Kuxiu’s S3 MagSafe Power Bank is bigger, better and safer

Kuxiu is back with a new S3 Portable Battery that addresses most of the issues I encountered along the way My review of the S2also known as the “World’s First” semi-rigid power bank. It also offers some new features, adding useful ones like a kickstand and a built-in USB-C cable.

As a reminder, these are not true “hard power banks” despite the marketing hype. the 10,000mAh COXIO S3 It uses the same solid-liquid mixed electrolyte as the S2, making it less susceptible to thermal runaway than the all-liquid lithium-ion batteries found in most power banks. Kuxiu says its unique semi-solid-state chemistry also lasts twice as long, making it good for about 1,000 charging cycles before the battery capacity drops to 80 percent.

The S3 is more expensive to purchase than other 10,000mAh power banks, which are typically rated for 300-500 cycles. Listed at $149.98 but often discounted and selling for $149.98 Under $70 At the time of this writing. At this price, it should be cheaper to own over its longer life.

While it’s easy to dismiss a safety claim, don’t. In September, Anker issued a summons to… 481,000 power banks Due to the risk of fire and explosion. And just last week, INIU has recalled 210,000 power banks It was sold on Amazon and was involved in 11 fires that caused more than $380,000 in property damage. It was a busy year to power Bank He remembers.

Safety aside, Kuxiu has also packed the S3 with a lot of useful upgrades. In addition to double the battery capacity, you get a foldable metal kickstand, a digital display, and a detachable USB-C cable that clips into the perimeter when not in use. You also get a 30W faster charging input and up to 25W Qi2 output for devices that support the latest wireless charging standards.

On paper, this all sounds great – and it is – but so is this larger battery heavy When used as a MagSafe charger, it’s less pocketable. With dimensions of 106.9 x 71 x 22.15 mm (4.20 x 2.79 x 0.87 inches) and a weight of 245.3 g (8.65 oz), the S3 adds significant size and heft to the 187 g / 6.6 oz iPhone 15 Pro. Fortunately, the S3’s stronger set of 18 N52 magnets does a good job of holding everything together and aligning it properly for charging.

To test the unit’s rated capacity of 10,000 mAh (5,000 mAh at 7.7V or 38.5Wh), I plugged the S3’s built-in USB-C cable into a LAB POWER-Z C240 ​​Charger Power Meterwhich was then inserted into the USB-C socket on the iPhone 15 Pro. I was able to charge the iPhone from 0 to 100 percent once, and then again from 0 to 92 percent before the S3 power bank went empty. I measured 31.12 watt-hours of useful output capacity for an 80.83 percent efficient DC/DC circuit, which is typical.

The flat, integrated USB-C cable that clips into the S3’s perimeter is very useful. Power banks get all kinds of unnecessary features these days, but the value of always having a cable ready shouldn’t be underestimated. Although the S3 can’t fully charge the larger MacBook Pro’s battery, it can provide a few extra hours of runtime. The maximum charging speed of the S3 is only 35W, which is on par with this category of battery.

Kuxiu still sells the more portable 5000mAh S2 Currently available for $49.99. The biggest The S3 currently lists a price of $68.99 It offers twice the battery capacity, a display that shows the remaining percentage, more powerful wired and wireless charging, the convenience of a kickstand and an always-available USB-C cable.

Compared to power banks sold by the likes of Anker, EcoFlow, and hundreds of other alphabet brands like, um, Koshioshould be the new semi-solid state chemistry S2 and S3 Safer And they’re cheaper to own, making them very difficult to beat if you’re currently in the market.

Photography by Thomas Ricker/The Verge