of these new Packout products are covered by Milwaukee’s Limited Lifetime Warranty.

So, what new products does Milwaukee have to offer from its Packout line this summer? Here are the drops you can look forward to throughout June and July 2026.

Milwaukee compact crate

Sometimes, a massive Packout crate isn’t a necessity, which is why the line has its share of smaller options. Yet another will be coming to the Milwaukee catalog in the form of the Milwaukee Packout compact crate, which is set for a June 2026 release and will cost $39.97. It has a 30-pound weight capacity, comes in at 8.75 inches tall, 9.5 inches wide, 15.5 inches long, and 3.75 pounds, and includes two removable dividers to create up to three sections within the crate. The dividers can also be customized by cutting them to size along the pre-made score lines.

This compact crate features a wide front opening for easy access to its contents while on the job, as well as a metal top handle to carry it around on its own. Should you want to add it to your current Packout stack, you can use the connection points at the top and bottom of the crate. Speaking of durability, Milwaukee notes that it has an impact-resistant body along with weep holes to prevent water collection. At the same time, there is some nuance regarding the waterproof nature of Milwaukee Packout products, so keep that in mind before letting this crate get soaked.

Milwaukee Packout low-profile crate

A shorter but equally mighty Milwaukee Packout container is also on its way to customers this summer. The Milwaukee Packout low-profile crate is the shortest of the new releases at just 6.625 inches tall, though it makes up for what it lacks in height with a 15-inch length and an 18.625-inch width. Even though it’s slightly heavier than the compact crate at 4.85 pounds, it wins out in weight capacity with a 50-pound limit. It will be released in June 2026 and will cost $44.97.

For added modularity, the low-profile crate includes three different divider types: eight short, two long, and one for the middle of the container. When combined, they form up to 12 individual sections for tool and accessory organization. In terms of connecting to other Packout containers, it can do so from the top and bottom. Alternatively, built-in side handles are integrated into the design to make it easier to carry the crate on its own. The crate has weep holes for water drainage and an impact-resistant body.

Milwaukee Packout XL crate

Moving on to one of the larger upcoming Milwaukee Packout releases — even if it ultimately lands somewhere in the middle of the smallest and largest Packout containers for sale — there’s the aptly-named Milwaukee Packout XL crate. This release will hit shelves in June 2026 and comes with a $69.97 price tag. The 8.03-pound crate can take on some serious tools with its 75-pound weight capacity. It measures 15 inches tall, 15.75 inches long, and 18.625 inches wide. Despite its size, it can be hung up on a wall like most other Packout containers.

While some may hang this crate in their workshop, many will use it as part of their mobile Packout stack. You can connect it to your existing setup via the top and bottom connection points. It can also be used with Milwaukee toolbox attachments to hold smaller tools and batteries with connection points on the sides. Alternatively, you can move the crate around using its built-in side handles. It’s advertised as having an impact-resistant body along with anti-water collection weep holes. Suffice to say, there’s more to this seemingly simple crate than initially meets the eye.

Milwaukee Packout Wire Pulling XL Crate

For the most part, the Milwaukee Packout line is so popular because of its versatility. While most entries can be used for just about anything, there are those that come with a specialized function. Case in point, the forthcoming Milwaukee Packout Wire Pulling XL crate, which is designed for dispensing wire. This involves inserting and locking in spools of the user’s needed material, threading the wire through the wire retention slots, and using the fold-down panel to keep the end of the wire from rolling back into the box.

Overall, this crate has the same dimensions and weight capacity as the previously covered Packout XL crate, though it is the heavier of the two at 9.85 pounds. It can accommodate up to six spools, can be stacked onto other Packout containers or hung up, and has an impact-resistant body. This is the most expensive of the new Packout releases at a hefty $119.97, and it’s set to release during July 2026. Alongside the best Milwaukee power tools for electrical work, this crate seems like a vital piece for any Milwaukee-enthusiast electrician’s kit.

New Milwaukee Packout inserts are coming, too

That’s it for the new Milwaukee Packout containers set to debut this summer, but there are more new releases yet to cover. To pair with some of these containers and improve their levels of organization and function, come two new insert sets. First is the divider for the Milwaukee Packout XL crate, which splits the container into two sections. It simply slides down the middle of the crate and fits snugly into place, while retaining its ability to connect with smaller Packout attachments. It will be released in July 2026 for $29.97.

Alongside the Packout XL crate divider is the set of Packout wire pulling inserts for the XL crate. You’ll need these if you end up buying an XL crate and later want to use it as a wire-pulling crate. These inserts allow you to convert it instead of having to buy a new designated wire pulling crate. They attach to two of the inner sides of the crate via T-25 screws and include wire puller guards as well. The Milwaukee product listing says these inserts are meant for 1/2-inch EMT conduit. This insert set also comes out in July and will cost $49.97. 





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