With the Anker Nano Laptop Dock, Anker is bringing a particularly flexible docking solution to Germany that is clearly aimed at users with a hybrid everyday life of home office, office and mobile working. The system combines a fully-fledged desktop docking station with a detachable, compact USB-C hub that functions as a stand-alone mini dock when on the move. This saves the purchase of an additional travel hub in many cases, without sacrificing a wide range of connections at the desk.
- Available immediately in Germany, price around 140 euros on Amazon.
- 2-in-1 concept: large station for the desk plus removable, compact USB-C hub
- A total of 13 connections including HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet, USB-C, USB-A and card readers.
- USB-C PD with up to 100 watts input and up to 85 watts charging power for laptops on the hub.
2-in-1 concept for desktop and on the go
The Anker Nano Laptop Dock is based on a two-part design that differs significantly from classic, stationary USB-C docks. The actual base station is intended for stationary use at the desk and measures around 14.3 x 4.5 x 9.5 centimetres, making it compact enough to fit into tight spaces. This base contains a removable “inner part”: a small USB-C hub that can be taken along separately and thus provides additional connections for notebooks, ultrabooks or tablets on the go. The mobile hub is significantly smaller at around 8 x 4.2 centimetres and is roughly the size of a credit card, albeit noticeably thicker, which makes it ideal for carrying in a backpack or laptop bag.
The compact hub is connected directly to the laptop via a fixed USB-C plug, which means that it typically sticks out to the side of the device. In mobile operation, it offers a USB-C port and a USB-A port, each with a data rate of up to 5 GBit/s, a USB-PD input as well as an HDMI output and card reader for SD and microSD. Up to 100 watts of power can be fed in via the USB-PD input, of which up to 85 watts can be passed on to the notebook according to the specification – sufficient for many ultra-mobile devices and numerous mainstream laptops. The HDMI output supports output in 4K resolution at up to 60 Hz, so that external monitors or presentation setups can also be used easily when on the move. Together, this results in a hub that covers the typical requirements of everyday mobile life – charging, external display, data transfer and memory cards – in a compact form.
When docked, the small hub is integrated into the larger station, which significantly expands the range of connections. An additional USB-C port and a combined 3.5 mm jack socket for headsets or speakers are also available on the front. At the rear, Anker has added Gigabit Ethernet, a DisplayPort connection, two additional HDMI ports and two further USB-A sockets, each with a data rate of up to 5 GBit/s. This allows several monitors, a wired network, peripherals such as a mouse, keyboard and external drives as well as audio hardware to be permanently connected at the desk, while the notebook is connected with a single cable. The overall concept is clearly aimed at users who regularly switch between mobile working and a stationary setup and attach importance to having as few connections as possible.
- Also interesting: Anker Prime Docking Station 14-in-1 test: USB-C hub with many ports
Price, availability and classification
The Anker Nano Laptop Dock is already available in Germany and is offered via Amazon. The recommended retail price is around 140 euros, with sales and shipping via Amazon, although only a limited number of units are initially available and the earliest delivery date is January 6. According to the information provided, the stock is to be successively increased so that better availability can be expected in the medium term.
The combination of a stationary dock and removable hub positions the solution as a versatile option for users who previously often had to choose between a large dock for the desk and a separate travel adapter. For those who regularly switch between home office, office and on the road, the Anker Nano Laptop Dock is a flexible setup with a total of 13 connections that supports both productive multi-monitor environments and simple, mobile single-cable solutions. Whether the price tag is worth it depends heavily on the individual workflow – but the concept itself seems coherent and addresses a real problem for many laptop users.
